Building Social Media Club with a Healthy Dose of Adhocnium

Things are busier than ever - just since September 2006 my real email volume has more than doubled and my work load has almost trippled. I just saw my first ball drop in trying to help out a worthy organization called Well Good with an introduction to my friends at Joyent. I would like to think it is the first and the last ball to drop, but experience shows me that there will be a few more - at least until we get to the point that the BrainJams and Social Media Club organizations have a full time team keeping the balls in the air instead of myself and Kristie with the support and love of several great people.

So part of the problem is that we are in the midst of building a community without the financial resources to really support it and without the pure grass roots DNA (aka Adhocnium) that would push it forward to get all the work done. Ultimately, I know we will figure out the right balance between the light structure/minimum order required for ensuring quality and the ad-hoc DIY energy that lifts up the most powerful communities. I may be completely wrong on this point, but time will tell for sure as this model train has left the station - we can only hope there is enough track out there for us to reach our destination. We will of course adjust (indeed we already have done so) but from where I am sitting now, it is just all very overwhelming. My worry gland has been kicking into over drive this past week, but I have faith and know that everything will work out the way it should - it always has in my life and I am truly thankful for having others around me, and around the world who really believe in this vision too.

I think one of the biggest issues we face with our ‘hybrid’ model is that the people who are used to structure and order (and to a lesser degree control) look for more leadership from the top (ie, they expect us to do it all) and the people who are in the trenches with Adhocnium in their veins simply abhor any centralized leadership. I think this is because they have been soloists for so long and/or had bad experience working in big corporate structures. Well, I have been a soloist for about 10 years now (excluding the brief stint with the Treasury Department), so I understand that perspective, but see a brighter future that can come by embracing a chaordic model instead of a completely chaotic one. You must remember, it is referenced as “small pieces loosely JOINED“, not “small pieces floating in the cosmic soup”.

The real key is finding the sweet spot where chaos and order (not control) overlap - that intersection is what I have been seeking, but it does not seem that I have done that great of a job in explaining it yet. In looking at the current Web site/Blog, it is readily apparent that the “cobblers son needs a new pair of shoes” - we need to tell our story better and I will be working on that with a Blog redesign. Still, I am hoping that people like you can help to tell our story, and indeed contribute to writing it in the process. The vision of Social Media Club is not yet fully defined - it is merely a framework with a lot of ideas and the passion of a few key individuals supporting it. Ultimately, as Howard Rheingold says and I often quote, “What it is –> is up to you”. You are reading this and at this very moment you are one of the co-creators of Social Media Club - just by reading this post. Hopefully you will find a way to step up and take some actions that will move you from being a co-creator to being a co-founder. We need your help to make it real - so “help me, help you”.

Social Media Club is not supposed to be about me or any of the other people driving it forward, though we will of course leave our imprint on it - I truly want it to be about US, about those of us who really ‘get it’ - about a shared vision for making a better tomorrow through conversations and social media. Whether you are a technologist, an artist, a professional, a non profit or an employee of the largest of corporations, this is our chance to make it right.

As I have said since the beginning, Social Media Club will be the antithesis of most clubs, it will be inclusive instead of exclusive, ultimately deriving revenue from memberships, partner programs, events like our Social Media Workshop and other services still to be imagined. All the while giving back to the community by being a voice for reason, by hosting non-partisan discussions and by organizing community programs that benefit everyone - like the Web 2point2 Unconference.

Over the next month we have around 8 events we are hosting (including one I will announce tonight here in San Francisco for next Wednesday October 25 from 6-8pm) and I am speaking at 2 others. We sure could use some help picking up the slack - particularly with Web 2point2 which is what is worrying me most at the moment. It looks like a lot of people will be there and the buzz is picking up (over 80 people via Upcoming and about 20 paid registrations), but we really need more sponsors to cover the costs and really need Blog post submissions for main talk topics (tag it web22talk) and of course many volunteers to help coordinate before, during and after the event. If you have any time you might be able to contribute, please let myself or Kristie Wells know by commenting below or filling out the contact form.

So this was a little personal rant, with some insights and a request for help. What do you think? Are you ready to be a co-founder of Social Media Club?

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