Hey
Reader —
When Lori and I moved back to Philly from North Carolina in 2009, I knew almost nobody in the local tech scene. My professional network here was a handful of people who remembered me from my radio days. Then somebody suggested I check out an event where the schedule doesn't exist until the morning of — you show up, a blank board fills with session ideas from whoever walked in the door, and a conference assembles itself before lunch.
That was BarCamp Philly. Seventeen years later, a ridiculous share of the good things in my work life trace back to rooms like that one. So this summer I'm on the other side of the board, helping organize the 2026 edition — confirming the venue works for every attendee, settling session lengths, chasing sponsors. More on that below. But the short version: if your network feels thin right now, don't optimize your LinkedIn. Find the room where strangers build the agenda together.
3 Things I'm Thinking About
One Thing I Learned This Week
A good handoff lets the next person start without a meeting. I spent part of last week writing user stories for a client's development team, and it reminded me of prep sheets from my radio producer days. A good prep sheet meant the morning host could walk in cold and sound like they'd been up for hours. A good ticket does the same thing: here's the problem, who it affects, what done looks like. If people keep booking meetings to understand your requests, the requests are the problem — write the prep sheet.
Links That Made Me Stop Scrolling
On the Podcast
The episode behind thing number one. The gym study where the most profitable members barely show up, the loyalty programs built only for VIPs, and the Microsoft Office team that rebuilt its whole interface for the silent majority nobody was listening to.
Listen to the episode →New on My Blog
The full story from the intro — how an unconference full of strangers rebuilt my professional life after we moved back to Philly, and what it takes to put on the 2026 edition. If you've ever gotten something out of a community event, this is your invitation to help make one happen.
Read the post →Bring Me Your Gnarliest Website Question
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