Archive for 'Traveling Geeks'
My Traveling Geeks Meme: WDYDWYD?
Why Do You Do What You Do?
It’s a sweetly simple question that whaps you backside your head when you actually think about the ramifications of it.
Why DO you do what you do?
Do you know?
This week, all through London and Cambridge, I’m meeting with super powers like Nokia, BT, Microsoft and a raft of early-stage technology innovators like Playfish, Digitrad, Weeworld…the list goes on. I will be blogging about the companies that I think are the most interesting to DishyMix readers. But you know me, it’s the people that matter to me more than the technology.
Tonight at the TweetUp, a very nice young man came up to me and told me his name and company concept and said, “who here from the Traveling Geeks would I benefit most from meeting if I’m looking for funding and feedback on my business model?” Now that’s true entrepreneur, showing up and trying to deliver on his pre-ordained outcomes for the event. I bet he will be successful.
It’s that drive. That laser focus. The determination to make something happen that is an addictive part of the technology business. If you’ve ever listened to one of my DishyMix Podcasts, you know that I spend as much time getting to know the person behind the company as I do talking about business.
DishyMix: Success Secrets from Famous Media and Internet Business Executives
It’s that essence of the person, what makes them uniquely talented, that I love to articulate for you. So this week, I’ll be doing it via a series of blog posts and Twitters ala Tony Deifell, a Burning Man friend who invented this WDYDWYD? meme.
Let me know if you like it. It’s my first time trying outside the Playa.
This is the first in the series, of Jeff Saperstein, of the Traveling Geeks.
Digitrad Launches Yes.tel, Digital Business Card Service
Digitrad, a company specializing in unified communications, launched Yes.tel today in the U.S. Yes.tel provides instant access to a person’s contact information from any PC or mobile device.
Using one user-friendly platform to manage a multitude of digital identities, consumers can seamlessly access and update their personal information consolidated into one domain from their laptop, desktop or their mobile phone.
A subscriber based service, costing $19.99 annually, Yes.tel allows registrants to select a user .tel name of their choice, which includes a local phone number with a unified voicemail, an integrated email re-direction system, anti-spam and antivirus services.
Yes.tel user records are consolidated and stored within an information-encrypted Domain Name Server (DNS), allowing a certain level of access to the public. Once a user registers a domain and distributes it to friends, family and colleagues, other users will be able to look-up the domain and have full access to all of the information associated with that domain, which will be immediately re-directed to the device and saved.
Disclosure: Digitrad is a sponsor of the Traveling Geeks blogging tour to London.
JD Lasica and Susan Bratton in a London Cab Leaving the TweetUp
– Posted using MobyPicture.com
Howard Rheingold and Susan Bratton at the London TweetUp #TG2009
– Posted using MobyPicture.com
Traveling Geeks TweetUp a Success!
– Posted using MobyPicture.com
Joe Neale aka @Joe from Symbian at the London TweetUp #TG2009
– Posted using MobyPicture.com
Megan Asha and Craig Newmark, Two of The Traveling Geeks
– Posted using MobyPicture.com
Fish and Chips – Yah, I’m a Tourist
– Posted using MobyPicture.com
This Week SVW Is In London And Cambridge
This week I’ll be in London and Cambridge as part of the Traveling Geeks tour. We’ll be meeting with various UK companies and organizations.
I’m particularly interested in the startup culture here in the UK and how it differs from Silicon Valley. I’m always looking for what makes Silicon Valley different from anywhere else and why it is so difficult to create Silicon Valley-like regions around the world.
Clearly, to create a sustainable center of innovation it takes more than building a business park around a university and injecting some startup capital. The answer must lie in the culture of Silicon Valley. But can that culture be exported? Do regional innovation centers have unique cultures specific to their particular brand of innovation?
Maybe I can find out some answers during this trip.
Also, I’ll be posting about some of the companies and personalities I meet during this trip. So please check back regularly. Also, you can follow my colleagues on the Traveling Geeks website and Twitter — and if you get a chance, join us at some of the open evening events. Here is our agenda.
Here is a brief overview. We’ll be at…
A NESTA-sponsored conference about moving forward in the new economy, a U.S./U.K. Speed Date with Seed Camp Winners and UK Leaders; eConsultancy Innovator’s Open Discussion; the TechCrunch Europa Awards; University of Cambridge’s Judge Business School Roundtable on Open Innovation; as well as meetings with Nokia Labs, Microsoft Labs, East of England International, Skype and others.
The blhttpoggers will also be speaking and participating at a Reboot Britain event and the Guardian’s first Media Talk Live event, as well as organizing a TweetUp in central London on the evening of July 5, 2009, which is being sponsored by NESTA and The Conversation Group.
My Twitter is: http://twitter.com/tomforemski
My Friendfeed is: http://friendfeed.com/tomforemski
Twitter hashtag for the trip is #tg2009
Fellow Traveling Geeks:
Robert Scoble
Robert needs no introduction. He is a social media factory!
Blog: Scobleizer.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/scobleizer
Friendfeed: http://friendfeed.com/scobleizer
Craig Newmark
The Craig in Craigslist and a one-man support machine that rivals a dozen call centers.
Blog: cnewmark.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/craignewmark
Friendfeed: http://friendfeed.com/craignewmark
Sarah Lacy
Sarah is an editor at Techcrunch and a prolific writer and book author.
Blog: Sarahlacy.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/sarahcuda
Friendfeed: http://friendfeed.com/sarahcuda
Howard Rheingold
Howard used to edit the Whole Earth Review and is one of the leading thinkers of the digital age.
Blog: http://www.rheingold.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/hrheingold
Friendfeed: http://friendfeed.com/howardrheingold
Meghan Asha
Meghan is one of the micro-celebrity It girls from the East coast.
Blog: http://www.nonsociety.com/meghan
Twitter: http://twitter.com/meghanasha
Friendfeed: http://friendfeed.com/meghanasha
JD Lasica
JS works with non-profits helping them to use social media tools for social change.
Blogs: Socialmedia.biz & Socialbrite.org
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jdlasica
Friendfeed: http://friendfeed.com/jdlasica
Susan Bratton
Susan is co-founder and CEO of publisher Personal Life Media.
Blog: Dishymix.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/susanbratton
Friendfeed: http://friendfeed.com/susanbratton
Jeff Saperstein
Jeff is a co-founder of Traveling Geeks. He consults with large corporations on business strategy.
Website: Creatingregionalwealth.com
Blog on Israel: http://www.sapermktg.wordpress.com
Renee Blodgett
Public relations maven and co-founder of the Traveling Geeks.
Blog: http://www.downtheavenue.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/MagicSauceMedia
Friendfeed: http://friendfeed.com/reneeblodgett
Jim (“Sky”) Schuyler
The CTO for the Dalai Lama.
Blog: Sky.dlfound.org
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jimsky7
Ayelet Noff
Aylef is based in Israel where she runs a marketing consultancy.
Blog: http://www.blonde20.com/blog/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/blonde20
FriendFeed: http://friendfeed.com/blonde20
Mind The Gap!
Heathrow Express to Paddington.
Hey, didja know they drive on the wrong side of the road here?
Brought to you by the Traveling Geeks