DISQUS

Angus Davis · 6 months ago

I am long time listener, first time caller.

I agree with you on Demo, TC, D, etc. -- many industry conferences are a waste of time. Hooking the intake up to the exhaust does not help us, and that's what most conferences do. We don't need to go to TC50 to learn what arrington thinks about a startup; we can read it on techcrunch.com. Although, it's a bit funny you mention a federated media conference as something you look forward to, as i think that's about as "inside the echochamber" as one could possibly get.

However, I think your take on TED is off. It's too bad you harbor a grudge from the 90s. In 1997, I snuck in as a 19-year-old who skipped college to work in Silicon Valley and I was mesmerized -- later my friend Tara gave me her TED CD-ROMs and I watched them with great interest as a young guy eager to soak up anything I could learn. Later in life I was able to become a regular attendee (no more sneaking or borrowing CDs), and today I am glad to be part of TED.

In short, TED is an *escape* from the echochamber, not part of it. It sounds like you have made up your mind that TED is a "power party," and I doubt I will convince you otherwise. But I find it to be an almost spiritual experience to recharge my creative batteries. I learn about things I will never read on techcrunch, or any federated media blog for that matter. I learn stuff that has completely changed my worldview, not in my approach to technology investing or business, but in my understanding of the basic elements of humanity and the world around me. I see stuff that is what I call "tombstone quality" -- i.e. "Here lies the man who discovered the Higgs particle, also known as the 'God' particle, which fundamentally changed our understanding of physics." I doubt you will learn anything at a Federated Media conference worthy of going one's tombstone.

Yes, TED is expensive, but not really. Most of the cost is actually a charitable donation to the 501(c)(3) that runs it (Sapling Foundation), which funds things like paying for a TED Fellowship so a 20-something researcher of avian flu, Ana Gabela, could come from hawaii and explain to me over dinner what she has learned about building early warning systems for pandemic flu. Imagine the perspective that gave me when the swine flu hit this year. I would never have met her at a VC partners meeting or at a blog advertising conference in NY.

So, to each his own -- we can both keep doing things our own way. Speaking for myself, I look forward to growing and learning at next year's TED. Thanks for letting me part of the conversation!

fredwilson · 6 months ago

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on TED. Everyone tells me its great.

But I do hold grudges and that's one of them

Chris Anderson · 6 months ago

Sounds like we should have a coffee in New York, sometime Fred. In case you hadn't heard, TED has been under new leadership the past few years. I do think your piece is powerful, and I like much of the rationale you put out here. I've been thinking hard about this issue of elitism since taking over we've and done all we could to find ways of opening TED to the world...
- by putting up the content free on ted.com
- by starting a fellows program
- by allowing people to organize their own TED events under our new TEDx program www.ted.com/tedx

So it's already shifted from being an experience enjoyed by 1000 people once a year in a closed room, to 300,000 people online every day. We don't really think of ourselves as mainly a conference, more as "ideas worth spreading". But we're on a journey, learning a little more each time, and it's really, really good for us to hear from those who don't like what (they think) we stand for.

fredwilson · 6 months ago

Let's have coffee for sure.

I love ted talks on the web. That's how I found sir ken, that's how I found a bunch of other people

But the more you open up ted (and thank god you are doing it), the more reasons I don't have to come to the confernce itself

Cody Brown · 6 months ago

ha. nice flip.

socialnerdia · 6 months ago

Good point that TED is more accessible than ever before. Maybe TED should invite a few commenters on this post to make a much bigger point :)

Geva · 6 months ago

So as a graduate of Tel-Aviv University's special interdisciplinary program for outstanding students with an MA thesis about the origin of [human] literate behavior, driven by passion for ideas all my life, currently a not-yet-funded internet entrepreneur working on a new type of social media, incidentally happening to be in Oxford at the time TEDglobal will take place in July (for my outstanding wife's studies) - may I be a lucky experimenter in your journey and be admitted (complimentary) to the conference so I can participate in spreading worthwhile ideas, or shall I have to be creative subversive and sneak in like others before me have?..

billerickson · 6 months ago

A few "creative subversives" got together down the street from TED for the BIL Conference (http://bilconference.com). It takes the underlying concept of TED - ideas worth spreading - and explores it through the unconference model.

Many of the attendees are TEDsters and TED speakers, but most are fans of TED without the resources to get in.

fredwilson · 6 months ago

That's the right idea

cyanbane · 6 months ago

This sounds interesting, if not only for the Wyld Stallyns reference ;)

doke01 · 1 month ago

BIL looks cool! I always learn good stuff on Fred's blog!

Chris Anderson · 6 months ago

We're bringing in 25 amazing people for free. They applied and won TED fellowships. Here they are:

http://www.ted.com/pages/view/id/305

I hope you can do that one year. You sound interesting.

Mike Butcher · 6 months ago

It's a shame you have closed the TedGlobal conference to Techcrunch Europe, Chris. Especially as we went to the first ever TedGlobal a few years ago. We applied for a press pass but were told it was now closed. I hope that's nothing to do with Michael Arringotn's famous rift with you guys.

Brandon Layland · 6 months ago

Geva, I''d be interested in funding your new type of social media. bjlayland@gmail.com

Philip · 6 months ago

Great point. I like what is being done to make TED more accessible. I was fortunate enough to go to TEDxUSC and had an amazing time. I got a bit of the TED experience, at my own school, for free.

fredwilson · 6 months ago

This thread is doing a lot of good for TED. I like hearing that I am wrong. Because I am wrong often

Jeff Clavier · 6 months ago

I have been to TED for a few years now, and I can tell you that attending in person is a truly unique experience, because of the diversity of the topics, and the audience. Yes, you have an amazing community around your blog, but there is a world out there not reading your blog and I swear to you, you will also find them interesting, engaging and worth meeting.

Enjoying TED on the web is giving you access to the talks/topics, which is a fantastic gift IMHO (100 million views according to @tedchris last week at TEDxSF) but living it in person is completely different.

So please re-consider, and join us. And do have Joanne come along too.

fredwilson · 6 months ago

I don't think so Jeff. I don't want to belong to any exclusive clubs. If anyone can come, first come first serve, then I'll consider it. But not until they rid thing of the culture that pissed me off a dozen years ago

aarondelcohen · 6 months ago

Chris:

I just wanted to tell you that those TED videos make their way around my companies all the time. I don't attend TED and whether I do or not I find the work you do inspirational and compelling. My mother owns one of the largest indie bookstores in America Politics and Prose and I feel you are recreating much of what she's about.

Your work is vital not for the Internet industry, but for the people on the planet. It's an inspiration to me personally.

fredwilson · 6 months ago

I agree. Bur being a media company that reaches millions with these stories would be way more impactful than operating an invite only conference.

leafar · 6 months ago

I do agree with you on general approach ... but I'll stand up for Ted who has a tagline that speaks from itself: ideas worth spreading.
I've taken part into the Ted aventure thanks to Tedx programe. And i must say I am glad.
People in the audience are probably helping spread the words to theiur own communities.

Prokofy · 1 month ago

The problem with the "Free" business model you promote is that it truly doesn't get the bills paid for anybody who isn't on the lecture circuit...getting fees promoting the concept of "Free" as you do.

For the rest of us, there has to be a means of getting costs covered. For a lot of organizations, especialy various start-ups, blogs, etc. power conferences are a significant form of revenue. They can charge $500-1000 a pop. For example I totally support the idea that 1938 media had recently to have a conference here in NYC for $450 with a lot of the stars but also open to the public. I want Loren Feldman and people like him to be paid for their hard work of putting out commentary, comedy, etc. It is content; he has to be paid for it. Giving away freebies is a good loss leader; it's not a full-blown business model.

Having wealthy friends fund your fellows program merely helps them get mindshare, it isn't any more democratic as a result.

fredwilson · 1 month ago

Loren is a troll. He should go broke for the crap he puts out

Prokofy · 1 month ago

Well, I don't think somebody who channels Lennie Bruce should be labelled "a troll".

This clip for example is pure genius, the "A List Works Harder Than You Do"
http://www.1938media.com/forum/showthread.php?t...

And how about a conference with no laptops or Twitter for a change? It took Loren to put that together:
http://radar.oreilly.com/2009/11/quarantined-co...

And Loren's critique of Shel Israel, while it became mean-spirited at times, was also brilliant.

Fortunately, he's never turned his sites on you, Fred!

fredwilson · 1 month ago

Wrong. He hates me and baits me. But I ignore him because he's a mean spirted jealous guy with no talent

Prokofy · 1 month ago

I never saw him put you in his sites but I have tuned in rather late I guess (2 years ago). Yes, he can be mean-spirited. But he is talented and he has some comedy genius there.

Tell me one other person in your Digital Beltway town that *satirizes* you guys, Fred. There is no Saturday Night Live of Silicon Valley/Alley. Especially now that Valley Wag is gone. Such satire is much needed.

fredwilson · 1 month ago

I loved it when valleywag took shots at me because it was all in good fun

I don't think loren is a nice guy

Prokofy · 1 month ago

Well, I'm not an insider as you are, Fred, and see these people more as just an audience member.
Valley Wag was often really nastily grotequely mean and unfair. I rarely enjoyed it. Whereas Loren just feels more on target to me. But this could be a coastal thing.

Did Loren make a puppet of you?

fredwilson · 1 month ago

I don't know. I try to ignore him and mostly do

doke01 · 1 month ago

Prokofy seems to be implying you are paid to give your talks? Is that correct? My impression was that the majority of lectures/presentations you give are at no, or little, cost. I am not finding fault either way, just curious.

doke01 · 1 month ago

So you'll invite me? Be warned, I am not in the TED "in" crowd. And if yes, you'll send me a free ticket? I am not yet wealthy or renowned so refusal would indicate elitism, yes? The online videos/content are great but they are a bit like MIT Courseware. I learn something but the real advantage is spending the time in the environment, with the people you are learning with and learning from.

To me the most interesting, and least talked about, factor of success is the early part. Where the guy/girl seems uninteresting to outsiders but has the capability and wherewithal to change the world. It is actually more important to invite these people to TED as members of the audience. They are the true instigators of change.

MParekh · 6 months ago

Lot resonates in your post.
However, would highlight that TED has evolved considerably over the years and is something that's pretty special under the current "curator-ship".
It really helps bring focus on people with ideas that one doesn't traffic in normally in the tech business alone.
Not a regular "Conference" at all.

Roman · 6 months ago

Everyone knows the stories of Microsoft, Oracle, Dell, Google, facebook, etc. When was the last time you heard the story of a successful company that had a turning point at demo, techcrunch, etc...???? NEVER. That's why these conferences don't matter and that's why Fred doesn't attend them.

The choice of companies to present at these conferences is terrible. The few companies that are decent don't need to be there, they have a good chance to succeed on their own merits. The companies that could benefit are pathetic and almost always somehow connected to the organizers or had an investor/partner/close friend connected to the organizers.

If these events were like American Idol (sorry terrible analogy), but if these events actually found real gems that no one ever heard of... talented engineers with truly innovative products, these events would matter and make for good stories.... Imagine if the Google guys took their interesting new search technology to demo. But they didn't.... because they're not idiots.

Standing on a stage at these conferences is the dumbest way to raise money, sell products or "get the world out". Considering the time, effort, and expense, I think every start up would be better off networking on their own, building real relationships, and most importantly having happy customers/users.

In fact, I bet if you spent 2 full days commenting on Fred's blog, you would get more value and more exposure than presenting at demo, TC50.

Prokofy · 1 month ago

Please do go on holding that grudge, which seemingly isn't characteristic of you as you are normally sunny in character.

And hold it because symbolically, you can then represent many of us who will never, ever in our lives go to TED, either because it's too expensive or due to other commitments or because we're just not smart and cool enough. Yet these issues require intellectual engagement and there must be ways to engage without having to go to these power parties as you so aptly called them. It's fine to have power parties in a free capitalist society, I'm all for that even if I don't get invited but I want some people to boycott them on principle as you are doing, too.

prakash s · 6 months ago

Well Said, Fred! It's nice of you to do annual events like Columbia MBA, other events where you get to meet up-comers.

Taleb has a good bunch of life tips, #10 is "Answer e-mails from junior people before more senior ones. Junior people have further to go and tend to remember who slighted them."

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/...

fredwilson · 6 months ago

Totally!

egoboss · 6 months ago

I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.

- Groucho Marx

fredwilson · 6 months ago

My hero and my motto

markslater · 6 months ago

i spent teenage summers at the maidstone - fun at the time. Cant think of anything worse now.

Jack Cheng · 6 months ago

Amen to that. It's like, "you guys go to your conference... I'll be here building cool shit."

fredwilson · 6 months ago

Well I don't build anything myself but I do appreciate those that do

Jason McCabe Calacanis · 6 months ago

As a VC your experience is unique. People come to you in order to raid the red bull in your fancy conference room because, well, they need you.

As the CEO of a company you really need to be at these events because that is how you find talent, investors, buyers get press for your products. Additionally, these events provide a lot of inspiration.... when you're sitting there discussing and debating the future of the industry things pop into your head. I take a LOT of notes at these things.

Also, keep in mind you're really old (just kidding!) and have all the contacts you could need. What you need is to find series A companies/seed investments.... that's not going to be at a $4,000 a ticket event.

Rock on, see you tomorrow @ CMS... and all week in NYC!!!

from 30,000 feet on Virgin America on Wifi...... oh yeah, does wifi on the fight change your thinking!?!?!?! my five our flight jsut went by really fast. I was working on Mahalo 2.0 (launching Tuesday night at NY TechMeetup) during the whole trip.

Can't wait to see you!

fredwilson · 6 months ago

Yes, wifi on planes is a game changer. Too bad I don't get it nearly enough

See you this week jason

Alan Warms · 6 months ago

Agreed Jason - I think the need hit all the events is way down - but the other point is these big conferences have all the CXO level folks you want to do a deal with and/or sell your business too - so the conference are less about entrepreneurial networking but networking with some existing huge huge companies who can make a serious difference in your trajectory.

Different for VC for sure

chefbikram · 6 months ago

Hooray. This is so very refreshing. I'm sure the hospitality industry wouldn't agree though :) And remember Fred, we try to help business travelers (who prioritize healthy living) by recommending places to stay, swim, run, work out, play and eat...all from an athletic-minded standpoint. We just added a ton of content for San Jose & Silicon Valley -- free. We are believers in the "freemium" concept (which I first read about HERE). www.athleticmindedtraveler.com

nycstartupfiend · 6 months ago

Could not agree more. A lot of the "business development" that people think they are doing at conferences is just really listening to themselves and to others talk about themselves. For the most part, it's not real work and it's not really all that useful. And the idea that you have to "be somebody" to be successful is silly and is a mistaken belief that the more exclusive conferences tend to reinforce. But as a way to be social and have fun, these conferences can be very effective though quite costly. In contrast, very targeted vertical industry conferences can be very effective as a way to meet and great with relevant people at all levels of seniority. But the likes of TED and others are mostly just entertainment and social climbing.

fredwilson · 6 months ago

Yeah. Exactly

Jonathan Marks · 6 months ago

what did you think of LeWeb last year? There were some great start-ups in the basement. Enjoyed what you had to share even if you don't like travelling....

fredwilson · 6 months ago

I went to LeWeb because I don't have a strong network in europe and thought it would be a good way to ramp that up. It was helpful in that way and I came away with some new relationships. But I was also shocked to see how many US-based tech industry insiders were there. It was a bit like a web 2.0 conference in Paris

Ari Herzog · 6 months ago

Interesting perspective. I submitted a speaking proposal for LeWeb a few days ago; and had seen your name on last year's speaker list. My intent is the same as you indicated yours was; to connect more with the European market, so it's helpful to hear it's the "same crowd" I can find on a typical spread of TechCrunch blog comments.

Do you envision more "social media conferences," e.g. hosted on Second Life and other platforms?

fredwilson · 6 months ago

I think second life is too immersive of an experience. I like blogs for meeting people and talking about stuff

Prokofy · 1 month ago

It's actually not as immersive as you think -- but immersion isn't such a terrible thing.

Continuous partial attention becomes easier with Second Life, it's like a "holding pen" for links, notes, contacts, ideas, prototypes -- it's one window among many you might have open.

Also, SL has been thinned out lately to make it more like the Web and they are redoing the whole viewer for 2010, something that might make older users like me unhappy but is supposed to make it easier for more casual use.

Mike Butcher · 6 months ago

FYI the TechCrunch Europe crowd is quite different! ;-)

pkitano · 6 months ago

Conferences do support the status quo, and the disrupters don't get attention from the entrenched players. Most of what I hear at conferences is old music. I'm pleased that today's social media channels create a virtual playing field that allow people with shared business interests to be able to discover each other.

ShanaC · 6 months ago

So quick question: How do disruptor gain supporters-

In my short experience on this earth- disrupting is not a cool thing to do and is something likely to get you shunned.

pkitano · 6 months ago

Exactly, my point

Callaman · 6 months ago

Feels good to see authenticity in the wild; takes wisdom to recognize and honor one's own mind @fredwilson

Dan Cornish · 6 months ago

I would argue that trade shows also fit into this category of very expensive echo chambers.

todd mazurek · 6 months ago

Fred,

Great blog. If you can build the ideal conference for entrepreneurs, what would it look like; where you host it? Can you recommend conferences for budding entrepreneurs and those who want to get involved with new ventures? How important are in-person compared to virtual conferences? Should leading b-schools and like institutions host monthly conferences around the country since it would seem that you like brief sessions whereby you can meet a wide array of people? Thanks.

fredwilson · 6 months ago

Lots of little conferences on specific domains is best for both investors and entrepreneurs

I like things like defrag and glue, for example

Eric Norlin · 6 months ago

Thanks Fred!

I'm not an expo fan (never have been, really) -- and of the "high priced" conference type of things, I've ever attended, the only one that was really worthwhile was PC Forum (and that was because of Esther).

We try to make Defrag (www.defragcon.com) and Glue (www.gluecon.com) special -- and I hope that shows.

It would, of course, be great to see you there ;-)

fredwilson · 6 months ago

I'll come for sure. We take turns going to these things and this year was albert's turn

Nathan Bowers · 6 months ago

Ridiculously fun, cheap, and inclusive: SXSW interactive. Next year I'm going to stay for the music portion too.

Partying with many of my Twitter friends in real life, plus making new friends was the best.

At the Tumblr party I drank 12 year old scotch all night on Tumblr's dime. Thanks Union Square Ventures! ;-)

fredwilson · 6 months ago

I'd love to go to sxsw but it always conflicts with my kids' spring break. That's the kind of thing I like. Fun and inclusive. Good for the little guy

justjosef · 6 months ago

You'd have a great time attending SXSW, but stretching out both Interactive and Music would take a lot of time.

fredwilson · 6 months ago

Maybe I should just move there for month of march! When my kids are out of the house (a few yrs away) and spring break is a non-issue, I just might do that. I love austin

justjosef · 6 months ago

Similar to the Paris trip last summer, I could see you getting a house and holding court. Bring the kids, they love music as well. I went to UT, so all spring breaks were spent working the festival in some capacity.

fredwilson · 6 months ago

And ben lives there now

Shreenath · 1 month ago

Try adding movies to that one too - it get's to be quite a crazy week!
I did "crash" a few do's in 05 during college and met some great startup/early-stagers as well as Yahoo/Goog execs. In fact, I recall playing pool with Eric Case from twitter; doubt he'll remember me now though! Indeed, sxsw is quite a rush and a great atmosphere! Thanks for a neat post.

Prokofy · 1 month ago

Actually you highlight what is sort of unpleasant about these conferences and why people don't go to them, despite the interesting speakers and content.

And that's the frat boy atmosphere of all-night drinking. If you aren't a drinker, or at least, not an all-night drinker, and you don't want to drink with your Twitter friends (the reason they are on Twitter, and not in your real life in person), then these conferences seem like they are filled with a lot of hungover fanboyz.

GlennKelman · 6 months ago

Fred, you are just so awesome. I love it that you refuse to join the club.

Some of my friends go to every event they can get a ticket to, and I wonder how they have time to do it all (though they make the same comment about my occasional blogging).

I know the digitocracy hardly need another event, but I think you underestimate what it means to young people entering the field to meet all their peers face to face, let alone to meet people like you too. I'm at an American Society of Clinical Oncology conference with my wife this weekend -- she is in her first, lonely year of research -- and I have never seen her so excited about her work. The event has all the bad things about conferences: it's in Orlando, there are 40,000 people here, no sponsorship opportunity is overlooked. But what makes it different is that everyone talks about what they're working on in a very scientific way, presenting slide after slide of results data. As I wrote last night, it made me wish software conferences were like that:
http://bit.ly/NilBU

By the way, my wife has long been contemptuous of Twitter, that is until the organizers published the hash symbol for the event, whereupon she immediately signed up. When she looked up my updates, it was slightly uncomfortable, like she was overhearing a conversation I'd been having with another woman.

fredwilson · 6 months ago

Hashtags are powerful. It took me a long time to grok that

Prokofy · 1 month ago

I wish you could blog on this. I don't get hashtags. They seem stupid, in fact. They are heavily overused, and I submit that people never go back to look at them, ever (like their delicious bookmarks). What does a hashtag do that a search word doesn't? I'm not getting this, and would like to be convinced.

fredwilson · 1 month ago

They are a hack. Twitter can and will do better

Web Coward · 6 months ago

Why on earth would you use a url shortener in a blog comment? There's no limit on the content. The email line breaking issue isn't a problem.

This is a seriously bad thing to do. I'm not clicking on it. I don't know where it goes. I don't know if it is going to take me to some .cn hacker website that installs some garbage on my machine or adds some tracker cookie to me like disqus... ew, it makes me feel gross.

Maybe I don't want everywhere I go on the internet to be known to everyone on the internet. I don't want every comment I write to be someone else's tool to advertise to me.

Why is this happening?

GlennKelman · 6 months ago

Good point, Web Coward. Sorry 'bout that; I won't do that again:
http://blog.redfin.com/blog/2009/05/a_conferenc...

fredwilson · 6 months ago

Me neither!

wc · 6 months ago

Sorry for the over criticalness of my reply. It was a good link. Quite a different perspective from typical webby type conferences. Thank you.

GlennKelman · 6 months ago

Didn't bother me a bit WC, especially since you were right about the formatting of the link. Thanks for checking in tho, and for the kind words on the blog post!

josh guttman · 6 months ago

Refreshing perspective Fred. Nicely done.

David Semeria · 6 months ago

Amen.

Anthony Batt · 6 months ago

I totally agree with your post. In particular I like your point about outsiders, hackers and up and comers. They aren't invite generally to attend these wall-gardened elite conferences. Thus you end up with the same insider circle kicking around a hotel lobby reading blackberrys and iphones together. I use the web to watch a lot video talks from conferences and that totally works for me.

With that said I always attend SF Music Tech Summit set up by Brian Zisk and his wife. The conference is great and has real community DIY feel. I find it packed with a passionate group for technologists and music folks.

fredwilson · 6 months ago

There's always going to be great small conferences for sure. And you've found one that works for you. That's great

Web Coward · 6 months ago

If anyone without your clout said this, it'd be labeled "sour grapes." Everything you say is true, of course. I just think it is interesting how the speaker of the words, or the blogger in this case, really shapes the audience's perception of them.

fredwilson · 6 months ago

I hope this conversation resonates with others

Web Coward · 6 months ago

It's a great conversation for sure. It's the "get rich quick" attitude. It's the marketers who sell the hope that you'll meet someone famous and they'll love your idea or they'll fund it. They are all designed to take work out of the equation. Building something of value is really hard.

I apologize in advance for my disdain.

I have gone to web social functions all over north america. They are all lacking in workers. There are your social schmoozers. Look Fred, even the people who comment here on your post are doing it. "Hey, I'm adding a comment to Fred's post, click on my website!" There is so little value in it.

Ironically, my anonymity adds credibility to my words. Anonymity makes us focus on the value of the words themselves. I suppose that is the point I am trying to make: There is an extreme loss of value in words. Too much noise.

There was a particular topic of interest that came up yesterday and I knew that some of the folks involved used Twitter, so I went to twitter to search for people talking about the issue. I got 10 pages, TEN PAGES, I'm not joking! --- of retweets! They were all retweeting some article that was posted to Techcrunch.

That's the problem you need to fund a solution for Fred. The problem of noise on the internet. We gotta clean it up. Conferences are mostly noise too. You go there and most of the sessions aren't useful. There's nothing new to learn there that I hadn't already learned on the web.

It's like everyone just wants to be seen. It's the "get into wal-mart" problem. If you get your product into walmart, then just by probabilility you're going to make tons of money. Go to the shampoo aisle for example and you'll find that the big brands who pay for the most visibility are right there in front.

We are paying for the mere increase in probability of being seen. What is the value of that? It's not. I can't help but think it is a net negative to the world. Those individuals who happen to fall for the "most probability" solution are losing. Their lives are worse. Coke is not good for the world. It stiffles innovation.

Well, look. You're right man. Of course you are. You've identified the problem.

What is the solution?

Adam Hudson · 6 months ago

I just love this post. Well done!

ShanaC · 6 months ago

I agree with this as well- Andrew Chen has 2 post in his fifty essays about
A) email being the source of the richest social network
b)the two ways we could concieve of media out there on the internet.

I decided somewhere along the way that I disagreed. Your email contains a lot of good stuff-

I just can't see it.

So does the rest of the stuff you've segemented away from prying eyes (hopefully).

And that is the way it should be- but that does not mean it should not be networked.

And the rest- should be flushed away.

That would make for a productive web in line with the original idea of ARPA and DARPA (as odd as it is to reference that)...except for everyone.

fredwilson · 6 months ago

I don't agree that commenting anonymously is better. How am I ever going to meet you, get you know you, have a face to face convo?

Web Coward · 6 months ago

I don't know. That's a good question. A lot of people comment with their real world identities and the question would be just as valid. Maybe some day we will have a conversation. I know it is unfair for me to hide in the shadows while you are in the light. This is the risk you take, knowingly.

You know, I've read your blog for a long time, probably years. I never knew you. I thought you were just some VC like all the other VCs I read on the internet. They just want to take young entrepreneurs ideas from them, or maybe they don't, how do I know? I've never met one in real life, but I read the horror stories. You've read them. How do I know if they are telling the truth or you are? How do we know who is honest and who is not? Who among us are like the opportunists at the meetups and (un)conferences?

Then I saw your Google Talk on disruption and I realized you are a human being. A real one. You had character and emotions and you held back a lot of passion and I gained a lot of respect for you. You spoke few words that represented much bigger thoughts. It must be hard to be such a public figure. You seem like a good man. A man who is idealistic, yet realistic about what is possible in our complicated world.

My point is, before that talk, you too were noise. I don't mean that in an offensive way. I am sure you understand. You rose above the noise by showing more of yourself.

I was just talking to a friend I have only known through the internet. She was talking about how everyone wants to be a professional. She is an attorney in another country. She is young. Wise beyond her years. She said we can't just deny people the right to be a professional. Everyone, she said, wants to be an artist. "Who am I to say this is good or that is good?" But some of it isn't good. You can tell because you don't get that aesthetic response. How do you convey that in a conversation? How do you know if someone is an artist? You can't deny someone's right to be an artist -- even if you don't like their art.

Similarly, we can't deny people their voice. The internet gives a voice to everyone who will take the time to understand it. In the real world, we have social filters that limit a person's ... rank, so to speak. Organic chemistry weeds out doctors who are not committed enough to study, or perhaps who are not smart enough to pass if they do. We have to be careful not to let people get into a position where their mistakes can harm others. In a way, we do limit people's rights through the requirement for diligence, passion, hard work, commitment.

As we progress through the ages, things are getting exponentially easier, cheaper, prolific. It used to be that if you were on the internet, you had to be rich or talented enough to figure it out, so being on the internet itself was a filter. You had a certain idea that what you consumed was ... worth something, just because you knew that it took the creator a lot of energy, effort, talent to get it on there in the first place.

Now all you need is a cell phone and a friend to get you started. Those friends are more and more common every day.

But words on the internet, actions on the internet, content on the internet, just like in the real world... that phrase "real world" well... it includes the internet now, doesn't it? Those words can cause damage too, so we need to protect consumers on the internet. Consumers of information and consumers of knowledge.

It has taken me two, probably two years I think of reading your blog to believe that you are not noise. How can we as individuals, either in the analog world, or the digital world, get to know and trust and understand someone quicker? Our ability to "size up" someone in the real world is becoming more difficult and it hasn't kept pace with the growth rate of knowledge and information.

I think it is slowing us down. The human interactions, the need for human trust has become the bottleneck. We don't trust banks. We don't trust technology. Humanity itself has become a Market for Lemons. Humans are lemons. The average of us. Is that the conclusion I have come to through this rambling stream of consciousness? I hope it isn't true.

That sounds so cynical. Too cynical. I shouldn't be this cynical. No one should.

I saw a nobel laureate giving a speach a long time ago. She said, "How sad is it that she speaks to so many young people today and they don't want to bring kids into the world."

I can't help but look at the industrialized world and see declining birth rates and not believe that it is due to a growing consciousness that the path we are on is not good for our planet. The younger generation of the industrialized world is making a decision to stop. My cousin just had a baby. After that, my aunt confided in me, that she didn't want any more grand children. Of course she loves her new grand baby, but what about the planet?

I've turned so dark... I don't know, perhaps I am hiding in more shadows than I realize.

We are going to have to make some sacrifices I suppose. We are sacrificing our children. We aren't killing them, that's not what I mean, but I mean we are not having them. We are not having them in larger numbers. It is a signal of hope. It is an acknowledgement that there is too much already.

This problem is bigger than the internet. I think it's just more visible here because we can interact with so many more people so much faster. The signal-to-noise isn't just on the internet, it's in the real world too.

I have a lot of hope Fred. A lot of passion. I think we can do something. I will keep working hard. This is going to be a hard problem to solve. But I think we can solve it. I think we can listen to great minds like R. Buckminster Fuller who said that through technology and progress, we can provide a great life for everyone alive forever. We can bring the great life we have here to other parts of the world. I think we can.

Thank you for being a signal.

fredwilson · 6 months ago

Email me. You can do that via the contact me button on the upper right on this blog. I'd like to meet you

Tereza Nemessanyi · 6 months ago

Great thoughts and as you develop them I'd strongly suggest you tap into some women's perspectives as well. Forgive me if -- by chance -- you happen to be a woman, but I assume not since there are so few female posters here. You raise the question of having babies, the planet, etc.

Thought I'd weigh in, since I've had babies myself and am trying to make a living in this realm. Fact is, the VC/Startup/Tech world is highly partitioned from the world of procreation. I think it's in part because the majority are young guys who haven't had kids yet, or are guys with wives who take care of the kids, while they bring home the bacon. For those of us with ovaries or even <gasp> children, it is VERY difficult to penetrate this world, no matter what you have to bring to the table.

I'm a mom of two young girls and working my butt off to break back in. My passion and life's work is to create and grow businesses into huge game changers, I have a blue chip pedigree and strong track record. I see things others don't see and get things done that others can't. But it's very difficult.

Just like everyone else seeking success in this realm, building and maintaining the network is critical, and I'd argue, for women it's even more so, because we're not top-of-mind and not included in alot of the conversations. The conference circuit is a partial culprit, and a reasonable proxy for the general difficulty. When you're at an event, some people may talk to you; but many, not so much. Often, they assume our ideas and experience are small and artisanal, akin to jamming organic jelly or printing t-shirts -- and utterly unscalable. Women's startup organizations and seed funds serve a purpose, but they are few, and they are limited in scope and scale. While a great opportunity for many is to go out for a 'long slow dinner' or a few drinks if you're a married woman, the benefits are frequently outweighed by the bizarre optics ('who was that guy I saw you out to dinner with? you were talking for so long.')

So for women or anyone out there slogging it like me, some observations:

1. if you're meeting someone for the first time, in person is best. transition it afterwards to virtual.

2. if you're a female and mother, and happen to know of people in your non-professional network who could be useful professionally, don't waste your time using your personal network to get to them. they will write you off as non-serious, even though you're from MIT Media Lab, Wharton, Stanford, whatever. Their minds simply are not pliable enough to think of you in a professional light once that first impression was social and had kids involved. you must throw on a suit and meet them at a major conference or through a professional connection, cement your credentials.

3. talk to the other women. help each other out; they get it, and are experiencing the same challenges.

4. short events are far more efficient than day-long or several day events. imagine having a 2-hr door-to-door commute (each way), and then needing to pay the babysitter OT (an extra $100 for sure). it is insanely expensive.

5. if you can't attend or afford an event, grab the list of speakers from the website and try to reach them directly, on your own schedule based on your own priorities.

6. Finally -- for the men out there -- find and talk to people that are the LEAST like you, especially the women. we're all drawn to those similar to us, especially in this economic environment, but this corrals us toward group think. highly intelligent 'opposite folks' (gender, race, function/discipline, etc.) are more likely to introduce new ideas, take you out the of box and challenge your thinking. also, their networks have little overlap with yours so can open up whole other pockets of people. i suspect this is alot of the goodness that comes out of TED.

Hope that helps some people out there....or perhaps your sisters/daughters...

Yule Heibel · 6 months ago

When I read Fred's post, I thought of Kathy Sierra - whose brains I respect a great deal - and wondered what she would say if she weighed in on this topic.

Sierra has written that when she was starting out, she made a point of going to as many conferences as possible, even when it was financially punishing for her (and she was raising a daughter). She felt that the opportunity to meet key individuals in person and face-to-face was *that* important.

Thanks to your comment, Tereza, I can better understand both sides of the argument (don't go/ go to conferences), which pivots around your first point, "1. if you're meeting someone for the first time, in person is best."

fredwilson · 6 months ago

I'm not sure that's true Yule. If I bumped into you at a conference without the benefit of having read all of your amazing comments over the years, our convo might be short and sweet. When it happens now, and I am sure it will, it will be long and fruitful

ShanaC · 6 months ago

Joys of trying to get a blog up and running as you try to build up for the first time

(Do any of your remember getting your feet wet with code for the first time because you didn't have cash...and this is during a major life switch).

We celebrate the Federalist Papers- which were the social media at the time.

Those were not published under Alexander Hamilton's,Jame's Madison, and John Jay's real names.

They had lives and writings outside of the Federalist Papers. Which is why they were anonymous.

I am a multifaceted person. That does not mean all segments are for all people. I can guess a good chunk of people here do not share a lot of my interests. They might share some, but not all. Further, I know that I write sometimes from a fundemntalist community- to track everything I say would not be smart. As result, I rather chunk down into blocks and go from there.

Fred- I've emailed you about my other interests (you responded in part, and thank you). If you really wanted to meet me, as you claim, I could twitter/email you, and we could meet at the end of my college quarter.

I

fredwilson · 6 months ago

Email me again please I can't recall what the context of that request was

David Semeria · 6 months ago

Why don't you just sign your name and not leave a url, if you believe that people comment here purely for the purpose of link-baiting.

Vladimir Vukicevic · 6 months ago

You offer some very interesting thoughts Web Coward. I believe that your anonymity is a double-edged sword. Sure it might add a bit of mystery or even intrigue but I don't think that it differentiates your from the noise that you so eloquently loathe - it might even hurt your cause.

I post using my real name because I accept the fact that the Internet is an extension of the real world. It's different, but it's definitely connected. To use a pseudonym would only muddy the waters of my message.

I take offense to your automatic assertion that openness is somehow connected to peronal interest or self-promotion. I am open because that is my choice, because it's a defense mechanism against the commoditization of my thoughts.

I have a lot of hope and passion as well. But that positive zeal is connected to who I am, to my history, and thus to my name. (Un)fortunately, my individuality and my reputation are all I have; my identity is definitely my greatest asset no matter what material possessions I create and/or obtain.

charlesday · 6 months ago

I'm always struck by how different people learn. It took me several years of formal education to realize that sitting in a classroom is not how my brain acquires information. From your descriptions, it seems that you are fully engaged when in debate and interactive situations. Maybe that's part of your dislike of conferences as well?

I read your post after writing my own this afternoon. Coincidentally, how people learn is its primary theme. http://bit.ly/eBAyP

Web Coward · 6 months ago

Did you seriously use another web shortener for that? Why? where does it go? I don't know. I really feel bad for the author of whatever content it links to. It's not good. It's really not good. For so many reasons. I know i'm a hardcore geek, so i understand how dns works and seo works and that bit.ly will go away someday but the internet never will and that maybe what you are linking to will out live bit.ly itself and then if it does, anyone 10 decades or 100 decades from now reading Fred's post here and your comment are going to click on the link you've shortened and get one of those domain squatters who snatched up bit.ly before anyone else.

The web is being ruined by all the social brats who make introverts proud to stay at home...

fredwilson · 6 months ago

Thanks charles. I'll check it out

Adam Hudson · 6 months ago

Great post Fred. I think there's a lot to be said for the tactile engagement that is often impossible to achieve through conferences. With technology moving at the pace that it is, it's those folks you describe that are working at the coal face of innovation (who are not yet on the stages of conferences) that often have the highest value experience to share. I enjoy how you lead this community immensely. Many thanks.

fredwilson · 6 months ago

Tactile engagement - great phrase

hendler · 6 months ago

Webex/Skype/Twitter + Less carbon footprint + props to the east coast + more time with Family.

All good things. And there is plenty of face time in meetings.

I like "un" conferences at this stage in my career because I get more surprises, new people, new ideas.
I like BarCamp and Maker Faires (didn't make it to SF for this one)

fredwilson · 6 months ago

Bar camp and maker faire are both great examples of what works better

Christine Tran · 6 months ago

Very refreshing post and timely for me, as I'm missing TWTRCON in person, but following the Twitter stream as I write this. I'll echo some of the statements above and say that conferences are great for networking especially for newbies like myself who don't have existing contacts in the industry. The best way for newbies to go about it though is to find all the free or inexpensive conferences available, or offer to volunteer. At least in the Bay Area, there's no shortage of opportunities. I'm volunteering at two in exchange for attendance, and have another four lined up that are free or under $25. The ____ Camp movement is great for tech newbies and really speakers to a comment on HN re: your post: "Invitation-only events don't belong in the technological scene... Nerds are supposed to be on the side of the good guys." (Found here: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=635096)

elginthompson · 6 months ago

Your point about the "tech biz insider club" is well taken. $4K admissions fee is to make the event exclusive. Funny how a wee bit of digerati fame for many clouds the memory ... didn't many now famous tech companies, entrepreneurs start up precisely because they were shut out from the then "mainstream"? The cycle continues ....

socialnerdia · 6 months ago

Reading this is refreshing. I sense some humility, some common sense, and some honesty.

Conferences can be a lot of fun and they are great for a lot of people to meet and interact. It's also good to know that not everyone you'd expect goes to them feels pressured to do so.

It is important to note that a lot of people (unknowns) would benefit and learn much at any of these conferences, and maybe even add value. Maybe there are insiders like you who can help change the mindset of "power parties" to have events where anyone can attend (more like SXSWi).

Greetings from socailnerdia(dot)com (unknown blog for the unknowns)

jonsteinberg · 6 months ago

I think this tweet is related:
http://twitter.com/jonsteinberg/status/1941160173

It may be overstating the case, and I know some meetings are vital face-to-face, but the screen is where the real work gets done, and I find that time away from it is time away from the factory floor. I'd prefer to eat breakfast and lunch face to face with colleagues, partners, and new contacts, and all other time creating, reviewing, studying, reading, and responding to materials at my keyboard.

Eric Wolf · 6 months ago

I just got back from Where 2.0 and WhereCamp. I tend to travel in academic circles, so O'Reilly's Where 2.0 conference offered some good networking with folks outside of academia. But WhereCamp provided much more interesting interactions. I'm sold on the "unconference" format. I do wonder about saturation though. Unconferences are unstructured enough to create conflicts with other unconferences... I mean, you can only go to just so many (un)conferences and if the stuff you're interested in comes up at an (un)conference that you didn't go to, you lose out. Regular conference planners do put a lot of effort into avoiding conflicting dates and overlaps in content.

Thomas Owadenko · 6 months ago

so true and realisitc. So pro!

daryn · 6 months ago

I pay to attend/bum my way into conferences from time to time, because I appreciate the in-person networking and learning opportunities, and the attendees usually reflect a much broader range of people than I'd otherwise get to meet up with.

My favorite meetups, though, are the small, local, cheap/free, get-togethers like happy hours, lunch 2.0s, and open coffees, and if I'm in another city, I usually check if there are any of them going on while I'm there. I don't know what to think of people who attend every big conference they can... when do they actually work on the stuff they're talking about?! :)

That said, I have a friend who attends D and TED every year, and loves it. They are his learning vacations, and I can respect that. The Lobby is too much of a clubby schmoozefest for me to be interested (or invited), but I attend or hang around Gnomedex every year, because it's conveniently here in Seattle, the talks are really interesting, and it brings people who I wouldn't otherwise get to spend in-person time with to my front door. So, if you do want to attend one conference this summer, that's the one I'd recommend!

(and I hope to attend sxsw one of these years, but it never fits into my schedule either)

Bob Brill · 6 months ago

Happy to see a tweet recommending your post. Great for you to recognize what works for you, including your top blog, which of course is a large give and take investment/reward for you. Along the lines of your thoughts, I generally choose lower priced events, corresponding to budgets of entrepreneurs I am seeking to meet. Also along your thoughts, favoring local personal interactions has ripple benefits.

rickburnes · 6 months ago

Amen.

One of your best posts in the 4 yrs I've been reading.

The traditional events you're talking about don't reflect the spirit of the web we're all building.

FlavioGomes · 6 months ago

Fred..you ROCK!

Allen · 6 months ago

Your understanding that "the most interesting people are outsiders" is one of your most important business assets. Most businesses don't want a new idea, they want a new idea that doesn't violate established policies and procedures. Of course as you know, if it dosn't violate established wisdom, it ain't new!