No Panels. No Speakers. So Why Does This Event Work So Well? | Startup+
We removed the stage, the microphones, and the agenda. What stayed was the part everyone actually shows up for. Just a room full of people building things and talking like humans.
Every time we announce a Startup+ event, someone replies with genuine concern.
“No panels?”
“No speakers?”
“So… what exactly happens?”
It’s a fair question.
Tech has trained us to believe that value only exists when someone is standing on a stage with a microphone and a deck full of slides. No stage feels unfinished. Almost suspicious.
And yet, the Startup+ community has grown to 26,000+ members, and the upcoming event has already crossed 150+ RSVPs, without a single speaker announcement. Get your RSVP now. (Thursday Feb 05th).
So why does this keep working?
We’ve All Been to That Event
You walk in, grab a drink, and sit down because a panel is about to start. The speakers say smart things you mostly agree with. You nod. You clap. You wait.
Then comes the “networking” part.
You introduce yourself.
Someone pitches too early.
Someone else looks over your shoulder mid-conversation.
You leave with LinkedIn connections you probably won’t follow up on.
We didn’t want to build another version of that.
How Startup+ Accidentally Found the Formula
The first Startup+ event didn’t have a format because there was no format to follow. No one wanted to be on stage. No one wanted to pitch. So the room just existed.
People talked.
Conversations went long.
Introductions happened naturally.
And no one asked when the panel would start.
That’s when it became clear: the stage wasn’t adding value, it was absorbing it.
What Happens When You Remove the Stage
When there’s no panel, something shifts in the room. The hierarchy disappears. No one is “the most important person.” You’re not waiting for permission to speak.
Instead, you get things like:
Conversations that last longer than two minutes
Introductions that feel human, not transactional
People saying “you should meet…” without being prompted
It turns out builders don’t need structure to connect. They need space.
A Little Tech Humor (Because It’s True)
Startup+ is basically:
Slack, but people actually reply
Twitter, but kinder and slower
LinkedIn, without the performance anxiety
No elevator pitches.
No “quick context” monologues.
No pretending you’re not tired of explaining your startup.
Just real conversations that go where they’re supposed to.
The Proof (Since We All Trust Numbers)
This community didn’t grow because of speakers or panels. It grew because people told other people to show up.
26,000+ people across the Startup+ community
150 RSVPs already for the next event. RSVP Now
Founders, operators, engineers, investors, every stage, same room
No growth hacks. Just word of mouth and good rooms.
The Next One
On Thursday, February 5, we’re doing it again at Sour Mouse in NYC. RSVP Now
No agenda.
No spotlight.
No one telling you to “grab a seat.”
You walk in, get a drink, and the evening unfolds naturally.
Final Thought
If panels were the answer, we’d be running them by now.
If speakers were the secret, we’d be announcing them in bold.
But the thing that keeps working is simpler.
Put curious people in a room.
Get the format out of the way.
Let the conversations do the rest.
If that sounds like your kind of night, we’ll see you there. ✨
👉 RSVP for the Startup+ Mixer | Feb 5, Thursday
First event of 2026.
Good people. No pressure. Real conversations.
See you in the room 🤝
See you soon,
Aneesh Lal, Founder
Jaynish Shah, Community Lead
Team Startup+
🌐 www.startupplus.club