Crowdsortium Boston Meetup is a Success!
Posted on Wed, Feb 01, 2012
Last night, Article One sponsored the second annual Crowdsortium Boston Meetup, alongside headliners uTest and Crowdly (formerly Appswell). The event was a huge success, drawing more than 100 participants from a variety of backgrounds. The panel discussion and networking created an environment to learn about the many methods within crowdsourcing, directly from the source.
The growth from approximately 70 attendees last year to over 100 this year shows the ever-increasing interest in crowdsourcing. This year’s meetup included representatives from crowdsourcing firms, entrepreneurs looking to learn more, and even some community members! As a result, the discussion topics around the room ranged from how to manage a community, to how to be successful as a community member.
The Value of the Community
The panel was expertly moderated by none other than Jeff Howe, the “Father of Crowdsourcing.” The panel included Matt Johnston, CMO of uTest, Cabe Miano, VP of Product at OnForce, Chris Howard, CEO of Libboo, and Daniel Sullivan, Founder of Crowdly. This wealth of experience led to a lively discussion about the challenges and joys of working with a community. The panelists agreed that the challenging and joyful moments are often one and the same. Overall, the challenges are worth the effort to see community members building relationships, growing as individuals, and supporting each other, regardless of the competition.
Another consensus was the idea that community members are just as much customers as the paying clients. In any community, each member brings their own unique skills and perspective. The diversity and expertise culminate in a group that can evolve and become stronger and stronger in their ability to accomplish a goal. At the same time, each individual gains knowledge, experience, reputation, relationships, and often money.
Individual and Community Reputation
The panelists suggested that reputation is a key factor in the success of a community. For individuals, building a reputation can be just as valuable as money. Within the community, this means climbing to the top of the pile. By learning from others and growing through trial and error, any researcher has the potential to get to the top. That experience and reputation inside the community often carries over to have a positive impact on your success beyond the community, within your personal and professional networks.
As the individuals within the community grow, they impact the strength of the overall group. This improves the community as a whole, and reflects back on the individuals involved. This cycle shows both the pride of the individuals and the power of a group. Community members are therefore in control of their own success. The most successful members win as individuals and help the rest of the group succeed in the end.
The Crowdsortium Meetup is one of many events around the world showcasing the various examples of crowdsourcing. From collaboration to competition, design to technology, and research to creativity, there are thousands of ways to bring the world together around a single task. Through these events, we continue to educate the industry about the similarities and differences in the various communities. Keep an eye out for future events in your area and opportunities to connect with community members and crowdsourcing supporters like you.