The American Institute of Graphic Arts, NYC Chapter, hosted a two-day event for new Design Agency founders to learn from peers who recently had successful launches.

I’m not a graphic designer, so why would I go?

Well, I’m interested in growing my own business. How different could it be, growing a design agency rather than a technology consulting practice?

If I attend an event that’s branded for Technologists, I’ll be in a room full of competitors. But in an adjacent industry, maybe I can learn parallel lessons while networking with people who might not know a lot of people like me. Sometimes I need to hire designers, too, so it’s a wonderful opportunity to meet up-and-coming agencies who might be hungry for new business.

Biggest epiphany for me:

Building a business around a cause, rather than a business purpose or vertical market, can be a powerful differentiator.

Andre Banks

An unexpected surprise for me was that graphic designers seem to be a whole lot more entertaining than most engineers. The event was tremendously fun!