I see value in these places. It gives one a place to plug in and find like minded people.
I was excited when I read the story. ------------------------ Keith Smith --- On Fri, 7/31/09, Joshua Zeidner <jjzeid...@gmail.com> wrote: > From: Joshua Zeidner <jjzeid...@gmail.com> > Subject: Re: Geek/Tech/Entrepreneur Stuff to do in PHX > To: "Main PLUG discussion list" <plug-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us> > Date: Friday, July 31, 2009, 4:20 PM > another great one: > > "OK, my question stands. Where are the incubators, the > "bootstrap" > seminars, the serious entrepreneurial meetups in Phoenix??? > (crickets > chirping). Phoenix just ain't happening as a serious place > where > serious people are doing serious things. No one wants it > badly enough > here. This paper should be having at least one article a > week on a new > startup and the VC firm who funded it. Helloooo????? is > anybody out > there...." > > a better way to phrase this: we need to stop pretending > these > whimsical efforts churned out by local self-employed > marketing experts > are sufficient. They are not. We should be > asking the hard > questions, not playing games. > > -jmz > > > On Fri, Jul 31, 2009 at 4:04 PM, Joshua Zeidner<jjzeid...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > another point, honestly reading through some of the > criticisms on > > azcentral and being of the cafe dwelling creed myself, > I'd have to say > > that many of those points are accurate. I've heard > lots of > > 'entrepreneurs' with big ideas around here who never > get anywhere with > > them. Sorry, but a word press template doesn't make > you an > > entrepreneur. > > > > "These are the same people you see at Starbucks, > Boarders or any > > other wi-fi hot spot, they are not entrepreneurs they > are attention > > (inappropriate term)." > > > > "Many of the Co-Worker location founders tout other > people to > > collaborate with and who can "compensate for your > deficiencies". Do > > you really believe someone that you are not paying as > an employee is > > going to somehow compensate for your deficiencies and > make your > > business better? That kind of help doesn't come > without a price." > > > > oh so true... > > > > "You are more likely to get a bunch of people > chatting to you over > > your "work" so you wont be concentrating as you should > to focus on > > your business. Most of these people started businesses > after being > > laid off. They are searching for a new job and they > aren't really > > serious about their "businesses" so how do you expect > them to give you > > valuable, serious advice. Are these the kind of people > you need to > > compensate for your deficiencies? A bunch of people > half-as running > > their "business" while searching for a real job and > bothering you with > > their expertise that got them laid off in the first > place." > > > > oh so so true... > > > > I would be willing to bet the commenter above is an > tried and true > > successful entrepreneur. Perhaps the reason I am so > skeptical is > > because I know these kind of people so well. > > > > sorry I really wish I could be more supportive... > but : truth is > > the foundation of progress. > > > > -jmz > > > > > > On Fri, Jul 31, 2009 at 3:28 PM, Joshua Zeidner<jjzeid...@gmail.com> > wrote: > >> Alan, > >> > >> Wish I had time to respond to all these > points right now, not sure > >> you read me the way I would prefer however. Its > not so grave a > >> warning, just getting the word out on my first > hand experiences. Im > >> just one of many- but hopefully an impartial > observer and someone > >> genuinely concerned for AZ. > >> > >> all the best, jmz > >> > >> > >> On Fri, Jul 31, 2009 at 3:12 PM, Alan Dayley<ala...@consultpros.com> > wrote: > >>> Josh, > >>> > >>> I feel warned. And I don't understand the > reason for such a strong warning. > >>> > >>> There are people in every industry, government > or community who wish > >>> to fleece their "community" for their own > profit instead of mutual > >>> benefit. The trick is to find the positive > people and ignore the > >>> rest. Apply the same filter with every > event, group or blogger in the > >>> lists and links I provided. I don't expect > bloggers or techies to be > >>> any different, as if being techie makes one a > saint. > >>> > >>> Some of those bloggers are purely commercial > or completely neglected, > >>> I'm sure. Some of the groups or events or > sites listed are lousy, > >>> boring or poor marketing excuses to sell > something. Some are not out > >>> to create community but to build a "kingdom" > for their own benefit. > >>> They are the duds. > >>> > >>> Let's look at a few positives: > >>> > >>> - Read the Gangplank Manifesto on their home > page at > >>> http://gangplankhq.com. That looks like a great > articulation of their > >>> goals and purpose. Ones I strongly support! > >>> -- Read how the manifesto came to be on > Derek's blog at > >>> http://derekneighbors.com/2009/07/collaborative-writing-or-how-the-gangplank-manifesto-was-written/ > >>> > >>> - Gangplank has hosted or is hosting: > >>> -- MobiFest - a day long conference on > developing for phones like > >>> iPhone or Android > >>> -- Gangplank Jr. - a 2-3 hour Saturday event > for kids 5-15 to learn > >>> programming concepts > >>> -- Wordpress training classes for minimal cost > or no-cost for non-profit orgs > >>> -- Laid Off Camp - a day long conference on > job searching and entreprenuership > >>> -- Barcamp Pheonix - a day long conference on > software development > >>> -- TEDx night - Watch ted.com videos and > discuss them > >>> -- OpenPhoenix - a night of open mic music and > entertainment > >>> > >>> - The last http://desertcodecamp.com/ was held on June 13th and > nearly > >>> filled DeVry's Phoenix campus with developers > talking about code or > >>> making code. Free lunch of pizza and sub > sandwiches was provided too. > >>> Put together by volunteers. > >>> > >>> - If you're into Microsoft based development > tech, the people who > >>> maintain the http://azgroups.com site do an annual > all-day event at > >>> venues like the Orphium Theater and at no cost > to attendees. Fine, > >>> it's marketing for MS but it's put on by > volunteers here in the valley > >>> and a great way for people to learn about > things that improve their > >>> career skills. > >>> (http://www.componentart.com/BLOGS/milos/archive/2009/06/02/scott-guthrie-event-2009-phoenix-az.aspx) > >>> > >>> - The local Ruby On Rails group has monthly > meetings with around 30 > >>> regularly in attendance. > >>> > >>> - The Java group is also well attended every > month. > >>> > >>> - The third http://podcampaz.com/ is coming up in > November, put on by > >>> voluteers at no cost (donation requested) to > attendees. Had about 350 > >>> people attend last year (if I recall) for two > days of conference. > >>> > >>> - The http://azentrepreneurship.com/ conference > will be in November > >>> for the forth year. This one costs $100+ but > should be as well > >>> attended as last year with 200+ people. > Funded and organized in part > >>> by a local venture capital group. > >>> > >>> - The first http://ignitephoenix.com event was held a > year ago with a > >>> little over 100 in attendance and has grown to > fill the 600 seat > >>> Theather at Tempe Center for the Arts back in > June. The connections > >>> made there live well past the event. > >>> -- Oh, a city council member and the mayor of > Tempe spoke this last > >>> time, though he was a bit silly trying to be > Tempe exclusive. That > >>> seems to be at least verbal political > support. > >>> > >>> - The second ABLEConf on FS/OSS is being > planned for October and > >>> should be better than last year. (Go Hans and > team!) > >>> > >>> I'm not going to go on, though I could point > out several purely social > >>> events like http://phoenixfridaynights.com/, it's east and west > valley > >>> analogs, East Valley Thursday Morning > breakfasts, Tempe Geeks Lunch, > >>> South Valley Geek Meet and Eat and Gangplank's > Brown Gag lunch > >>> presentations every Wednesday. > >>> > >>> Now, having said all of that "giddy blind > optimism," I'd like to > >>> understand how the above does not address the > efforts of the past or > >>> provide improvement over past efforts. What > are the real needs of the > >>> community, if not some of the above? What > would you suggest? How can > >>> PLUG be a part of it? > >>> > >>> Alan > >>> > >>> On Fri, Jul 31, 2009 at 1:34 PM, Joshua > Zeidner<jjzeid...@gmail.com> > wrote: > >>>> Alan, > >>>> > >>>> while I appreciate your post, and > anyone who is making a sincere > >>>> effort to build community in Phoenix... be > warned. There are some > >>>> small groups who periodically spawn off > new 'communities' every month > >>>> or so. Look closely and you see the same > few people with reused > >>>> marketing recipes. Lots of blog and not > too much community I'm > >>>> afraid. Their efforts amount to some > simple branding and putting up a > >>>> blog. While these things are not really > particularily offensive to > >>>> me, they do somewhat detract from interest > in the real needs of the > >>>> community here. Some of these people are > just outright idiotic and > >>>> cannot deal with existing structure and > refuse to accept the history > >>>> of efforts in the past. They lack any > articulation of their goals and > >>>> purpose. Often times they have trouble > organizing even small groups > >>>> of 2 or 3. Dont forget we've had a tech > incubator here. Lets not > >>>> smack down sincere criticism in favor of > giddy blind optimism, > >>>> remember you can't improve without > criticism. I would take these > >>>> people much more seriously if they > addressed the efforts of the past > >>>> and perhaps suggested how they are going > to improve on them, or > >>>> perhaps indicate what has changed that > will make them a success. > >>>> Maybe seeking real political support would > gain some legitimacy. > >>>> > >>>> on the positive side, I think Phoenix > will attract a lot of > >>>> technology business due to its relative > low cost and no doubt you will > >>>> start to see community infrastructure > grow. We are seeing some real > >>>> urban development happening in Phx metro > which has me very excited. I > >>>> think when the macroeconomic problems are > sorted out we will see > >>>> downtown Phx bloom. Im hoping that the > average Arizonan gets involved > >>>> in the political process and make sure > that the corruption stays out > >>>> of city and state politics. Coming from > NY, Im recognizing a lot of > >>>> positive development trends in Phx metro. > >>>> > >>>> -jmz > >>> > --------------------------------------------------- > >>> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > >>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your > mail settings: > >>> http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > >>> > >> > > > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail > settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > --------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss
