A Strategy in the Raw

Posted By: Nick Hodge | Mar 29th, 2007 @ 9:08 PM

For the first time in four years, I get up in the morning with a spring in my step. Finding what you are passionate about: getting a job that matches this passion; then having the scope to experiment doesn't pop up daily. I am, at heart, a storyteller.

Unless you create your own company, start it from nothing, build the 'widget' and keep driving - ultimate freedom is rare. Even the Scoble is finding startups have process.

Working in Microsoft Australia, not Redmond, I don't have access to all the internal stuff that Larry, Tina and Laura get to see. No breaking news stories from me.

What I do get to see are the real people in Australia, doing strange and amazing things in their lives with technology. And I just love hearing and retelling their stories. At heart, we all love stories. Movies, jokes, anecdotes, gossip: they all tell stories. Inside the story is wrapped a kernal of learning or insight. That "gotcha" moment.

Therefore, the content I can contribute are the stories of geeks, power-users, the hard workers behind the scenes and the thought-leaders in Australia. The mantra of "The Geek Stories"; tell the story.

We are in the middle of a lifestyle revolution accelerated by packets of digital bits. The stories that need to be told are where people are using technology to capture memories, and/or connect to others. Telling stories.

Being at Microsoft, obviously I am going be looking for stories that have some connection to our technology. Sometimes these connections will be tenuous. Other times, they will be overt. Ultimately someone has to pay the bills, and noone is free from the context of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

I think these technology areas include: social networking writ large(blogging, 'casting, IM'ing, wiki'ing, uses in learning), video/ photography/ audio, fun stuff (games, immersive online environments) and gadgetry. Each of these areas either capture or connect.

There is an intersection of various Microsoft-branded things that enhance these technology areas. I suppose a part of my job is to help connect the stories with the technologies.

All the MBA waffle aside, I am more than happy to be directed by you, the audience.

Emails are more than welcome, but consider this as strategy in the raw.

edit: and/or connect
add: I am, at heart, a storyteller