DFW Nouveau. 2013 to Present.

You’ve more than likely been a part of an event I’ve led (Dallas Startup Week, Dallas New Tech, BigDOCC (the 8 other spinoffs technically count as there were zero when I started the first two), Ignite DFW, Player’s Lunch, the “tunnel tour,” or you’ve at least heard my name attached to DFW and startups. It’s appeared in Dallas News, D-Magazine, Dallas Business Journal, Launch DFW (of course) and many others outside of the region. I’ve mentored and judged at The DEC, Startup Weekend, Lean Startup Machine, and dozens of other events.

None of this happens in a vacuum. When I first arrived in 2013, remarkable people welcomed me. Gabriella Draney Zielke started it all, Trey Bowles, Jennifer Conley, Joel Fontenot, George Barber, Matt Himelfarb, Matt Alexander, Pam Gerber, Daniel Oney, and many, many more helped the new guy from Boulder understand what was here, and who was doing what. That’s community. Every one of them: “How can I help?”

And that’s the “startup” side of my life. I’ve also been entrenched in the homelessness conversation: a dozen 40+ people meetings at Dallas City Hall that produced the Commission on Homelessness, and of course Dignity Field. I was the President of the Cedars Neighborhood Association (2015-2017), and routinely meet with people about my ideas in solving poverty issues. That too has landed my name in the press.

But that’s 2013 to present. To understand why I’m leaving you have to understand the full story. Some of you have heard this, hang in there, I’ll make it quick.

Early Dallas: 1994 to 2006

My good friend Bracken and I built several internet things in Dallas in the 1990’s: Apartments On-Demand (1994), Coupons On-Demand (1995), Classifieds On-Demand (1996), and finally sold one in MeetMeOnline.com (1997-1999). We did this with no support, no formal education (business, technical, etc.). In fact, we didn’t know a soul building anything like this in the 90’s. It was just us, building. I also ran Intelligent Networks, and zerologic corporation – both Apple related technology consulting companies (1993-2001). There are at least a dozen other experiments that never succeeded/got traction.

Boulder, CO. 2006 to 2013

While building HyperSites (in Dallas, 2001-2007), we decided to move the operation to Boulder, CO. We’d end up selling it in Boulder in 2007 (coincidentally, to Dallas based investors). That’s an important point, but the Boulder story doesn’t end there. Later came Callisto.fm (2010 to present), which evolved into Epic Playground (and MediaGauge). I also dabbled with GrillM (2009), Michael’s Garage (videos produced in my garage on how to build PCs from scratch), four podcasts (Boulder Open Podcast, Three Insight, Blipcasts, and OS Perspectives) and produced This Week in Techstars w/ David Cohen. I took over BOCC (2010) and started DOCC (open coffee clubs).

But Boulder was different. The power and confidence of being a part of that community was something that I hope everyone feels at some point. Sure it had its pain points (right Andrew?), but over all the experience was like getting a PHD in “startups.”

In fact, Andrew Hyde is one of the most influential people in my life. He gave of his time and energy constantly to help foster the very things I remember as great. He started Startup Weekend. By that, I don’t mean Startup Weekend Boulder. I mean Startup Weekend, period. He launched Boulder Startup Week, which I’d later implement in Dallas, and hundreds of others would all over the world. He also ran the largest Ignite event ever, in Boulder. But I digress.

Techstars would have a tremendous impact as well. Not just because two of the founders had committed a little money to the HyperSites round if we could get a lead (didn’t work out), but because that accelerator would bring in 10 new teams to Boulder every year, feeding the ecosystem with new blood. Eventually, it would have a more direct impact as my team and I went through Techstars Cloud in 2012.

Exodus 1.0

Over the course of the seven years in Boulder, several of its high profile members would leave – Andrew Hyde, Matt Galligan, Micah Baldwin, Rachel Ryle… and many more. Many of the teams that came in for Techstars would leave too, going back to their home towns, or on to other adventures.

How does the community respond with changes like this? There’s the natural “OMG, everyone’s leaving! What are we going to do!?” reaction. There’s the “I guess they weren’t committed to the community, man!” response. And the “Who needs them anyway, this place rocks!” response.

Something remarkable happens in a strong community though, as we’d come to find out. Other people step in, and step up. People that have played a role increase their visibility, and become the next change agents. New events, new relationships, and new opportunities for serendipity. Growth happens.

Today.

Instead of casting any doubt on the state of the DFW startup community, I’d encourage you instead figure out how to step up and take an active role in building the next version. Don’t just go to events, participate. Don’t just talk about a startup idea, build it. Don’t complain about things, take actionable steps to fix them (see The Five Why’s). Every strength and weakness in this community starts with you, dear reader. Be a part of something. Make it better by participating. Reporters/journalists, focus on the great things, and not the obvious drama… we need more from you. Use your power for good.

Back to us, and the fact that we’re leaving Dallas. The “why” is actually quite simple. Frankly, it has nothing at all to do with the Dallas Startup Community, and has everything to do with the fact that Heather and I want to do something epic. We want to travel the country in an RV for a few months, to experiment with a truly mobile lifestyle. We want to build a mini (550 sq. ft.) home by hand, and we want to be near Disney World when we do it. Remember, Heather is a Disney travel planner. But the bottom line is that we want to get the most out of life – today.

Heather and I wish you the best, and we’d be thrilled to have you along for the adventure. If you’ve ever dreamed of selling everything and hitting the road… follow us as we do exactly that: EpicMini.life. It might just inspire you to do the same.

This is so weird. It’s abnormal. Maybe even impossible? No, but this lifestyle is in perpetual conflict with my desire to live high above, but directly connected by roots to the 24/7 vibe of the urban core. Walk, bike, use transit for the long haul trips. Everything is now, delivered to my doorstep, or streaming directly to my retina – by way of a fully immersive VR headset. That is equally attainable, in fact. But I digress.

What follows is a hypothetical recipe for achieving an off-the-grid life. To be clear, we have not done this, I’m interested in all of the feedback, however. Because, one day, we will.

1. Land
2. hOMe
3. Solar Power
4. Water
5. Food
6. Cooking

Land

I’m amazed by the surplus of remarkably inexpensive land across the country. These properties range from $10k to $50k, are between 2.5 and 4 acres, and contain the word “mobile” in the text, meaning they’ll likely allow a tiny home.

This spot is golden. It’s 3.8 acres of densely forested land near a lake, and a 15 minute drive from “town,” and it’s a remarkable $17,900. Yes, 3.8 acres for $18k.

The hOMe

The new hotness is the THoW (Tiny House on Wheels) – homes built on trailers with two or more axels – intended to be towed by a vehicle. They’re closer to RVs than a traditional mobile home (or double-wide). There are many differences, the details of which are far beyond the scope of this post.

And “tiny” itself doesn’t imply wheels – “tiny” can be the smallest permanent fabrication with just enough room to kneel and sleep. There are some simply remarkable builds in this style.

There are two primary ways to acquire a tiny home. First is to buy one outright. This can be a preplanned home, or used, and there are many options with each. If you’re going to order one, for the sake of this post, it’ll need to be designed for “off-the-grid” use.

The hOMe model by Tiny House Build is a fantastic floor plan. You can buy on the fly, or buy plans and build it yourself. The model in the video took the owners 4 months to build from scratch. Details: $33,089.72 221sq ft, plus two lofts 128sq ft. The full specs and plans are available here. This is an example of a modification to the hOMe, shown on FYI.

Solar Power

Off the grid means no city/county provided services. Power is the number one concern for many people looking at this lifestyle. There are many ways to reduce power consumption, and keep in mind that stoves in most tiny houses are propane. Add a wood burning stove and you can reduce power needs even more. Sure, $12,105.00 is a little on the high end – others have done it for less.

We won’t have a microwave or any appliances that will use as much energy, so I anticipate that our power requirements will be lower than the above systems can generate.

Water

Cistern tanks are the way to store water. The source of the water could be simple rainwater, a well fed system, or even delivered. Jesse & Alyssa, a couple in the northwest went through several iterations of storing water. Spend some time reading their posts. If someone else has done it, leverage their experience. Their blog is Pure Living for Life. Jesse said that you can expect to spend about $1 per usable gallon. I’d estimate about $1,500 for us.

If you’re capturing rain water or using creek water, you’ll need to filter it before using it for cooking or consumption. I’ve seen the Berkey Countertop Water Filter ($288.50) system in many tiny home builds. There are lots of things to consider with regards to water… but this is one of the tops if you’re not using city water.

Food

We’d have plenty of space, with rich soil to plant trees, veggies, and whatever else will grow. We’d want a greenhouse for year around needs, but the land would be used when available. I’d like a few free roaming chickens for all of the obvious reasons. We have one pescatarian, and no vegans in the family.

While I can’t think of anything else we’d require, bartering with neighbors is an option, and being close to a grocery store will make up the difference.

Cooking

Propane is pervasive in the tiny world. From full size to RV to single burners, the choices are nearly endless. If you have grid access, the sky is actually the limit – microwaves and toaster ovens included. Off grid choices are interesting too. Wood burning stoves provide some cooking capabilities, but think really far outside the box – to solar ovens and fire pit cooking.

—

Good Sunday to all.

First, I’d like to thank each and every one of you for the hard work and diligence you bring to your positions. It takes a special individual to serve the public, and for that my sincerest thank you.

On to the matter at hand: Dallas’ homeless continuum of care. Please take a moment to read the CC list on this email. Most letters and emails I’ve seen go directly to city leadership. I felt it important to include those involved in this issue as well. After all, any solutions must account for everyone involved. In fact, if someone isn’t on that list that should be, please forward it to them.

Three years ago, the homeless situation in Dallas was a passive experience. I encountered it when I made the commute in from Flower Mound to work in the burgeoning startup community in downtown Dallas. Like most suburbanites, it was also something that disappeared on the commute home. It was easy to retreat to the confines of the idealistic comfort of suburban seclusion. Many on our council, and in the continuum of care understand this phenomenon intimately.

Heather, Z, and I decided to make a major life change, exchanging the two hour per day commute for convenience, neighborhood, and community. We committed to becoming urbanites, and all that entails. We haven’t driven since July, and use public transportation for nearly every trip. This includes the #2 bus, the #35, #26, and both blue and red DART lines. It includes a four lane road, passing just 30’ from our front door, and master bedroom window. This is city living, and we’re all in. All in.

In fact, just months after moving to The Cedars, the neighborhood had enough confidence in me, and the urban vision we share, to elect me to the role of President of the Cedars Neighborhood Association. This is an honor, and it continues to be in my second term.

In this new role, and in the new surroundings, I had to make a quick study of the history of the neighborhood in detail, its physical location – sitting just south of the city, and all of the nuance and meaning therein. Yes, we have growing pains, and see the things a neighborhood should hope to contend with in time – attention, construction, zoning change requests, developer/resident conflict, and of course interacting with the city directly to make sure our neighbor’s voices are heard. And clearly.

But one issue stands apart, unique to The Cedars and other adjacent southern neighborhoods. We have a significantly higher concentration of services for the Homeless than any other area in the city of Dallas. Do not mistake this fact as a complaint. It’s important for everyone to understand the difference.

I studied, I attended meetings, I got to know dozens in the homeless continuum of care – some more than others. Churches, shelters, the City, and individuals that had taken it upon themselves to help. In fact, some of the most enlightening conversations were the homeless people themselves, and what’s missing and could be improved.

One thing is clear to me after just over two years of going deep and fast on this issue. The passion each person feels for their role is palpable, and every single person feels they’re doing absolutely the right thing, as well as they can given the circumstances (especially the funding) surrounding their mission.

The fact of the matter, understand that I have no direct association with any of the organizations involved, is that this system is confused, fractured, and in no way cooperates to achieve measurable and attainable coordinated goals. There are conversations, meetings, and rest assured, plenty of talk, and press. But each organization in private acts as if it’s every person for themselves, with more funding as ultimate goal. Of course it’s to do better work.

I find it perplexing that more funding is the goal, to do more of the same. I believe the goal of our continuum of care should be to help every human being achieve as much independence from the system as possible, not to continue, and certainly not to increase dependence.

How do we do this most efficiently? I think it’s by recognizing that the current approach isn’t as effective as it needs to be. This isn’t directed at any specific interest, but it’s a broader recognition that we can, and must, do better. Together, as a city.

A Commission on Homelessness was conceived and executed, with a report and recommendation that was – if I may be frank, embarrassing as a resident of the City of Dallas. It showed no innovation, it showed nothing that spurs excitement, and it certainly isn’t going to motivate our citizens to join in and bring even better solutions to the table. It reeks of cronyism.

It shows the same thing that’s been presented over the years… more funding for the same, ineffective, immeasurable, and unaccountable “system.” More money for housing, more maintenance. Alternate proposals were cast aside, or never seriously considered. Those on the commission had no interest in disrupting the current system.

Let’s consider something new… let’s create a new city position – responsible for managing expectations, press, coordinating the city’s investments in the continuum of care, and holding those investments accountable for achieving their stated goals. This position isn’t in addition to another role, or a secondary or tertiary responsibility. It’s 100% dedicated to accountability in the continuum of care. No goals met, no more funding. One person, one goal.

In addition, and of course, I fully support the formation of a Citizen’s Commission on Homelessness. This commission should have 100% transparency, and should be accountable only to the city. No person on the commission should benefit directly from decisions made by the commission (no board members or operators from the existing system of care), no conflicts. Should such a situation arise, those individuals should behave accordingly and recuse themselves from voting/participation. Every other commission works this way.

I was thrilled to see Mr. Medrano’s comment on this particular thread as it shows leadership and a willingness to try something new. To each of you involved in this project in Dallas, thank you. I’ll note, for the record, that this solution has nothing to do with Housing First, yet it has the potential to motivate and instill confidence in city leadership, and it will help its participants regain dignity.

This isn’t the end, however. Our citizens are growing impatient, and are looking to all of you for leadership. Please form the Citizen’s Commission on Homelessness as proof that you’re in this for the citizens and for the future of our city. Not the status quo.

Be the leaders we need. We’re counting on you.

Thank you.

Michael Sitarzewski.
City of Dallas Resident.

CC: Michael Rawlings, Philip Kingston, Adam Medrano, Scott Griggs, Tiffinni Young, Mark Clayton, Rick Callahan, Monica Alonzo, Erik Wilson, Casey Thomas, Carolyn King Arnold, Adam McGough, Lee Kleinman, Sandy Greyson, Jennifer Gates, Scott Goldstein, Vana Hammond, Sam Merten, Jay Dunn, Cindy Crain, Daniel Roby, Wayne Walker, Larry James, Dianne Gibson, Britton Banowsky, Jim Garner, Ron Stretcher Dominique Collins, Bernadette Mitchell