<i>I wrote this article as a resource for people, like cash-strapped founders and students, who have a higher purpose in life but temporarily cannot afford to attend events due to lack of money or the proper contacts.</i><p>How is making another photo-sharing app a "higher purpose in life"?
I'm certainly a bit sympathetic to wanting to attend informative conferences and events that charge way too much (even for 'founder-friendly' badges), but I'm not sure if the author ever justifies breaking into both 500 and YC's demo days, which are events reserved for investors and press.