I think events (whether they're for "networking" or not) are for more than just meeting investors. Silicon Valley's single critical advantage (and the single mo

I think events (whether they're for "networking" or not) are for more than just meeting investors. Silicon Valley's single critical advantage (and the single most important thing I'd like to see develop here in London) is its collaborative, "Pay It Forward" culture. Relationships and a sense of community are a key part of such a culture, and events (with or without cold pizza) are a key element in community formation and providing opportunities for people to form relationships. Obviously, a startup can choose to avoid such events and focus on execution instead of joining the community. That's not necessarily a bad thing but, as well as not contributing in any way to the community, they risk losing out on the benefits that being part of a wider community can bring.