Pittsburgh: Redefining "Overnight Success"

Bacn, circa early 1900s... Via Apelad
On Saturday, the term bacn was coined at PodCamp Pittsburgh 2.

By today, Thursday, the term is already the 14th most-popular term on Technorati.

It has appeared on Wired, CNet and the Washington Post websites, among others.

It's even been parodied in the buzzword-spawned (and "classic") Laugh Out Loud Cats comic (above).

Today, bacn-related interviews have already been given to the Chicago Tribune and NPR, with more (undoubtedly) to come.

All 5 days after the term was first used.

Sound familiar?

Two weeks ago, Pittsburgh vlogger iJustine created a video about her 300-page iPhone bill. That video resonated with tech-savvy surfers and, within days, iJustine was on the homepage of Yahoo, not to mention interviews on CNN, NPR, Fox News...

Some of you might be asking yourselves: what are the odds that Pittsburgh would be struck by back-to-back social media lightning bolts? As a 10-year PGH resident, I'd be inclined to agree.

However...

Earlier this month, it was revealed that Pittsburgh is the third "bloggiest" city in the country -- behind only Boston and Philadelphia -- which accounts for some of the city's ability to generate a meme wave.

Hmm...

For a city that perpetually seems to have an identity crisis, we sure are getting something right these days...

Ironic side note: Did anyone else notice that Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Boston, the three "bloggiest" cities, are also having a PodCamp in each of the next 3 months?

Bare Basics Tech in a Blue Collar Town

Great observation from expert marketer John Wall: "PodCamps are a reflection of their cities."

Considering Pittsburgh is a city caught between its past as a steel town and its future as... well, we're still figuring that out... it makes sense that we cling to the traditions we know will work: namely, alcohol.

Granted, that's not the only reason Wall calls last year's PodCamp Pittsburgh "the best conference I have ever attended" -- it had something to do with the caliber of talent on display from around the country too. But the post-party at the Tiki Lounge certainly didn't end the event on a down note.

Peel back the bravado for a moment and you'll realize what really makes events like PodCamp tick: the community. People LOVE to come together and share ideas and information. We love to be "in the club."

That's why we're so excited about BootCamp PGH, next Saturday's "bare basics" guide to new media. We realized a lot of people still need a helping hand in becoming comfortable with the web media world, so we decided to offer a FREE event to ease them into the conversation.

Some interesting characters are already on board for BCPGH. Chris Brogan will be there, talking about entry-level podcasting and the value of community. Matthew Ebel is coming to town to share his success as a podsafe musician -- did you know he recorded his last album using GarageBand?! -- the ladies of Spreadshirt will offer their marketing and merchandising expertise, and iJustine will share some of her social networking secrets, guaranteed to help you generate your own rabid following.

Even TalkShoe ambassador Tommy Vallier is coming down from Toronto to help acclimate new faces with new media.

What are YOU doing on April 21st? There's still time to register for BootCamp. Bring yourself, bring a friend

(And yes, if you're wondering, there will almost definitely be another alcohol-fueled celebration after BootCamp. This IS Pittsburgh, after all...)

Crosspost: STBD / VON on Geek Riot

On Sunday night, Shawn and Justine at Geek Riot invited me to talk about the STBD relaunch and my experiences at VON.

Joining us for the first hour of the show is Jeff Pulver, VON creator, who also talks about his Video on the Net Alliance and its impending battle to preserve web video from the prying eyes of the FCC.

It's a good all-around show, and features a healthy mix of STBD and VON topics. The whole enchilada clocks in around 2 hours (!), but you can stream and skim if you so desire.

(And yes, I know I posted this at the STBD blog too. Sometimes, there's an overlap. Other times, there are cupcakes. We adapt.)

VON Photos and Assorted Mayhem

My VON photos are up on Flickr. (Searching for "von2007" should help you find hundreds more from other attendees as well.)

I have much editing and other "real" work to do, but fear not; I've realized I need to sub-categorize my VON thoughts over the coming days, so I'll be doing it as such:

STBD @ VON (already up)
The Industry Look at VON (coming here soon)
VON from the Podcasters' POV (ditto)
The Seamy Underbelly of VON (ditto)

In the meantime, please note that I'll also be interviewed about both VON and the STBD relaunch during tomorrow night's Geek Riot talkcast with Shawn and Justine @ 10 PM EST. If you're free, call in and join the chat!

Be the Hero

As I mentioned previously, there seems to be a worldwide subconscious need for "heroes" these days. Times are tough, positivity is waning and people in power seem ignorant to our needs. Everyone is looking for someone to believe in.

Why not be your own hero?

Reality Check

Every so often, when I seem overwhelmed, landlocked or depressed, I'll ask myself, "What would the ideal me do in this situation?"

It's the agnostic's equivalent of "What Would Jesus Do?" It also addresses the same issue: if I were perfect, what would I do in this situation?

Well, I'm not perfect. But I CAN improve. And, realistically, I CAN be a much better person than the one I am now.

So what would the version of me that I can look up to, the version that I would want to be around, the version I (were I seeing myself through the eyes of others) would want for a boyfriend, a son, a dad, a friend... what would THAT version of me do?

Find Your Superpower

Yes, it's geeky, but the analogy applies: all of us have a skill or two that sets us apart from everyone else we know.

Think about your own friends. Ask around. Who are the "experts" at certain things? Or, more accurately, when you think of a person, what do you immediately think of in conjunction WITH that person?

For example, in my mind, Chris Brogan is synonymous with "connectivity." Chris is a community developer, he's a bridge builder, he's a people person. That's his superpower.

Likewise, Christopher Penn is the MacGyver of finance; he could probably find a way to monetize your bathroom if you gave him ten minutes and a paperclip. That's his "mutant ability."

And iJustine is the closest thing I've seen to the apex of the perfect geek storm: equal parts attractive, self-deprecating, nerd and dork. As such, life just falls into her lap. She doesn't control it; things just happen to her. She's a web magnet -- that's her "special ability."

Me? I'm not sure I know what my ability is, but I have a few guesses. (Quite often, these elements are best observed by others who don't see the "alter ego" of the individual every day, and aren't distracted by both the pros AND the cons...)

Take Action

Of course, knowing what your superpower is doesn't help if you don't use it. And, since no one wants to take meaningless action, you won't feel fulfilled until you move toward something you're passionate about.

- Is there a cause you feel strongly about? How can you use your abilities to help that cause succeed?

- Is there a flaw in your current business that you feel needs to be repaired? How can you fix it?

- Is there a brand new business or organization you feel needs to be built? How can you create it?

- Is there a specific person you know of who needs help? What can you do to assist them?

Once you identify the one thing you're most passionate about AT THIS MOMENT, decide what action needs to be taken next to solve the problem. Even if it's just a 10 % action, it's better than no action at all.

Form a Team

Have you ever noticed that Captain America, Spider-Man and Batman can handle just about anything on their own, until a problem becomes so gigantic that they actually need help?

Terrorists? Drug dealers? Stilt-Man? No problem.

But when alien armadas, natural disasters and pissed-off gods come to town, very few heroes can stand on their own. That's why we have The Avengers, The X-Men and The Justice League.

Since new media, at its heart, is all about community, it helps to build connections you can call on when the going gets tough. When a problem is larger than you can easily handle on your own, what other skills (that you don't possess) would help you solve that problem faster? How quickly can you get the word out?

Seek out others who are using their skills to accomplish greater things. Ask what you can do to help. Join forces. Win bigger.

All Change Starts With You

Obviously The Avengers don't come knocking door-to-door, asking if any two-bit hero off the street wants to join. They need to know a person is serious about getting the job done in the first place.

That means you need to take action. Even one small step, and then another, until you're no longer walking; you're running. After that, the rest comes naturally:

Run until you can fly.