"Hello amazing humans!" with me holding a mic and dressed up all classy, would have been my go-to line if this were showbiz. But it isn't. I am Gold Agbonifo_Isaac and welcome to the Rant of a Beginner Techie series!

Today's rant matches the title: "The good and bad of my first Tech event". I'll delve into what I liked and didn't like about my first tech event. My aim? To share lessons from my journey, hopefully helping others plan their first tech event attendance.

I'd heard endless tales from articles, videos, and social media—how Tech Events catalyze careers. Learn, Network and grow. was all I heard. Typically, The more good they had to say, the more I wanted to experience attending one.

After numerous attempts and disappointments, I finally mustered the courage to attend. It took me months of trying and failing, but I finally overcame my fears and decided to leap. I attended Devfest Benin. Devfest is an event that brings people from various tech fields together.

THE GOOD.

Let me highlight three gems from the tech event:

1. Everyone was so nice and friendly, it felt like a family that finally came together after trying to plan meetups and failing. The welcoming feeling I got from the environment was gratifying, being surrounded by people who shared similar interests and values provided a sense of support, understanding, and connection.

2. Listening to Seasoned developers discuss their passions and journeys was truly inspiring. The thought that they too had humble beginnings motivated me in more ways than I could explain with words. I left the event filled with more determination than I came with.

3. I made new friends and had a ton of fun!

THE Not-so-good

The not-so-good? Introducing myself. I'll explain. In such an environment, beyond your name, and initials, your identity is what you do. Learn how to introduce yourself and what you do so that you don't end up in some awkward moments like I did!

I'll end today's rant with a quote to keep your drive alive.

"The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible." - Helen Hayes

Reach out to me at goldisaac33@gmail.com, or on Twitter.

Your self-proclaimed bestie signing out!