Some call SXSWi “spring break for nerds”, which is apt: where else would it be possible to meet your web heroes over barbeque, beer, and breakfast tacos? And, yes, it’s pretty sweet to be on first-name terms with folks whose work you’ve been following for a decade.

But SXSWi isn’t about web celebrity worship. And it’s not about all the products and services the vendors hawk there, either. Instead, it’s about two things: connecting with cool people doing cool work, and reconnecting with the cool work that you have yet to do.

To wit: I spent a long weekend surrounded by smart people excitedly hacking away on their ideas, their side projects, their startups. The true value of SXSWi for me? By the time I got back on the plane to Boston, I was itching to get back to making stuff, too.

Thanks for the inspiration and the kick in the pants, everyone. See you at South By next year.