Unapologetically Awesome: #TahoeTechTalk
Alrite el nerderinos, wow - what a fucking day. No ... for reals, I'm still digesting all of the information from Tahoe Tech Talk ... like ... wow. I'm pretty speechless. If they have this conference next year you absolutely absolutely ABSOLUTELY have to attend. (Notes will be posted tomorrow.)
One of the speakers there today was a reporter by the name of @Alexia, from TechCrunch. During her schpeil, she was saying pretty point blank - if you have a story tell me. And ohhhmmmyyygoooddddd I have a good one. Like you all know, they're freaking basing a movie off of it! But in the very "here and now" type shit, I stood up in front of the entire conference (as there was a Q&A portion) and I said "3 months ago, I was sleeping in my car. Today I arrived on a private plane and they're turning my site into a major motion picture. Is this something TechCrunch would be interested in covering?" It definitely got EVERYONES attention, and everywhere I looked across the room, eyes were on TNTML. It was pretty rad, I'm not going to lie ... but here I was, this nerdy chick, standing in front of people I RESPECT, through and through - and I got eaten alive. The problem is (thanks to this experience, I have learned ...) I've never had to pitch. I had investors approaching me the 3rd week of the site, just based on the name and general premise, not even friggen execution ... people wanted in. The film came to me, I didn't go to it. I just said, wow - this is actually really good ... I realized it when I was standing up there that I set everything up so literally everyone would come to me. It was such at trip! It also exposed an area that I do need to work on, that I should sit down with someone to work on a pitch. But bottom line, this is it:
They are very matter of fact making a movie out of this site. It's super rad, and I can't wait. I'm a hustler, and I know its going to get done.
SO! That leaves me owning the brand, and having my life rights associated with the film in this super super super bitchin position that I don't need investors, sponsors, or even traditional advertisers of any kind. There are 5 projects that are literally all happening right now with this site and more specifically myself as a lifecaster. The super rad thing is, is that we are the non-web approach. I don't want advertisers on this site, and I don't want sponsors. Not in the traditional sense - I was able to use this platform to figure out who the hell I was. I was so unhappy after this breakup I had, that I searched tirelessly for happiness, and I found it in TNTML and our celebration of Unapologetic Awesomeness.
I want to give that back to everyone that is a community member of this site. Hey, do you want to write an entire post with all the words that rhyme with Fuck? Go for it! Does it make you happy? Awesome! This site has become less of a business venture for me, and more of just a social experiment. It doesn't need to be a business in the traditional sense. With the money I am going to make from this film, I can even leverage that into more - but again, everything is independent. This site will always be my baby. Just the way the people were talking today, it just didn't interest me. I'm more interested in exposing human nature, and human interest in its rawest, most unedited form. I really am batshit crazy. But I know it works, I have personally done it. Dude, if LiveVideo hadn't gotten all weird and janky, I would have done this under their brand. I don't really care, I am more interested in just getting it the fuck done.
Dave McClure said, so you're the brand? I was like yes - but there is a staff of 34 that can sustain it independently from myself as well. I kid you not, and I think it was only because of the enormous amount of respect that I had for the people on the panel, that I literally sweat through my deodorant. Yeahhhhhhh ... It was pretty bad. My bottom line though at the same time was just seeing an opportunity and taking it. I went up to Alexia after the conference and shook her hand, and said thank you for speaking with me.
I said, this is happening to be honest with you, whether or not you choose to report on it. You asked for a scoop, there you go!
The problem is, is that no one (to the best of my knowledge) has done this type of shit in real time. From inception, I have documented EVERY PIECEEEEE of it!!! Every triumph, every fail, every anything - I analyize the lesson, and then move on. I have NO idea if any of this is going to be successful, but I know that if Wired is interested, this big UK show that I am filming for tomorrow ... and AOL TWO FRIGGEN TIMES, in addition to heads of studios, and heads of networks ... I am doing something right. It's just not based in the same way that the minds there today were interested in.
I tell stories across social media. I dictate my life, and invite others to join in as well. We are story telling the human experience in real time. Social media may now only be viewed as a marketing tool, but I use it to engage with thousands of people in real time my thoughts, movements, actions ... its a total trip.
Dude, I was sitting there on the private plane back to LA going, what could I have done differently? FOR REAL. I WAS ON A PRIVATE PLANE BACK TO LA DOUBTING MYSELF. It was like WOOAHHH!!! Hold the mother effin phone!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't doubt the projects I am involved in, or the film ... but I mean, that guy Dave literally tore me a new one. And I even said very matter of fact, its good - I can give it out on TNTML, I can take it.
I can say this, the founder of QUIRKY @BenKaufman even spoke up and said he remembered meeting me at CES!!! CES!!! Do you KNOW how many people go to CES?!?!?! This site was less than 60 days old, and I was live broadcasting from my cell phone, and HE REMEMBERED ME! I know we're doing something right. I will go to my grave pursuing this - there is just too much here. But today was def a bit of a shocker to feel this within the tech community. Again though, it's incredibly matter of fact that they'll be talking about it anyway ... but I learned a very valuable lesson today, I am too close to this site to explain it to other people.
Everything is attitude nerds. I know you all hear about the wonderful things in life, but its because I choose to see them. Totally got ripped a new one today, but I took it. I stood strong, but more importantly I learned. People don't have to get what we do. I get it, and I see where this is going ... I'll work on how to explain it better - but those that "get it" have always just "gotten it." Call me crazy, but I'm only going to work on the packaging and explanation, just because you don't get it, doesn't mean I'd change a DAMN thing!
#nerdsunite
HERE ARE SOME OF THE STORIES!! #NerdsUnite
PS. I def did something right, one of the speakers I respected the most ... even tweeted THIS (but didn't @reply as to not be too "fangirlish")
He's now following me ...
GO BIG OR GO HOME!!!! TAKE RISKS! EVEN IF YOU DIDN'T GET WHAT YOU WANTED, YOU AT LEAST GOT EXPERIENCE & A FEW MORE HEADS TURNED!!
W00T! W00T!
