Last week, I attended Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. Coincidently, the conference lined up with the Copa del Rey tournament game between Real Madrid and Barcelona. I have been a soccer (futbol) fan all my life: playing, coaching, and watching. After spending several days absorbing all that MWC has to offer, a few of the Cisco team settled into a local cantina to experience a local futbol experience. I had never seen so many Messi shirts in one place before.

The fans were passionate. The teams had grit. We soaked in the experience, completely entertained. Barcelona prevailed 3-0 in the end. A near hat-trick for Suarez was prevented only because one goal ended up credited as an own goal for Real. Not until the plane ride home did I connect that this had some poetic relevance to our time here at MWC.

There was passion. All week long, the conference floor was bustling with mobile networking fans. There was grit. Over a strenuous week the team really went