Austin’s SXSW has been growing each year since its launch in 1987. A mashup of conference tracks, film, music and creative pursuits, about 300,000 people attended some portion of the event in 2026.

I’ve been to nine SXSWs but never applied to participate as a speaker. This year I did.

The proposal: “More Good Jobs: Give First, Build Community.” It’s built on something I’ve learned the hard way over the last decade – startup ecosystems don’t grow by accident. They compound, slowly, as people do the unglamorous work of introducing the right person to the right person at the right time, without keeping score.

I’m seeking to share the practical side of that: how we measure a region’s ability to retain and attract talent (what I call Retainment and Magnet Quotients), why “give first” consistently outperforms transactional networking, and how any community – regardless of size or funding – can start building this today.

SXSW speakers are chosen in part by public vote from people who’ve attended a prior SXSW and/or have a SXSW account. That’s where I need help. If this is useful to you, I’d appreciate 30 seconds to VOTE HERE by August 23rd.

Thanks for considering it. Should you know others building startup community in places that don’t usually get the spotlight, feel free to pass this along.

And if you’re not already familiar SXSW, now is a great time to check it out. Whether I make the cut as a speaker remains to be seen, but I’ll be attending in 2027 and hope to see you there!