Jimmy Gardner has a deep passion for all things related to social media but it was frustrating to him that no one was really talking about the East Coast and in particular, the MD/DC/VA area. Everything in the press was all Silicon Valley this, Palo Alto that. Meanwhile, on the east coast many companies were innovating with new web products and creating content but being left out of all the media swarm that is prevalent in the Valley. Jimmy started EastCoastBlogging.com to be a voice for our side of the coast and also has a startup project called MyDropBin.
We recently sat down for an interview and I was able to spend some time with him and discuss social media and the future of MyDropBin. Here is a transcript of PART 1 of our interview:
Steve: So, how would you describe EastCoastBlogging.com to most people?
Jimmy:
I tell them that East Coast Blogging is a local DC area technology blog that is focused on highlighting and showcasing the areas great startups and talented people. It is a resource to startup and entrepreneur tips and a place to get a recap or a heads up on local events in the area.
Steve: So, how long have you been working in the social media space?
Jimmy:
Lets see, I think I really started to get into the social media space full on back in December of 2007. I had started to get a feel during the fall on Twitter and Facebook and had made a few connections. My first real event I attended was the Social Times launch party and then I ramped up. I had a tweetup in Dec and met a lot of the great people like Nick O’Neill, Shashi, Scott Stead, Andrew Wright, Shana Glickfield, and a few others and that was that, I was hooked.
Steve: What is your philosophy on using social media?
Jimmy:
You know, I am not sure I have a philosophy per se. I do feel that social media is a huge movement and has really leveled the playing field bringing everyone onto the same level. To me it has been the ice breaker into the conversation. I have been so happy and impressed with how social media has led to so many offline connections and that is its strength. Of course we use Twitter and start following others in our area and our space. But those relationships can only go so far. What I love is that when I do meet these connections in real life, I already “know them”, so to speak. We simply continue our conversation on a much more intimate level. Then once you are in the dominoes start to fall and one connection leads to another and so on. I have met and been able to introduce so many great people, and in ways that it is helpful.
Steve: Do you feel that there is an east coast vs west coast view of technology and innovation?
Jimmy:
Most definitely there are two different views of technology and innovation between the coasts. I am constantly mulling this in my head and is often the topic of my blog posts. (http://eastcoastblogging.com/2008/01/28/another-east-coast-west-coast-thing/ , http://eastcoastblogging.com/2008/02/10/does-the-dc-area-stifle-innovation/ )
Obviously Silicon Valley is steep in technology tradition and a certain “air” about it that seems to breed innovation. This does not mean that innovation happens nowhere else, but the perception has been set. It has to do with the culture as well. California is a bit more free wheeling, laid back, risk taking, whereas the east coast is built more on financials and gov’t and those don’t embody the same feelings as the ones in CA.
Steve: Since you are deep in the MD/DC/VA social media scene what have you seen transpire over the last 2-3 years in terms of trends, public perception and community growth?
Jimmy:
I think over the last couple of years we have seen a couple of cycles. In the beginning the small group with people like Peter Corbett, Ross Karcher, and a few others tried to consolidate the community with some success. I think more recently though the community growth has really skyrocketed. However, this has led to a little more fracturing and thinning I think. There are many passionate people like myself out there who are working hard to make this a great area, including the Neelebaur’s, myself, Nick, Peter, Justin Thorpe, Paul Worsham, and so on. But I still think we find ourselves not much further along, especially in the eyes of outsiders. An echo chamber of sorts has been formed I think and we need to break out of it. Peter is doing a great job with his Twin tech events trying to galvanize the two cultures that have spawned here in the area.
I will say that I have had some talks with the local DC government and they are excited about the possibilities to show DC as more entrepreneur friendly and more of a small business tech hub instead of a full on big business that is here to support government. I would look for some cool stuff from them and the community coming down the pike ☺
NEXT TIME IN PART 2 – We discuss Jimmy’s exciting project that every small business owner could use. It’s called MyDropBin and you will really like it. We will also look forward to the future of the MD/DC/VA tech scene.
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