Podcamp Boulder Two
One year ago (nearly to the day PCB2 was held) I attended the first Podcamp Boulder. Jeremy Tanner was the organizer, and a team of volunteers and sponsors made it a fantastic, welcoming, and entertaining event. I'd never been to a Podcamp, but I had been to other “unconferences” (Barcamp, etc.).
Last year I reserved 30 minutes on the schedule to solicit feedback on an idea for a startup (then called YourTuner). The idea was simple… stream podcasts in channels rather than a show at a time. About 15 people were in the room, and I received nothing great feedback. This is important for several reasons (not the least of which is that it's good for the ego). More importantly though, the idea was solid and well received. The people took time to give quality, constructive feedback!
It was so well received in fact, that Richard Jones chimed in after the session and said he wanted to build it. Here we are, a year later, on the verge of launching Callisto.fm, version two. A lot has changed with the concept, but the fundamentals are the same. Callsito has turned in to a fantastic product.
While all of this sounds a little self serving (Ok, there's a hint of that), the truth of the matter is that Podcamp is about the people. It's about the energy and ideas. It's about a lot more than just Podcasting. Sure, many of the attendees are the same people you see at other events… but I think that says more about how involved the community is in Boulder. We love to help.
I hosted four sessions this year, and all were well attended. The exchange of ideas and the atmosphere were amazing. All I can say is that next January, do everything in your power to attend. Even if you go just to meet people, you won't find a better group to meet.
Thanks again to Jeremy, and all of the wonderful sponsors. You did a fantastic job, and I can't recommend the event enough.
