How To Split An Atom

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I live outside of the Valley, in fact, I live so far outside of the Valley that if I were to go a few miles east I would be dipping my toes in the Atlantic Ocean (Florida). As a result, I have gained a unique perspective on technology, innovation and what it takes to make waves in this new media landscape.

What I have also learned is that for those of us who live in these less developed tech sectors, the biggest problem we face is not how to pitch Charles River or how to get into the front door with Yahoo. It’s often more basic than that. Many of us don’t even know how to find other web entrepreneurs, let alone get together the sort of spontaneous meetups that areas like Houston, Boulder, Palo Alto and New York are known for. This is a problem.

And for those entrepreneurs who live in these highly developed technology hubs, don’t bemoan our position quite yet. You have lost something as well. For you, especially for those of you in the Valley, entrepreneurship has lost that hard edge. You live in a world where ideas that amount to “features” can pull in millions in funding, and the barriers to entry into the startup club have been lowered to the point where scrappiness is no longer rewarded.

Where am I going with this? I believe that it is about time for a collaboration.

For The Tech Outsiders

For those entrepreneurs reading this from the south-east, mid-west or anywhere where you feel isolated from all this Web 2.0 nonsense, I challenge you to start making changes. I can’t tell you how many great developers I have spoken to who only needed another human being to bounce ideas off of to put them on the right track.

All of you can be that person for your tech community. Start doing some legwork. Visit your local college or Chamber of Commerce. Look up the small software houses in your city and start talking to the owners. Go to a conference and rub elbows with the “big boys”. Find out if there are local Angels or investors and have them point you towards other entrepreneurs that they know.

Once you find these people start talking to the, start bouncing ideas off of them, and as you build your network of contacts, organize events of your own. Even if it is just meeting for dinner, that’s perfect. Getting passionate people together in the same room almost always leads to new ideas.

Much of this seems self-evident, but the hardest part is taking the time out of your day to do it. Many entrepreneurs get so focused on themselves that they forget the power of discourse. If you want to know why so much technology comes out of the major hubs it is because they have refined the spirit of collaboration. The live, breath and think relationship building. Instead of spending time refining your latest pitch to no one, you might want to take a few moments to build this passion within yourself.

For Tech Insiders

For the entrepreneurs, investors and enthusiasts in the technology hubs it is time to start looking outside of your box. If you want to know why so much of Web 2.0 seems stale, it is because you focus your attention almost exclusively on your own tiny fraction of the population and you believe that this fraction somehow represents the rest of the world.

I challenge you to take some time to visit somewhere you have never gone before and gain some perspective. Research a small conference, in a small state, with entrepreneurs who you have never heard of and go to it. You may not be the center of attention, but I guarantee that you will learn something.

This goes double for investors. If you finally want to break out of the cycle of investing in startups with high cash burn and no real revenue propositions, I could introduce you to at least half a dozen great teams but it you will never meet them unless you are willing to get out of your comfort zone.

Any geneticist will tell you that in order for species to survive, new material must constantly be introduce. In-breeding has never been a long term value proposition. Something to think about.

Web 2.0 Roundup

That’s it for the rant, now get out there and do something.

If you don’t know how to get started, contact me. I spend more than my share of time talking to really clever people with great products that fly under the radar; not to mention amazing technologists, journalists and entrepreneurs who still have a hard time envision “real” technology outside of their hubs.

Moreover, if you are looking for an event that’s another great reason to drop me a line. GUT III (Our seasonal tech conference) is coming up sometime in the near future and I would love to see people from all corners of the tech world come out to see it, and depending on the format that we choose — participate in the event.

Good luck.

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