Last year some time, perhaps around SXSW, I was introduced to a woman I had started to hear a lot about.

She was described as someone who had started a documentary, sort of on a whim, and had collected a number of really interesting interviews. Most of the equipment she had was donated, and much of the work she had done was amateur. But, the subject matter, “How technology has changed how we live our lives” was riveting and the perspective interesting.

As I got to know Melissa Pierce, I found out that we had many intersections of people, thoughts and ideas, and over the past year, we have become friends.

A couple of days ago, I saw the rough cut of her file, Life in Perpetual Beta, and while it leaned on the side of rough, its compelling, and will be worth the time (and hopefully money) to sit and watch and think.

Today, I was pointed to this video:

Which she talks about why she started the film. Watch it. Its pretty interesting (of course, my favorite part is about 5:30 in, when the camera almost gets dropped). Its pretty interesting in that there was a moment when Melissa realized that doing this film was important to her, and that regardless of the path, she was ready to start down it. A moment.

At Gnomedex this year, I had the immense pleasure to meet Jay Grandin and Leah Nelson of Giant Ant Media. When their presentation began, they talked about how they put together a video, which went viral on YouTube.

They began to explain how this video got them a gig with MySpace, and I quickly shoved my face back into my laptop. “Yay!” I thought to myself, “another viral video. Perhaps I will do a video about testicles (By the way – I didnt start that twitter account. Or this one. Or this one. Or this one. Thank God, they are all dead). Bet I could get 9 million views.”

But as their presentation progressed, they talked about how entering the social media realm. Strike that. This wasnt really social media, even though it was attached to MySpace, it was really the “social connection” realm, because Jay and Leah, then started a project where they went to Europe and asked their MySpace friends if they could crash on their couches. Which they did. And they filmed it.

Now before you jump into the standard American “WTF!?!? Strangers? IN EUROPE?!” Jay and Leah are Canadians living in Vancouver. So, the potential of them getting bitten and turning into werewolves, ala An American Werewolf in London, were pretty slim. (It wasnt called A Canadian Werewolf in London for a reason. They are just too nice to be werewolves.)

But, somewhere on their journey from standard menial jobs to viral videos to MySpace to roaming around Europe they, like Melissa, made a left at Albuquerque.

(Ok, time for a quick aside. My reference of a “left at Albuquerque” is a reference to a famous line uttered by Bugs Bunny whenever he travelled in a cartoon. For some reason, he continually got lost, and would pop out of the burrow he was making and exclaim, “I shoulda made a left at Alburquerque!”)

Jay and Leah began to get involved with a project that was inspired by another member of their team, Danya Fast, had just returned from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, and spoke about some kids who lived on the street hustling and performing. They decided to get involved:

Over the course of six weeks in Dar, we facilitated a youth-led project to record a 6-track Bongo-Flava hip hop album. We compensated a group of 20 youth with a cash salary on work days, by setting up housing for one year, and with lots and lots of cigarettes.

At the conclusion of that year, they had the album (buy it here), a charity (check it here), and an amazing film (learn more here):

Amazing stuff, huh?

I often talk about how there are two types of entrepreneurs in the world, those that pack and plan their parachutes before jumping or those that jump trusting that they will figure it out on the way down.

Reid Hoffman, founder of LinkedIn, says it a bit better than me (found on Fred Wilson’s tumblr):

“The whole entrepreneurial thing is that you kind of jump off a cliff and assemble your airplane on the way down. And financing, by the way, is a thermal draft, right? You’re a little further away, but the ground’s still coming at you if you can’t establish an airplane.”

- Reid Hoffman, as quoted by Jeff Bussgang in his new book, The VC Playbook

(While I would love to say that great minds think alike, Reid did found LinkedIn. C’mon, Reid, LinkedIn?!?! Sheeesh, I have work to do…)

Melissa, Jay and Leah all took the leap. They are trusting that they will figure it out on the way down. And, given what I know of them, they will. (Now, both are looking for help funding their projects. If they move you, give. If they dont move you, find someone it does move, and get them to give. Seriously.)

But, what of this concept of a “Left Turn at Albuquerque”? What compels people to make a major shift in their lives and careers to follow passion projects? My career and life have been pretty linear, with each “next” building off the “previous.” I am not surprised I am where I am today (maybe a bit disappointed in certain things, but certainly not surprised) because of the linear nature of my life and choices.

And, left turns dont have to be into non-profit or “world saving” activities. It just has to be drastic and a major life shift. Remember starting a company is difficult and hard, it could have large monetary awards, but its not a fundamental life shift.

Starting a company is not impressive. Changing your life’s path is awe inspiring.

If given the opportunity to take a Left Turn, dont let it pass you by. Jump. The parachute will figure itself out.

What? Not another post about how awesome Boulder is?

About a year ago, I was meeting with David Cohen of Techstars and I remarked how there just had to be other blogs like ColoradoStartups and people like him who were passionate about their local tech communities.

“How cool would it be if there was a blog network of startup blogs?”

David mentioned Alex Muse down in Dallas who wrote the TexasStartupBlog, and a matter of days later we were all on the phone. Several months later, SpringStage was born. Both David (here) and Alex (here) write about it, and I am proud of my early help in getting it off the ground.

SpringStage is an example of a firm belief I have: That the true innovation in the US occurs BETWEEN the coasts, not ON the coasts. True innovation is where the problems are equally as difficult, but the resources are less.

I have seen it alive and well in Boulder. I have experienced it in other cities around the country, and with there being more than 35 bloggers in the SpringStage network, innovation clearly doesnt solely exist in San Francisco and New York.

At SXSW, I got to meet Jeff Slobotski of Silicon Prairie News and the organizer of the Big Omaha conference (May 7-8, 2009). I was blown away by his enthusiasm and love for Omaha. It is clear in the people he has gotten together to speak at Big Omaha, its almost like a mini-web 2.0 TED.

But whats more important is the recognition that entrepreneurship exists in every city in the United States, and we as entrepreneurs must foster that growth. Every time two people get together and figure out an interesting and unique way to solve a problem it should be celebrated.

I am looking forward to speaking at Big Omaha, partly because I am on a roster of my friends (current and yet to be), but mostly because I will be able to talk to local entrepreneurs and listen to their interesting take on how they are building the entrepreneurial community in Omaha.

If you are on the fence about attending, let me ask you: Are you a member of a entrepreneurial community? Is it doing everything you want it to do for you? Are you doing everything for your community you can?

At BigOmaha, I promised that we will explore ways you can do better by your community, and it can do better by you.

Or as Jeff says:

“The energy will be impossible to contain. We will begin building communities, companies and friendships. We will inspire new thoughts and completely new ways of thinking. We will develop visions: personal, shared, and civic.”

See you there?

By the way: Registration is only $199 until April 25. I would jump on it.

(first of all, on a complete side note, ever since Pet Holdings–the parent company of the ICanHasCheezburger Network, which is run by my good friends Ben Huh and Scott Porad–added Lijit to their sites, I cant spell cheeseburger properly…)

At SXSW, I had the pleasure of meeting a young entrepreneur through mutual friends. I often find that interesting companies have really impressive founders behind them (mostly because the idea had to come from somewhere intriguing). This entrepreneur and I seemed to move in and out of the same circles, but never really crossed paths.

Why is this important? While most people probably dont believe this, the greatest gift I get from people is education. My favorite thing in the world is to find people that know more about something than I do, or participate in something I dont, or just flatly do something better than I do, and learn from them.

If you took a list of all my friends and made notations about what makes each one special, you would find a list of amazing talents, knowledge and activity that just by proximity can do nothing but impress.

What I didnt know about this entrepreneur is that he both keeps kosher and observes the sabbath. For most entrepreneurs, limiting your diet (“What if a potential investor/partner wants to eat out?!?!?”) and work week to 6 days (“C’mon! No startup is successful when the founder works only 6 days a week!”) is just unheard of.

Yet, his company is growing, they have secured funding from really high profile investors, and he successfully drives product direction and promotion.

Which got me thinking.

I have several friends who have made specific choices about how they live their lives and what is a priority for them. Sometimes the filter is of religious origin, sometimes is a lifestyle decision, or a geographic choice.

Many people would look at these decisions as limiting. What happens if an important phone call has to be made on a Saturday? Will it just go unanswered? Does something like following kosher laws and observing a sabbath create an artificial barrier for success?

Now, it would be easy to find many folks that have been successful in spite of self-limiting behavior or activities. (Face it, any decision to not do something is self-limiting by definition). Instead, lets discuss why I decided to participate in those self-limited behaviors.

Life is about choice. It is often said that the greatest gift given man was free will. (Of course, the evangelicals will say it was Jesus, but this isnt about a religious debate.) Some have said its man’s greatest burden as well.

(Ok, the religious stuff is over, I swear to Christ.)

I have spent most of my life immersed in free will. I tend to make decisions based on the exact previous activity. I dont think more than a day ahead. My therapist often says that the worst thing my parents did was not provide and enforce clear and distinct boundaries. I lived a life full of free will.

True Free Will often comes with a lack of order.

And I, in order to make the changes I want to make in my life, need structure and order. I want, for the first time in my life, to think…and then…do.

So, I was inspired by the entrepreneur I met at SXSW. If he could continue to be as successful as he is sticking to the choices he has made, then perhaps if I do the same, I would provide sufficient structure and order to help me be more successful.

With that, about two weeks ago, I decided to follow the kosher laws.

Wellllllll, thats a lie. I decided to follow a version of the kosher laws.

Quickly: What are the kosher laws? A set of dietary restrictions that many Jewish people conform to. If you want to read more about them, this is a pretty good resource on kosher. Kosher comes from the Hebrew word “kasher” meaning fit. Non-kosher food is known as “treif” meaning torn. Literally meaning torn by another animal, killed with a dull blade (feels pain), or has a defect that disallows it from being slaughtered.

Here are the basic tenants (as I understand them):

• * meat is ok. But, it has to come from an animal that chews its cud and has cloven hooves;
• * pigs are out, because even though they have cloven hooves, they dont chew their cud.
• * birds are ok, but have to fit certain criteria. For example, they have an established tradition of being kosher or be really close to a bird that is kosher. Chickens are ok; falcons are not.
• * fish is ok, but it has to have scales and fins. No shellfish. (dammit!)
• * insects are not kosher (thank god)
• * fruits, vegetables, nuts are all pretty much kosher, as long as they dont have insects (see above)
• * dairy is kosher – pretty much
• * meat and dairy cant be mixed. (you and me, cheeseburger, we are through)

There are a few other rules (like certain foods have to be prepared by other Jews. Like cheese and wine.)

Here are the ones Im following:

• * meat and fowl have to be bought from a kosher deli.
• * fish is fine, shellfish are out.
• * pork is out (which is ok. I havent eaten pork in almost 20 years)
• * no mixing meat and diary.
• * fruits, vegetables, diary are ok.
• * chicken wings are always kosher. (what? I love chicken wings!)

Here is the payoff. Before every meal, I have to think about what I am going to eat. I have to think about where I am going to eat. If I go to the supermarket, I have to think about what to buy.

I have to think…then act. I have to apply some level of structure and order to my meals.

Its not much, but its a start on learning to temper my free willing ways.

Anyone know a good kosher deli in Boulder?

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At SXSW, one of the more hotly debated panels was “Is Spec Work Evil?” with Jeffrey Kalmikoff from Threadless facing off (“…in this corner”) against Mike Samson of CrowdSpring (“..weighing in at…”).

The room was pretty full, probably 600-800 people, and there was clearly a line drawn between those for CrowdSpring and those for Threadless.

“Lets lay out some ground rules for this highly emotional debate…” Jeff Howe of Wired began.

The Companies

Threadless is an interesting company. Its truly a retail/ecommerce site driven by a community of designers (about 900,000 members).

The members of the Threadless community seem to break into three groups: The Designers, the Interactors, and Purchasers. Sometimes, a member will be part of multiple groups, but there are many that purchase without ever submitting or critiquing a design (like me) or vice versa, some that never buy, but interact consistently within the community.

Truthfully, it makes sense. Jake, Jacob and Jeffrey are all designers. They started and built the company as designers. I would almost be willing to guess that if those three werent as intelligent and saavy as they are, the business would have never gone far, because for designers, design always trumps business.

If you were to order the three parts of Threadless (the business, the community and the designers), I would bet that internally, its viewed as: The community –> the designers –> the business.

CrowdSpring is not a company. It is a marketplace, and marketplaces have a distinct operational makeup.

Competition reigns. Price points are driven by buyer demand and competitive sellers. The success of the marketplace rests on having the right number of buyers and sellers to ensure that the equilibrium pricing structure is exactly right to grow the marketplace (attract sellers and buyers) and provide enough in fees to the “marketplace manager” (in this case, CrowdSpring).

Does community matter for a marketplace? In its most basic form (such as a forum), yes. Low levels of collaboration create a false sense of traditional community and have the potential for increasing the value of the seller’s product. Which, helps drive up price points (and increases fees collected). Additionally, in order to have a thriving marketplace, sellers must either not directly compete or be driven by competition.(Basically, the best type of designer for CrowdSpring is a competitive one.)

Think of a farmers market. Or a busy street market. Vendors tend to either be different enough to exist side-by-side effectively, or they understand the importance of healthy competition to survive. In some cases, where the competiting vendors are selling a widely available product (like design work–yes, not GOOD design), competition can effectively drive one (or both) vendor(s) out of business.

A real fear in a marketplace is the concept of price colusion. While CrowdSpring clearly wants to attract a specific type of designer–one who is definately competitive by nature, and probably in need of work–it cannot have a community that agrees in private on what to charge for different types of products. This can drive artifical price inflation and drive off buyers. In order for CrowdSpring’s community to truly be effective for CrowdSpring, it has to be controlled (perhaps just monitored) to ensure that price collusion doesnt exist and that it fosters competition.

Finally, Ross Kimbarovsky and Mike Samson are business guys, not designers. They saw an inefficiency in the market, and decided to build a business around it. They are not community people (Ross is a former IP Lawyer and Mike is a former film producer), nor are they designers. If I were to bet how they view Crowdspring, I would guess its business –> buyers/sellers –> community.

The Argument

Here is the basic argument (at least how I see it):

1. CrowdSpring’s business model is spec work (defined as: “Short for “speculation.” Work done “on spec” is done for no guaranteed remuneration, in hope of winning the job, campaign or account in question.”
2. Spec Work is Evil
3. Therefore, CrowdSpring is Evil.

How does that make you feel?

Designers hate spec work. There are a million posts out there about how spec work is destroying the graphic and web design industry.

Spec work exists in all service-type industries: public relations, marketing, acting and others have some type of spec involved in the attraction and landing of a job.

Because spec work creates such an emotional response amougst the design community, the argument has shifted from the efficiacy of having a marketplace for designers and companies to the moral argument around spec work.

Ross and Mike have artfully made the argument an emotional one not an intellectual one.

What are designers arguing? The merits of spec work not the effect of a efficent marketplace on the design profession.

Sure CrowdSpring is associated with spec work, and therefore some of the negative feelings around spec work land on them, but the reality is that the emotions surrounding spec work DO NOT MATERIALLY EFFECT THEIR MARKETPLACE.

They could be a marketplace for scrap metal. It doesnt matter. The buyers are looking for low cost design, and the sellers (designers) are willing to do it, REGARDLESS OF WHAT ITS CALLED. All that matters to CrowdSpring is that there is deal flow in their marketplace to drive the exchange of money so that they can collect fees. Thats the business.

(During the panel, Mike said that CrowdSpring has “paid out” close to $1,000,000 to their sellers. The truth is, they arent “paying out.” CrowdSpring places the buyers money in escrow (basically in a bank account), and then provides the buyer’s money to the designer selected for the job (less 15%). Threadless, on the other hand, writes a check from the company to the designer who’s design is selected for printing. Its an important distinction, and a further example of the futile effort of debating a company vs. a marketplace.)

The Winner

In this case, its clearly CrowdSpring.

1) They have obsficated the debate of the effect of an efficent marketplace on the design profession by getting designers to debate the merits of spec work (which in the greater scheme is a useless argument driven entirely by emotion).

2) They have been able to attach themselves to Threadless’ brand, and in many cases be spoken about equally.

Its no surprise that Ross, a former IP lawyer has skillfully driven the conversation away from where the discussion should be (that marketplaces often drive down prices and quality), and allows it to build around a emotional issue (guess who sponsored the Is Spec Work Evil panel? Not David Carson.)

For Threadless, or other designer driven communities, as long as the debate is focused on spec work, you’ve lost before you’ve started. Clearly, Threadless benefits designers. Clearly, CrowdSpring has shown that there was a hole in the market.

Its like debating Sam Flores vs. frozen fish.

** If you dont know who Sam Flores is, I am very, very sad.

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I havent written in awhile. Mostly because I was at SXSW and I was absorbing everything I could. I absorbed Red Bull, BBQ, Rain, the SXSWSARS virus and words that provoked thought.

Before I go on, let me say this is not my SXSW wrap up post. That will probably be over at the Lijit blog (After all, SXSW was Lijit!).

At one point, I was sitting in a central location (actually by a men’s room – tell you why that matters in a second), after my friend Jeffrey and I were interviewed by Jeff Slobotski of Silicon Prairie News (who is also putting on the conference Big Omaha, where I will join Gary Vaynerchuk, Matt Mullenweg, Jason Fried, Jeffrey and others speaking at what is looking like an AMAZING event).

During Jeffrey’s interview, a guy walked quickly behind him on the way to the bathroom and before he got there, puked everywhere. Explosively.

BAM! All over the floor. And everyone kept walking as if nothing happened.

(I’ll get to a point, I swear.)

After we had finished up the interviews (and I got a chance to hang out with Melissa Pierce. If you havent heard of her project, Life in Perpetual Beta, please spend some time with it. Get involved. Contribute to the cause.) Gary walked by and asked Jeffrey, Melissa, Jeff and I to join him at Kathy Sierra‘s presentation.

About half way through the presentation, I leaned over to Gary and told him that his keynote from the day before caused a light bulb to go off in my brain. (I kinda lied, the light bulb happened when that dude puked all over the place, but I thought Gary might be offended that a dude puking caused the light bulb).

Many bloggers, especially video bloggers are like that puking dude. Extreme visuals, huge points, but everyone keeps walking by uncaring.

What sets Gary apart is his understanding that the strength of a tree is in its roots, not in the brightness of its leaves, or the height of its trunk.

Personally, when I see my friends around me succeed, I have the dual reaction of happiness and jealousy. “Why cant I do that? Whats holding me back?”

Its my roots.

Roots are really a simple concept. They are where you are from, what you did growing up, the education you received, what your parents taught you, etc.

Our roots truly form the foundation of what is best about us.

Here is the rub.

Along with all the positives, most people have negatives integrated in the roots that help create every action (and inaction). As deep as your belief in your own ability to do certain things is your deep set belief in the things you cant do.

At Kathy’s presentation, she always brings up a slide asking if Tiger Woods spends more practice time on his strengths or his weaknesses.

Most people shout out “Weaknesses!”

Kathy, in her quiet, assertive way, replies “Strengths.”

Tiger’s roots are set in the concept of the greater your strengths the weaker your weaknesses become.

So what does all this mean?

I started the 365andChange project as a way to make a change every day in hopes of improving on my weaknesses. Brute force change to give me the ability and self-belief in what I am doing. To gain that look in my eye that Gary has when he talks about owning the NY Jets.

The realization I finally came to at the moment that dude was unable to catch his puke as he stumbled to the bathroom is that changing my weaknesses one change at a time would ultimately not bare the fruit I was hoping it would. At the end of the year, I would still fundamentally be the same guy at the beginning of the year, except a did a few things differently.

I am taking a break from all my projects and taking a moment to take a look at what negative self-beliefs have integrated themselves in my roots, and recognizing my fears and lack of risk-taking for that.

You see, I can do anything. Its in my roots. I just need to believe that.

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As I was driving into the Lijit offices, I was thinking about this years SXSW conference, and how different it would be for me. I was thinking about the posts I had read from friends who were going and had gone before.

The difference for me this year will be striking (speaking vs. not-speaking, knowing people vs. not knowing people, how much hotter I am, etc.). Yet with all the growth I have done personally and professionally, some of my friends are still light years ahead of me in terms of accomplishment and recognition.

And thats ok.

I realized that what I love most about life is the realization that no matter how much I accomplish, I always have people around me to remind me that I have a long way to go. That, for me, the only thing that drives me is success and since there will always be someone more successful than me, I have a long way to go.

Which brings me to the raging debate about spec work.

(huh? Yeah, I know, but its how my brain works. Stick with me.)

I am not a designer. I can barely draw a straight line. But, I have been a business man, even played one in real life.

Here is how I see a basic logo development conversation (for 99% of the world):

Business guy thinks to himself, “hmmm, I need a logo. Im bored/tired/renamed my business/whatever, and it about time. I dont want to spend a ton of money on it.”

Designer guys thinks to himself, “I love being an artist. I live to create. I dont just “do” logos, I create identity.”

Business guy: “sweet on the identity. How much will it cost?”

Designer dude: “$5,000.”

Business guy (after laughing so hard he is crying): “Thanks.”

And then business guy heads over to one of the “spec work” shops, and puts in a request for a logo, with a couple of requirements, and prices it at $500. A couple of weeks later, a logo is approved and used, and the business guy is happy. The “spec work” designer is less happy, but has $500, the “real” designer is totally unhappy, and blames everything: spec work, the business guy and the “spec work” designer (but not himself).

There is no questioning his pricing, or the value of his production, just that he got undercut by an “amateur.”

I think I get it.

Designers are being protective of their industry and their “art,” by railing against an activity that by design, reduces the amount of money they can charge.

At SXSW, Jeffrey is on a panel entitled “Is Spec Work Evil?” and the moderator, Jeff Howe wrote a great post called “Is Crowdsourcing Evil and Other Moot Questions …” where he wrote:

The demand for low-end design has ballooned in recent years alongside the profusion of start-ups and small businesses. Conveniently enough, so has the supply of what we might call “low-end designers” (amateurs, recent grads and the like). According to Forbes there are 80,000 freelance designers in the US alone. Most of these are, proverbially speaking, waiting tables. When someone matches demand and supply, well that’s kismet!

I agree that the market drives the business and the business practices. Take the hurt feelings out of the spec work debate, and you have an efficient marketplace driving costs down due to an overabundance of designers, coupled with the increasing number of small businesses and startups (which by definition, have no money to spend on huge design projects).

Is spec work “evil” (meaning detrimental)? Hell yes. It devalues the work of the designer and trains the business professional to accept a lower quality (but sufficient) work product.

But the problem is not with the companies that drive spec work, or the designers that participate in it, or even the companies that pay for it.

The problem is simply a result of an upside down economic model where the artificially high supply of designers is pushing the pricing downwards. Include the general efficiencies that are provides by the internet, and BAM! spec work is perceived as evil. Read Jeremiah’s post about how he views spec work from the business perspective, and you can see exactly this dynamic occurring.

I commented on Jeff’s post:

I am excited to listen to the panel and continue the conversation that we have had around these here parts (Its Boulder, we can sound Western…).

There is a constant fight for equilibrium between business interests and service providers, where businesses will always undervalue the esoteric value of intangibles, and service providers will always overvalue them.

There is not a service industry that is not touched by the concept of spec work or unfavorable (to the service provider) competitions. The canary has been dead for awhile, people just have named it.

Of most service industries, graphic design (and design as a whole) is probably the most disparate in perceived and actual value. How do you value “art”? How do you value “feeling”?

Businesses apply a value to everything. When I sold my company, when I agreed to accept a non-compete that had a value. The association of my name to the new company had a value.

The positive of the spec work revolution is that it forces designers to think: 1) am I talented enough to be charging what I am charging; and 2) what is the real value I bring to the table that can be counted by my client (the business) in dollars.

The negative is that designers are realizing that their perceived value is not equitable to their real value.

(There is also the reality of the economic abundance of designers makes it easy for spec work to exist. If I were a designer I would stop worrying about spec work and get more people to quit the industry.)

At the end of the day, being underpaid for valuable work sucks, which is what the specter of spec work brings. Want to combat it? Dont suck. Provide value. Set realistic expectations.

The only way to reduce the negative effects of spec work on the design industry is to make the supply of designers scarce.

Want to end spec work? Kill all the designers.*

* of course this is meant simply as an oversimplification of a complex problem. Please dont kill the designers. Perhaps take away all the stolen copies of Photoshop, or disallow internet access for designers at coffee shops, but killing them might just be a bit more evil than the perception of spec work.

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Thats right. I am headed to SXSW.

I will be there from March 12 – March 18, and would love to meet up with everyone!

Want my contact info? Text micah to 50500. Not bringing cards. Follow me on twitter: @micah.

Want to see me speak? I mean on a specific topic? I am on a panel discussion entitled: Beyond Aggregation — Finding The Webs Best Content. I am joined by moderator Marshall Kirkpatrick of ReadWriteWeb, Gabe Rivera of TechMeme, Louis Gray of the famous LouisGray.com and Melanie Baker of AideRSS.

It should be super interesting as we discuss how is good content found these days. After all, with 70 million blogs out there, how do you find the good stuff?

Im attending several parties, having several meetings (want to have one? Send me a tweet), and generally “doing SXSW right.”

SXSW, for me, is going to be an interesting time. A year ago, I was just getting into blogging and social media and working at Lijit, and learning about who was who and what was what. This year, I know a bit more, and know a *lot* more people.

I expect SXSW to be highly successful for Lijit and extremely fun for me.

Here are some articles I wrote after last year’s SXSW. I wonder what I will write after this one?

Wanna Know How to do SXSW? – I wrote about how a veteran transversed the halls of SXSW.

There Were Three Types of People at SXSW – My observations of SXSW 2008.

Here is a link to a lijit search of everything in my trusted network about SXSW. What a great way to discover new content, huh? :)