What's the big idea?

At the end of May, I got the bright idea to attend London Tech Week…with my 5 month old. It will come as no surprise that bringing Arlo presented its own set of considerations. Most of them, I prepared for by sending a video poll to speakers in advance asking, “What big idea are you bringing to London Tech Week?”

Andy Ayim was first to reply and shared, “I'm bringing a reminder that the so-called 'soft skills' are actually the hardest and most crucial skills for leaders and entrepreneurs to cultivate, especially in this era of rapid technological change. We need to double down on curiosity, authentic connection and a genuine commitment to supporting our people.”

His response lit a fire in me because when Digital Entrepreneur launched in 2024, we saw that content about the non-cognitive or soft skills of business was often treated as separate from the tactical aspects of entrepreneurship. But they’re two halves of a whole.

"These [soft skills] aren't just nice-to-haves. They’re the foundation for thriving in chaos and building truly resilient and innovative organizations."

Andy Ayim, Ayim Unlimited

In an enlightening exchange with Natalie Berg, Founder of NBK Retail, she shared her big idea on the future of commerce.

“E-commerce is currently pretty transactional. It's one-dimensional. With the exception of social commerce, there's not a whole lot of joy or discovery in the process. That's all going to change, and I'm especially excited to see how AI will make our digital interactions even more seamless and truly hyper-personalized.”

Conversations like this are exactly why I wanted to attend London Tech Week. And reminiscent of my own childhood–selling handbags, tees, CDs, DVDs with my dad–I looked forward to introducing Arlo (my five month old) to our family's entrepreneurial spirit, at one of Europe’s leading tech conferences.

Digital connection turned real-world dialogue

Arlo and I weren’t allowed into the conference. This was hard news, especially after a 10 hour travel day.

We were now in London with a non-refundable hotel room, a non-changeable flight and a press badge for London Tech Week. So, on day two of the conference, I hit the streets with Arlo and the “pram cam” asking conference goers the same question I’d asked speakers in advance.

What big idea are you bringing to London Tech Week?

We chatted with leaders from a tech investment bank about how AI was changing the venture capital landscape. An engineer from Strava who told us about the biometric health booth with massive line-ups. A group from the Chamber of Commerce in Italy were attending for their third year.

Our big idea is delivering mental healthcare through music and lyrics. Since we started 5 years ago, we have helped hundreds of thousands of young people access mental health tools and practices in an accessible and culturally relevant way.

Ariana Alexander-Sefre, SPOKE

When Arlo and I stopped for a photo outside the conference venue, Peter Machona approached us and asked how London Tech Week was going. The honest answer?

I was enjoying our unconventional experience but simultaneously disappointed that London Tech Week’s programming around inclusion might be just that–programming. After a selfie and a chat about community, resilience and motherhood, Machona told me about one of his big ideas: Tinder for recipes.

HeySalad is your AI-powered health companion turning your fridge into a smart kitchen. It’s like Spotify for salads, Peloton for home eating and Tinder for healthy cravings, all in one.

Peter Machona

Tech that simplifies and complicates entrepreneurship

On day three of London Tech Week, I left Arlo in the care of a babysitter to attend as many talks as I could fit into three hours.

During a panel about thriving under pressure as an entrepreneur, Paralympian Ali Jawad, a Paralympic medalist, shared there are over 71,000 fitness apps globally, but none truly catered to people with disabilities. Despite this, VCs were resistant to the idea that fitness for people with disabilities is an investable market.

The world is changing. It’s becoming more accessible. And you’ve got a billion people potentially that want to be fit and active but haven’t got a tool to do it.

Ali Jawad, Accessercise

After the panel, I got to have a 1-1 conversation with Jawad where we bonded over the unglamorous work of building a start-up. He and his co-founder Sam Breary spotted unmet demand in an underserved market and decided to do something about it with Accessercise, the fitness app built for people with impairments.

I walked away feeling inspired by his experience as an elite athlete turned entrepreneur and ready to put his advice, "Never skip the steps," into practice for my own ventures.

A panel on creating trustworthy and scalable brand experiences with agentic AI was also on my list. When tools like CopyAI and Jasper were first released, I remember feeling a sense of wonder. And as an early adopter of Claude and ChatGPT, I felt invincible. Sitting there listening to the panelists talk about what’s possible with AI agents made me feel anxious.

Digital innovation is a weighty responsibility. That makes unfiltered and unexpected conversations like the ones I had at London Tech Week all the more imperative.

This is going to have an impact on your operating model, on your people strategy… Don't assume this is going to be just an AI and technology topic now.

Dilnisin Bayel, Accenture

We’re in the midst of technological breakthroughs that simultaneously simplify and complicate entrepreneurship. And as the world becomes more digital and more autonomous, navigating life and business with unmistakable humanity is the real big idea.