Preparing for the Future with Go Wombat at The Next Web

The Next Web (TNW) bills itself as Europe’s leading tech festival. We wrote this post ahead of its 17th edition in Amsterdam on 15–16 June 2023, where Go Wombat had booth #56.

Speakers and panellists came from Google, Basecamp, Unilever, Spotify and the Financial Times, which then owned a majority stake in TNW. The programme covered AI, web3, cybersecurity, quantum computing and more.

These topics are close to our own work. Go Wombat advises companies on technology and builds software that helps them expand their reach and optimise their processes.

Finding common ground

TNW held its first event in Valencia, TNW València, on 30–31 March 2023. We had recently started a branch in the city, so we went as attendees.

We met the organisers and had a long conversation. It wasn’t about them ‘selling’ us something – we found that the format and people there are very relevant to our business and vision.

\- Volodymyr Sokolovskyi, CEO

Go Wombat wants to help make Valencia a hub for tech entrepreneurship. Our team had worked there for a year before we officially opened the office in April 2023. TNW did not repeat its own València event: in 2024 it partnered with Startup Valencia on the Valencia Digital Summit (23–24 October). If you are in Valencia, on Spain’s Mediterranean coast, feel free to stop by.

Reclaiming the future

TNW had not used annual themes before, but it named the 2023 edition Reclaim the Future.

The organisers wanted to present technology as a force for hope and to address the anxiety many people feel about AI, big data, social media and where tech is heading.

We share that optimism. Go Wombat consults businesses and builds software that helps them solve today’s problems and prepare for the next ones.

As our CEO Volodymyr says, “Technologies, including recent developments in AI, are just tools: it all depends on how you use them.”

Is your business futureproof?

One of TNW’s 2023 themes was Futureproof, and it is close to what we do: Go Wombat helps companies digitalise and automate their work so they avoid bottlenecks, work more efficiently and broaden their scope.

While we're in Amsterdam for the TNW event and the days that follow, our commitment extends beyond simply keeping up with the latest developments; we prioritise preparing our clients for what's next, ensuring their success is ever-evolving.

\- Sulley Ahmed, Head of Marketing

Our developers build software around your organisation’s current requirements and keep it flexible enough to change as your business does. We also support and maintain the software after launch.

Consultants you can count on for the days ahead

Adopting new technology has pitfalls, and part of our job is to help clients avoid them.

The word that comes up most in our client feedback is trust: clients rely on us for quality work, transparency and direct communication. We take time to understand their needs and are clear about what we can deliver.

Analysing the current state of your business

Our business analysts study how your organisation works, find workflows you can automate, and integrate software that improves your operations.

The work goes beyond building software. Our analyses have revealed blind spots that were holding businesses back, and we also look at spending and KPIs to find where clients could earn more.

An outside view of your organisation, backed by our business experience, helps you become more agile and optimise costs.

To discuss how our software and consulting services could help your business, contact us.

A company that keeps learning

Preparing other companies for the future means keeping up with what is coming ourselves, so we invest in our team’s skills.

That is why we planned to send several Wombats to TNW: to talk about our services and to learn from the sessions.

The status of social media

Social networks have added to negative feelings about technology, but they also keep producing new platforms and strategies for companies to use.

Trends on social networks change almost daily, and the number of people using them keeps growing.

That means it is becoming increasingly difficult to attract people’s attention. Therefore, specialists must constantly look for new creative methods to stand out among competitors. I am very interested to learn about the professional content experience of the speakers at TNW.

\- Daria Krotenko, Social Media Manager

ChatGPT: More than small talk

In the months before TNW 2023, ChatGPT and other new AI apps spread far beyond IT. We try them on our own work and keep what makes us more efficient.

Our leadership shared information about the new tools early and encouraged the team to use them in daily work. The idea was simple: this is going to be the future, so it is better to start using it now.

Technologies and new tools change our usual workflow, so as a marketer, I’m especially interested in attending the NN Group presentation,‘’Revolutionising customer experience with tech’’, about how artificial intelligence and ChatGPT affect the customer experience and shape new opportunities in the age of digital technologies.

\- Anastasia Kovalchuk, Marketing Manager