I’m working hard with friends and local podcasters to build PodCamp an unconference about podcasting and new media. “Unconference means that the material is driven by the participants, and that it’s not a corporate event. It’s by the people for the people, in the most straightforward form of what that intends. I’m having a blast, and I’m learning. Here’s some of what I’ve learned:
- How to write a good promotion letter.
- How to pester(politely) big names into coming.
- How to pester(politely) supergalacticHUGE names into saying they might come, if they don’t go to other countries that day.
- How to ask venues for use of their place, especially if it’s free. (Thanks Chris for the letter).
- How to get press from new media sources.
- How to ask for sponsorship.
- How to Ask+. (That’s my new brand for asking for something, getting it, and then asking for more).
- How to work with a virtual team (our organizers).
There’s more, but I got bored of typing < li > .
I’m excited as hell to be learning this about PodCamp, and at the same time, I’m learning more and more about how to start a business. I was telling Michael that when I’m done with all this, I’ll either have a great book on “How NOT to try and Startup a Company,” or perhaps “How I made THOUSANDS in Podcasting.” It’s weird building a virtual company, where we’re not getting paid yet, not working in the same office, not lots of things. We’re the unCompany.
At the same time, I’m sharing everything I know. I’m sharing with you through these posts. I’m sharing with Sonya, my illustrator, for my thoughts about her developing site. I’m sharing with all my Executive Producers via this HUGE email I just sent them with all my thoughts and musings about how this relationship might work. It’s practically an open-source business model. (I’ve written about these in the past by the way).
I’m even building a show (audio and video) around everything I’m learning about new media, so you can benefit from the stuff I learn there as well.
Overall, it’s been exciting, exhausting, thrilling, and pretty much the largest chunk of learning and new experiences I’ve ever taken up at the same time. What should be overwhelming is still so far very invigorating. I’m thankful for that. And I’m forever grateful to you, my friends.
It raises these two questions, in my mind:
What have you learned from this site over the last months?
and
What do you hope to learn in the coming months?
