How do we re-invent the internet? WebSummit 2024 recap

Conferences are about sharing ideas and finding inspiration, and Web Summit 2024 in Lisbon delivered plenty of both.

I attended with the StreamX team, including our CEO and CTO, and we spent the event connecting with creative thinkers and soaking up the energy. One talk, in particular, stood out for us: Dan Gardner’s “The Internet Sucks.”

Gardner, co-founder of the digital agency Code and Theory, didn’t hold back in his critique. He argued that the internet, once celebrated as a revolutionary tool for connection and creativity, has become too far removed from the human experience - despite the fact that we actually are living our lives inside the internet now.

Overwhelmed by repetitive rectangle layouts, excessive information, and endless echo chambers, users, he said - are being let down. The current internet lacks the engaging experiences, a problem Dan Gardner believes partly caused by an over-reliance on optimization and at the expense of innovation. As he argues - the drive to eliminate friction has resulted in user apathy, where people are bombarded with information and passively consume content without truly engaging with it.

But Dan Gardner didn’t just criticize—he offered a tangible proposal for change. He called for a new kind of internet, one that sparks emotions, creativity, and real human interaction. He also shared three ideas for how to make that happen:

1. Embrace friction
   Not all challenges are bad. Adding some complexity to digital experiences, Gardner said, can make them more meaningful and encourage users to engage deeply.

2. Design for wonder
   Digital experiences should spark curiosity and joy. Instead of being just functional, they should surprise and delight people—like making booking a flight feel as exciting as the vacation itself.

3. Build for relationships
   The internet should help people form real relationships, not just consume content. Platforms should focus on creating spaces where people can interact and build relationships, not just connections.

This message hits home for us at StreamX. Our technology is designed to solve these problems by enabling digital experiences that happen in real time. This makes them more dynamic and engaging, and ultimately, more human.

For us, real-time processing isn’t just about speed. It’s about creating the kind of internet Dan Gardner described—one that encourages innovation, engagement, and real connections.

Web Summit 2024 reminded us that the internet is at a turning point. We can continue down a path of “future-proofing” and diminishing returns, or we can create something better—an internet that works for everyone and inspires us along the way.