Damien Mulley asks do we need an environment more like Silicon Valley here in Ireland and lists the main factors in success from Paul Graham's controversial keynote at XTech. But nowhere do I see a mention of "Geek Dinners". I'm serious! This is one aspect of Valley culture that I think is seriously underestimated.
Look, I'm more a nerd than a geek (geeks are sociable nerds, right?), I don't have the best people skills but after I started blogging and soon started connecting with a raft of great people I quickly learned the magic and importance of networking. The old adage "It's not what you know but who you know" came sharply into focus for the first time in my life. The number of doors that have opened and continue to open as a result of blogging and the few geek dinners I've attended continues to astound me. In fact I'm currently exploring a new business idea with a programmer I met at one such event.
When John Collins introduced Fergus Burns of Nooked at the Web2Ireland conference a few weeks ago he called him the consummate networker. And in the few times I've met Fergus it was indeed apparent that he seems to know everyone who's anyone on the Web 2.0 scene on both sides of the pond. I have the greatest of admiration for that kind of networking and the recent selection of Nooked for the Innovate! Showcase can at least be in part attributed to Fergus' restless jetsetting (besides the fact that they have damn great technology). We need much more of that can-do, 'press the flesh' attitude among Irish entrepreneurs.
The likes of Scoble, Arrington, and Winer seem to be at a networking BBQ or geek dinner every other night of the week. Its the informality of it all that amazes me. These guys just call around to each others houses like lifelong buddies with no great fuss, no airs and graces. The food is just an excuse to talk tech. What a wonderful culture. Can you imagine the conversations they have? The informal brainstorming? There must be a constant stream of inspiration. You'd probably get a dozen different business ideas per hour. What I wouldn't give to see that replicated in Ireland.
If We Only Had Old Ireland Over Here (sentimental Irish-Australian folk song)
I was dreamin' of old Ireland and Killarneys lakes and dells
I was dreamin' of the shamrock, and the dear old Shandon Bells
When my reverie suggested in a vision bright and clear
All the strange things that would happen
If we had old Ireland here
If We Only Had The Valley Over Here (sentimental Irish-Geek folk song)
I was dreamin' of the Valley and the Googles and the Dells*
I was dreamin' of the poppy**, and dear old Standford Bells
When my reverie suggested in a vision bright and clear
All the great things that would happen
If we had the Valley over here
*I invoke my right to artistic license in relocating Dell and ignoring the fact both Google and Dell have European centers in Ireland. How bloodly inconvenient at this time of great emotional stress.
** The Golden Poppy of course! ;-)
Do you ever feel frustrated when trying to explain an intuition for which you just don't have the words or mathematical expressions? Actually I did cover this kind of stuff in university but its long gone I'm afraid and I really think its time to take a refresher course of some kind.
My nephew is studying for his Junior Certificate at the moment and the math he's doing is just about approaching the stage where I have to do some serious memory jogging to keep up with it. I'm planning to borrow his books over the next couple of years and sit my own personal Leaving Certificate again. My IQ is on the slippery slope and I need to take measures to stop the rot.