We're Underestimating Our Audiences

Most organizers, whether they realize it or not, are designing their gatherings around a pretty limited view of what their audience can do.

Listen to a keynote.

Eat some food.

Ask a question or two.

And then go home.

I want to be clear. Not all gatherings are like this. I’ve watched presentations that genuinely left me inspired. This isn’t about tearing down what works.

But I’ve also been to a lot of gatherings and meetups where it was obvious the only thing they wanted us to do was pay attention to what they were saying.

Sometimes there was a meal. Usually overpriced and forgettable.

Most of the meetups I attended, especially those hosted by large companies, left me and anyone I brought with a sense of surface level engagement.

And honestly, that’s sad.

Because what most organizers are missing is that their audience has something to give back. Not just to each other, but to the presenters, to the people in the room with jobs, to everyone. When you create the space for that, everybody gets lifted.

Which is why I was so excited when Google Developer Group gave me the opportunity to bring a different kind of experience to their community.

The first step was sitting down with the Chapter Head and their team to talk through what they actually wanted their group to experience.

One of the main things we discussed was the challenges attendees might face.

Large groups can feel intimidating. And to be frank, there are a lot of unhealthy power dynamics in the tech world.

So we explored ways to help the audience break out of that and have a real moment to connect with each other.

Our intention was to create a space where attendees could relax, open up, and meet people they hadn’t met before.

During the experience I invited everyone into small groups and asked two questions.

For those who don’t have jobs in this room, how tough has it been for you?

How are you holding up?

The goal was for people to answer honestly and then connect with peers they hadn’t met yet.

At first everyone looked perplexed.

Are we really pausing the presentation lineup to stand up, stretch, get some water, and talk to each other?

Yes. That’s exactly what we’re doing.

And then something powerful happened.

People shared their struggles. They admitted they felt overwhelmed. In some groups, attendees started offering support to each other.

Programmers from companies like Airbnb and Microsoft, and people still looking for work, were equals for a moment.

Even some of the presenters joined the conversation.

The room felt lighter. Connection took hold. And afterwards people approached each other with a little more compassion.

The presenters had their moment to shine. But so did the audience.

That’s the thing about underestimating your audience. When you stop doing it, they will surprise you every single time.