Just got off a zoom call with a committee on entrepreneurship that I had been newly invited, and towards the end of the call, someone was suggesting the participants go to Mardi Gras this year together for bonding.
That was followed by folks sharing their own stories how fun trips and IRL hang-outs in the past led to some of the most amazing things they’re now doing. Someone started a new college course while being on a boat trip with his friend, just chilling and bouncing off ideas; Someone took her business school students to Israel (a “startup nation”) where she saw “entrepreneurship teaching itself to students” — being there is often the best way to learn.
These stories reminded me of my fond memories hosting various events back in the day. One such event was Geeks on a Plane (started by Dave McClure), where folks in Silicon Valley flew to different cities, sharing their experience and knowledge while learning about the local startup ecosystem and forming new friendships with local entrepreneurs over great meals and drinks. It was so much fun and formed some lifelong friendships.
WFH and Zoom are here to stay, and IRL doesn’t scale. However, in-person simply cannot be replaced. Spending quality time together with like minded people in person, or better yet, traveling someplace together as a group, often leads to remarkable epiphanies and most memorable conversations, that 30- or 45-minutes Zoom calls simply cannot deliver.