Superheroes and Teams

January 24, 2007 · Comments

Superhero2 Last night, I started trying out this: “my goal in 2007 is to grow superheroes and build teams.” It relates to my un-keynote from the first PodCamp, about the fact that we’re all superheroes. That with new media tools, there’s a leveling that permits the “common” person a chance to rise above their status and connect with other people who matter to them.

It also builds off my premise starting in May of 2006 that content networks are the new blogs. Abstract that one layer, and I believe that people banded together are more powerful than multiple armies of one. Besides, “the Gathering” is already happening without you, especially in this new media space.

PodTech and PodShow and Abbey and even Blip, Veoh, Revver are all gathering people to their flags. Standalone talents are suddenly getting meetings with all kinds of people in this space. But even if you’re not a blogger, podcaster, Internet TV star, or podsafe rockstar, the advice still holds: finding a team of like-minded superheroes makes everything easier. (Ask the Justice League).

So what if we made THAT the focus of the catalyst work we do?

The mission is to build up your own superpowers and the powers of others, and then form teams around the projects and problems that exist out there. If you’re in new media, that problem is finding a way to pay the bills and still create. If you’re in other fields, it might be bringing about change that the traditional system doesn’t permit.

Anyhow, that’s what I’m trying out. I’m putting on my “grow superheroes and build teams” glasses to look at the world while I’m in New York for the next few days and see what I think. What do YOU think?

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  • Chris... I just wanted to let you know that your article on Superheroes has been a great catalyst at Ink 'n Doodles Creative Workshop.
    In fact, it has spun off some posts and comment discussions and it was the basis for the main topic discussion on today's podcast (http://inkndoodles.com/2007/02/07/ind-radio-15-...).
    Thanks!
    Now... go create something!
  • There are some down falls to the group idea, because you become tied to that group. Just like how the Flash always jumps into action too soon, there has to be careful contemplation about which flag you want to fly.
  • I need to get out of the yellow walled video bunker sometimes. It's starting to... smell like the fortress of solitude. On a side note, i do want to have superpowers that are like the Green Lanterns, only hair would shoot out of my head and take the form of whatever cartoonish object was most likely to stop the bad guys in their tracks. Or maybe I just fantasise about having hair...
  • I have super powers you know. I guess I could join up with you to benefit mankind for once. Should be fun. I heard Steve Garfield has x-ray vision.
  • This is why virtual companies actually work. You get to work with like minded spirits on a project basis and get to avoid being forced to work with others who don't really even speak the same language.
    In the Blown to Bits book I've been harping on about, it talks about how Silicon Valley had a pool of talent focused there, and everyone knew that if you were a worker today, you could be a boss tmmw and vice versa, causing everyone to work more cooperatively than competitively- everything was fluid, but it was the talent that really mattered in the end. I think the thought they put forth of "who knows where this might lead in the future, with people being more able to work with each other virtually with broadband, etc. is EXACTLY what we are experiencing now.
    This, and add the "Make it Stick" principal of 'an original is hard to find but easy to recognize' and you have something we can really run with. We all do bring different talents to the table, and it's about combining those talents in the right proportions on the right project, and you have lightning in a bottle.
    And the reason Podcamp is so important is to bring the face to face dimension, and realize people are more complicated and have more depth than you might hear from their podcasts, videoblogs, or blogs alone- There is a lot of there there, and you need to know where it is when you need it.
  • jon
    yep. exactly.
  • Brogan, your starting to go physic on me! Your reading my mind! Count me in.
  • I'm in.

  • That's a good point about multiple teams. It's a weird dichotomy that while I'm calling for teams, I'm also asserting what Stowe Boyd says here, that with all our new multi-team lives, business software built for social experiences should accept for the idea of more than one team.

    I'm sorry we missed lunch, but I'm an eternal optimist. I miss meeting up with you all the time, and I swear that Steve Garfield checks my Google Calendar to host all the good meetings while I'm out of town.
  • I think your dead on and I'm even more pissed we couldn't do lunch yesterday because it appears our heads are in the EXACT same space right now.

    This is why when Jaffe first told me the idea of crayon I instantly asked "where do I sign up." At this point I didn't know about the other people on board, but it was the IDEA for the team that got me excited and plus I already knew he had superpowers (damn that's going to stroke his ego a little too much *grin*)

    What I also love is that the people who REALLY want to do this right will realize that just because you are part of one "team" doesn't mean you can't help another or be part of multiple ones.

    The people who realize and embrace this are the ones that are going to succeed. Work WITH, not AGAINST.
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