Alt Tech Talks

In 2013, I got rejected for Apple’s “Tech Talks”. At the time, with objc.io doing well, I assumed I would have been accepted.

I jumped on my bike, cycled to the nearest cinema, and walked in asking what it would cost to rent the place for a day.

They said €3,000.

I realised I could probably get sponsors, and even if not, I could afford to lose it. So I said yes.

I called Microsoft and asked them to sponsor my alternative conference. I started asking friends to speak. I couldn’t pay them, but tickets would be free. The line-up filled up quickly.

On the day itself, I got out of the subway. It was still dark, and I saw “Alt Tech Talks” on the cinema lightbox. That was the first moment it felt real—and slightly terrifying. People were flying in from all over Europe.

The room filled up. The talks were great, but more importantly, the atmosphere was different. People meeting, talking, forming connections and making friends. It felt like a real coming together of the community.

Looking back, I didn’t actually need a ticket for Apple’s event. I needed a way to meet the community. And it turns out you can just build one.

What I didn’t expect was that others would pick it up. People started organizing their own versions of Alt Tech Talks. Daniel ran one in London. At that point, it stopped being about my rejection and became something bigger than that.