Jon Sampson

Say “no” to conferences

Conferences provide a lot of information with little context. Jordan Fowler has an excellent take on how to really learn over at Worship Trench:

There is a better way to learn that is customized to your context … watch-and-ask-over-dinner learning. If you go to a big conference, you are getting good stuff in a shotgun fashion which you may or may not be able to contextualize on your own. Instead, try this. When you have something to learn, find out who excels at it. Call them up and ask them their favorite NICE restaurant and ask them if there is a time you can buy them dinner and get a face to face with them to talk about how you do X or Y.

Conferences are still useful for networking and providing general info to get people started/fired up. But his way seems much more useful. Read the full post here.

Jon

5 responses to “Say “no” to conferences”

  1. anne jackson

    don’t get me started on conferences…wait, “conferences” – i will try and stay kind and promote unity…so that is why i stop talking now.

    i loved your comment on my site. clever, you are.

    was that a yoda reference? i think so. unintentional, it was.

    Reply
  2. Jeff Reed

    I fully agree. I’d rather find out how people are doing things in the real world and build on that (instead of living in an pipedream.) Good Jordan Fowler quote. Haven’t read/heard anything from him in years (since I was in DFW).

    The great things about conversations is that you get to CONVERS(e). You get to talk things through, bounce ideas around. Let the ideas change/evolve.

    Reply
  3. Jon

    Someone found this post today by searching for “coolest conferences”. I’m not sure this was what they were looking for :).

    Reply
  4. RC of strangeculture

    i think confrences are generally emotionally driven. of course you’re going to get reared up if everyone you’re around is excited.

    i could go to a suculant plant confrence for a weekend and get excited about growing my very own flowering cactus…but that excitement will last for about two minutes once i realize no one else cares.

    great quote and topic.

    Reply
  5. Jeff Reed

    Succulant Plant Conferences? Come on, man. If I didn’t know you better RC I’d think you were smoking some Succulant Plants to come up with that one.

    Reply

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