I had no pass to the AWS Summit. But still got in.

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Morning friend, hope you had a great weekend! ☕️ 

LinkedIn is buzzing with what people learned inside the AWS Summit last week.

My story is about what happened before I even stepped inside.

Because technically, I wasn’t supposed to be there at all.

How did I get in? What’s the lesson I learnt?

Grab your coffee.

Let’s chat!

Too late. Registrations closed!

This was meant to be my first AWS Summit.
My entire leadership team was going.
Everyone was heading to Sandton.

Except me.

By the time I tried to register, it was too late.
The event was full.
So full, that even people with tickets were being warned about queues and overcapacity.

I tried all my contacts - nothing.
Everyone told me the same thing:

“You won’t get in.”
“Don’t waste your time.”
“Better luck next year. Register early”

But sometimes you walk toward the closed door anyway.

Unwavering Faith?

I booked my flight from Cape Town to Joburg.
No AWS Conference ticket.
No guarantee.

Just conviction that I needed to be there.
When I arrived in Sandton, AWS banners were everywhere.
I felt a pit in my stomach. Fomo.
What if I couldn’t get in?

But then, at Nelson Mandela Square, serendipity.

I was taking my team out for lunch, and bumped into a friend
I shared my predicament.
Turned out, he was there for the AWS partner conference. He also had a pass to the 2nd day (which was the day I wanted to attend).

And so he offered me his ticket!

Still, I wasn’t sure if I would get in with it.
If a transfer would be allowed.
I tried my luck.

The staff made it happen. They were helpful, professional, and welcoming.

The door opened.

Hat tip to Karasan Govender ☕️ 

The Stockdale Paradox

The Stockdale Paradox is about living in the tension between brutal facts and unwavering faith.

Admiral James Stockdale survived years as a prisoner of war by confronting his harsh reality daily, while never losing belief that he’d make it out alive.

While my story is nowhere close to as tough as being a POW, that same mindset applies here:

I could’ve give up, but I didn’t.

Key Takeaway

Leadership isn’t about waiting for doors to swing open.

It’s staring at the ones that are shut, knowing the odds, and walking toward them anyway.

That’s how I got into AWS Summit without a ticket.
And it’s how you lead when the mission looks impossible.

Till next week, friend! ☕️ 

Vaugan

Chess Puzzle

Black to play and force mate

Move the pieces and try to solve here.

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