SXSW Diary — Day One- I think I get it.

I left the freezing cold of the Northeast excpecting the warm respite of Texas heat only to touch down in a gray and rainy Austin. My flight here was full of people heading to SXSW including a guy who was sitting on the plane with a very large proffesional film camera that was not in a case of any kind and did not appear to be in use for actually filming anything. I wonder if it’s just a ridiculus affectation or he just outright purchased a Canon Eos as an accesory. The atmospehere on the plane was similar to the first day of college. Strangers kept handing each other invites to parties and no less than six bearded gentleman in flannel advised each other “just don’t plan on sleeping.”

Someone commented on my article yesterday that I seem like a pussy who can’t proofread. This hurt but also seems somewhat accurate, I mean I did complain about people drinking too much and wanting to wear a tie.

My two takeaways from Day 1 are:

• SXSW is much more subdued than I imagined
• I think I understand the point of SXSW

All my pre research made me feel like SXSW would be a giant mass of people taking over downtown Austin and every corner would contain new wonders. Frankly the streets seemed about as crowded as a mid size flea market and the parties seems sparse and kind of dead. The only mildly intereting street scene I saw was this group of half naked peopled running around chanting but even that seemed boring because it was clearly some form of corporate marketing dressed up as a bacchanal.

I did attend a party in an empty lot sponsored by the city of Hamburg. They had free St. Pauli Girl and predictably, hamburgers. It was reasonably fun and I talked to a woman who worked for a company called Horse Analytics which I assumed was just a name but is actually a firm that runs analytics on horses. I have to imagine the networking opportunitites are light for them unless they find a stable who has just been kicking it old school and was recently taken over by a hotshot GM who wangted to embrace innovative sports science.

Later I attended an event with a bunch of millenials working on start ups, a major city Mayor and a notable former NFL player. The food was not good but the scotch selection was fine and the conversation was incredible. I think like most people who are just too old to be a millenial I spend a lot of time joking about how annoying and unrealistic they are. But my biggest takeaway from today was pride. I was taught to pay my dues and stay quiet and do my work and slowly move up. But tonight I watched 25 year olds (not even wearing ties!) walk up to VC guys and politicans and celebrtities and just start asking them for things, and the for the most part they all walked away with something useful. I would have been aghast at this when I was 24 but frankly, I was wrong and they were right, I should have been more bold too.

Even more so they all see seemed so genuinely interested in helping eaching other and collaborating. My early business days were filled with lessons about looking out for yourself and trusting no one and being told to read The Art of War. These kids seem to bypass all that and want to see each other succeed. Like a bunch of crabs realizing they can get out of the pot if they just stop and build a ladder together.

Some final thoughts:

• I should not have paid for lunch, free food is literally everywhere.
• The RSVP lists don't matter, you can just walk in anywhere.
• Apparantly Jake Tapper gave a fantastic adress today
• Joe Biden is coming tomorrow and The Pod Save America crew is coming Tuesday.
• I still have not met Chris Ryan. Are you out there Reducer?