When the name Jack Dorsey is uttered in the tech startup community angels sing. Literally though, a chorus of angels sing his name. Not only is he the smarty who founded Twitter and Square, he seems like a genuinely cool dude who you could get a beer with.

Yesterday was Day 1 of the 2-day NYU Entrepreneurs Fest – Jack Dorsey was the final speaker, it was awesome. But, it’s been a tough few weeks for events, NYC Social Media Week followed by Kairos, followed by NYU Entrepreneurs Fest, all leading up to a mass migration to Austin, Texas for SXSW starting this upcoming Thursday.

So, why do we do this?

Why do we, the professed innovators of all things life changing, pack up our bags and schlep around for summits, festivals, conferences, and parties? What are the benefits? And what are the costs? Well, a definite benefit is getting to hear Jack talk about pitching his first company to investors with dreadlocks and a nose ring and being totally shut down. However, I could have just watched that from my desk through live stream 100 blocks uptown or on another continent. I also walked away with a bag of swag that includes a t-shirt, chocolate bars, and two Squares. But, to be fair, I do complain about having too much random shit so most of this just adds to that headache.

The only real take away that can not be garnered in some other way is the higher-than-average chance that you will meet someone awesome who also wants to rock the boat and fall in deep entrepreneurial love together and come up with the next big thing. That’s a pretty big take away. I could spend weeks wandering the streets of NYC  talking to every single person and not meet more than a handful of entrepreneurs as inspiring as those I was in a room with last night.

Sorry Jack, but I don’t go for you.  And sorry freebie givers, while I will take a branded reusable tote bag I do have a dozen at home and could easily do without. What/who I go for is Steve, the unassuming college junior who just started his first company and is so excited to be a part of the start-up community that his enthusiasm is infectious.

I do it for inspiration, reinvigoration, and a small dose of gratification when someone says what I am doing is cool. I do it because it gives a rare opportunity to mingle with an insanely diverse group all focused on making change happen – we are innovators, creators, thinkers, and doers, and we are creating the future.