I hadn’t thought too hard about community until the recent round of “local tech pride” websites started popping up.  Fred Wilson popularized the topic and soon came Proudly Made in DC and BaltimoreTech.net.

For a time I wasn’t sure where I belonged…and then I realized that I could choose my community regardless of location.  Maybe if we all worried less whether our needs were fulfilled nearby, we’d see just how much we can be part of, and that there are no walls or beltways to stop us.

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I had to make a choice.  If you’ve known me the past couple years, you’d have seen that I’ve spent a lot of time away, and that I’ve been doing two different jobs.  Well, instead of living a second life, I’ve opted for some changes.

As of July 17, SET Consulting has a new owner.  As of August 30, I’ll have a new city.  (this logo above is SET’s original 2002 logo…) Continue reading…

The first Bootstrap Maryland conference was a success!  Over 200 people spent their Saturday discussing how to build and market a young business.  Their enthusiasm and acuity were electrifying.

The following are some of the key points that came up in the sessions.

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I’m overdue for a post about AwayFind, but rather than type it out, here are some updates via Thursday’s interview from Robert Scoble and the week before’s with Greg Cangialosi.

Below I’ve indicated the timestamps for when AwayFind, email productivity, and Bootstrap Maryland are discussed…so you can dive right in.  After the videos are also some recent links, like being in Gartner’s 2009 Cool Vendor Report : ).

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To the Greater DC & Baltimore Technology Community:

You may have heard about the Bootstrap Maryland Conference.  Here’s a little background on why I’m holding this event, and how I hope it will add value to our community. If you’re not interested in the back-story but are curious about the event, you can skip to bootstrapmaryland.com.

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Above you’ll find a video from Jonny’s Partay, where I was interviewed on Wednesday, July 9 at 9pm.

There’s a bit of talk about AwayFind, some news about DC, and of course much of what I’ve been up to. From lifehacks to batching email to mobility and travel, hopefully this’ll keep you entertained.

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Tonight I’ll be interviewed by Jonny Goldstein on Jonny’s Par-tay.  He’ll have some questions but half the fun is where you take the show in the live chatroom.  If you can’t be there tonight at 9pm EDT, just leave a question in the comments and I’ll be sure to answer on the show, which will be recorded and posted here.

Watch it live here!

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Two events this past week highlight both the size and maturity of the burgeoning web and social media community in Washington DC.

While the biggest roadblock to getting involved remains knowing where to start, Graphing Social Patterns and BlogPotomac show just how much we’ve regained our position on the map. Read on for highlights and a discussion of these events.

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The only thing more difficult than picking panels and parties at SXSW Interactive is sorting through the coverage afterwards. Here are my recommendations for kick-ass panels so that you can listen to or read more about them. It’s no replacement for being there, but it’s as close as you’re going to get now… Following my recommended panels I mention some party highlights and other ideas for good SXSW reading. Feel free to add your own recommendations or links in the comments below.

Note: I’ll update the podcast links as they become available on SXSW’s site.

Personal favorites

• Beyond the Blogosphere: How Online Talent is Being Developed Offline – this rockstar panel–Omid Ashtari (Creative Artist Agency), Damon Berger (Revision3), Brad King, (thedudeman.net), Nicole Lapin (CNN), and Gary Vaynerchuk (winelibrary.tv)–was packed full of valuable insight. Vaynerchuk was hilarious and there were questions and commentary with Tim Ferriss, Jeff Jarvis, Erik Nordby, Jim Louderback, and even Twanna Hines. This was a panel full of sharp people with conversation to match it. [podcast] [description on SXSW]
• Tools for Enchantment: 20 Ways to Woo Users – Kathy Sierra never fails to offer an enlightening perspective, and do it with wit & flare. Here she explains 20 ways to get your audience’s brains more interested in your message/product. She ends with a touching surprise that got everyone cheering. [podcast] [description on SXSW]
• The Art of Speed: Conversations With Monster Makers – This panel, moderated by Tim Ferriss, featured Mike Cassidy (XFire and others), Evan Williams (Twitter), and Cali Lewis (GeekBrief.TV). It offered a lot of creative ideas for growing a business rapidly. [podcast] [description on SXSW] [coverage]

Ones many others have recommended (I may add to this list) Continue reading…

I loathe reading articles about AOL’s downfall foreshadowing the death of DC’s technology scene. Last night’s event at Google DC certainly evoked within me a longing for the Valley, but there’s so much tech/entrepreneurial vibrancy here. I’d like to think that Google’s DC presence is a testament to that.

Photos:

dancingwithwords’ NetSquared at Google DC photoset

Last night’s event was put on by NetSquared DC, a group that educates while bringing together the non profit and technology sectors. We spent an hour in open discussion of the OneWorld.net web presence–and the conversation ranged from social media and Drupal to advocacy and business. There was energy, intelligence, passion. It felt right at home in the Googleplex.

I’m excited to see the way companies like Viget Labs and nclud are raising the bar of our local businesses’ web presence. The way social media outreach is taken to high levels of transparency and integrity by companies like Livingston Communications. And the way small startups and big are right at home here.

Last night I met Jake Brewer from idealist.org, as they also just opened a DC office. It’s great to see companies participate here, regardless of all the Valley talk lately. We’ve got a ways to go, but progress is being made by so many people.