Excellence or Extinction: Lessons from Organizing Podim in a Winner-Takes-All World
As startups from 23 countries and 53 leading VC funds and angel networks from 21 countries are to converge in Maribor for the Podim startup and innovation conference on 12-14 May, programme manager Urban Lapajne writes in an opinion piece for the Slovenia Times that the bar of excellence keeps rising in the hyper-competitive world of startup events.
Standing backstage before the first keynote at Podim, I often find myself reflecting on the invisible line that separates the best from the rest. In a world where opportunities, attention, and success concentrate at the very top, being "good enough" is no longer enough. Today, whether you're building a startup, running a company, or organizing a conference, the reality is the same: winners take all. If you're not moving forward, you're falling behind. In today's world, standing still is just another word for extinction.
Podim, the startup and innovation conference we organize continuously for more than two decades in Maribor, Slovenia, has taught us this lesson firsthand. In the hyper-competitive world of startup events, the bar of excellence keeps rising - and so must we and our ecosystem.
The Winner-Takes-All Reality
Startup conferences today operate under brutal rules. The best events attract the best startups, the most prominent investors, and the strongest partners. If you don't evolve, you stagnate - and stagnation is fatal. Startups will choose other stages, investors will follow them, and soon partners will seek opportunities elsewhere. What remains is a mediocre event with mediocre added value, a slow descent into irrelevance.
Ambitious ecosystems understand this and act accordingly. They invest millions into their flagship events, knowing that such conferences become the crossroads where ecosystems meet, network, and gain momentum. Just look at Web Summit in Portugal, Slush in Finland, VivaTech in Paris, or Bits & Pretzels in Munich. These events are more than gatherings; they are engines for growth.
At Podim, we feel this pressure acutely. And yet, despite the odds, we continue to thrive - a small but fiercely competitive event with global reach.
A Battle on Every Front
Our journey is far from easy. We face unrelenting competition: in the same week that Podim takes place, three major conferences are happening - in Vienna, Budapest, and Cyprus. Between March and June alone, Europe hosts 13 major startup events, all competing for the same startups, investors, and partners. To even be mentioned among them, as Podim was by the respected StartupBlink portal, is a recognition we don't take lightly.
Despite its charm, Maribor - and Slovenia as a whole - remains difficult to reach. It's not unusual for startups or investors to tell us they won't attend simply because it takes almost a full day of travel to get here. There are no direct flights to Maribor or Graz, and the nearest well-connected airports - Vienna, Budapest, Ljubljana, and Zagreb - are all between one to three hours away by car.
There's also the cultural challenge. While high-quality networking and knowledge are at the core of Podim's value, we often encounter a "freebie mentality" - the expectation that access to world-class opportunities should somehow be free. When was the last time you asked for a free theater ticket or a free book in the bookstore? Yet, in the world of conferences, this mindset still exists.
And of course, the economic challenge. Organizing a top-tier event is financially grueling. Over the past few years, we have witnessed some iconic events like Pioneers Festival in Vienna, Fifteen Seconds in Graz, or Untold Stories in Budapest disappear - often due to financial pressure, not lack of vision.
The Danger of Settling for Average - and the Need for Bold Action
Beyond logistics, competition, and finances, there's an even deeper challenge we must confront: the culture of settling for average. Too often, the attitude towards building globally relevant events remains half-hearted. We see insufficient understanding of the strategic value that world-class conferences bring to an ecosystem - not just in terms of visibility, but in driving real economic impact.
Events like Podim cannot survive, let alone thrive, without the determined and visible support of both public and private ecosystem stakeholders. Bold investment and long-term vision are not optional; they are prerequisites.
Take Web Summit, for example. Have you ever wondered how much the Portuguese government and the city of Lisbon contribute annually to keep Web Summit in Portugal - an event that has firmly placed Lisbon on the global innovation map? The answer is staggering: we are talking about millions of euros each year. If we aspire to create a thriving startup ecosystem that competes on the European and global stage, we must adopt a similar mindset. It's time for stronger commitment, bolder investment, and deeper collaboration across the entire innovation ecosystem.
Why Podim Continues to Thrive
Despite all these challenges, Podim not only endures but continues to grow - fueled by a dedicated team, a loyal network of partners, and an unwavering commitment to quality. This year, 200 carefully selected startups from 23 countries and 53 leading VC funds and angel networks from 21 countries will converge in Maribor. Across two dynamic stages, an international audience of over 1,000 participants will engage with more than 80 renowned speakers. And beyond learning and inspiration, we continue to deliver tangible business value: last year alone, we facilitated over 1,300 one-on-one meetings between startups, investors, and corporate partners - a testament to Podim's role as a true catalyst for meaningful connections.
The truth is simple: we have no choice but to compete with the best - and win. Because in today's world, whether in sports, business, or innovation, average is invisible. Just like top athletes who relentlessly train, improve, and push their limits to reach the podium, organizing a world-class conference demands the same spirit: continuous improvement, resilience, and the courage to aim higher every year.
A Heartfelt Thank You
A huge thank you goes to all our partners - each and every one of you who believes in what we do and backs it up with real actions. You know who you are. You'll find yourselves proudly listed in the Partners section on our website. And behind every logo, there is a person or more of you. You are special. Without your support, Podim would no longer exist.
And, of course, an enormous thank you to our crazy, relentless team - pushing forward against all odds, year after year. None of this would be possible without your passion, resilience, and belief in the mission.
Join us in May
At Podim, we believe in the power of ecosystems to lift each other up. We believe in creating opportunities where startups can meet the right investors, ideas find funding, and ambition meets momentum. But building and sustaining such a platform requires vision, investment, and community support. It's a collective endeavor - one that rewards not just the event organizers but the entire region. If you believe in the future of innovation, entrepreneurship, and bold dreams, join us at Podim this May. Let's build the future - together.
