The other day my mother told me I am practically a full time event planner.
This scared me.
You see that week I was responsible for co-organizing two events that spanned 3 days and would attract hundreds of people. I never considered myself an event planner, but I guess I have definitely been thrust into that role. However I don’t make any money doing it. That’s not why I do this though. Yet money isn’t really what this blog post was meant to be about.
A zero sum game is one that is defined in economic theory as one whereby the winner’s gains are balanced out by the loser’s losses.
I think the idea I want to bring to the table is that community building should not be considered a zero sum game for the organizers and organizations. If my group is successful, that does not mean your group will be inherently unsuccessful now as a result. If my group is able to raise funds and get sponsorship dollars, that doesn’t mean yours can’t, and definitely does not mean we are taking money out of your coffers in doing so. The more success any community driven organization receives the more the community as a whole benefits from it.
A rising tide floats all boats. That saying is entirely relevant in the community building goal. More small and individual successes in any community lead to larger awareness of the community as a whole.
The momentum we are currently experiencing in Miami’s tech community is exciting, and should be seen like a train barrelling forward. This train should be seen as a means to transport us all, not one you should fear being pushed in front of.
