Surrounded by Entrepreneurs in "Boot.hk" Hong Kong

Been in Hong Kong a couple days ago, closing final details and arrangements for photograph.com project launch. Just feeling happier then ever these days…..focusing on what I do, finding others skilled and interested in the parts of business and life that I don’t like to do, and trying my best to align and center myself around like-minded people…..

Thanks to Twitter, and social media I’ve become more connected then ever…and its connected me with book.hk coworking space right in Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. Larry Salibra, who I met on twitter earlier this year via twitter, told me about coworking startup idea Book.hk in the summer. I went to some initial meetings to form it, was interested to sign up, but knew at that point I wouldn’t be in Hong Kong enough maybe to justify….but maybe even if its only for a few days a month I may want to be part of it.

Just so much networking…..and collaboration with like minded people. INFORMATION OVERFLOW at a point….but then again, if you are all sharing information that you know, not everyone needs to re-research what another has already done.
If you were to spend enough time there, you would naturally know who is covering which topic in an industry, and go to them for answers and information when questions came up, and vice versa.

I can only imagine more and more of these coworking type environments to come up all across the globe…as “offices” become a less and less important “thing”, with more and more people able to work from home…..but don’t want to sit at home all alone (heck, I go basically crazy working at home by myself all day…even if I am on the phone and email and chat most of the time….), and yet working in an office makes most entrepreneurs cringe….coworking (aka HACKER SPACE) is where the action is, and your perfect solution.

Take for example today, I went to an Asian merchant bank this morning to discuss payment solutions for photograph.com as well as web design, and then afterwards took the MTR subway to Wan Chai, up a few blocks to the boot.hk workspace. Quickly met a bunch of really cool people, all working on interesting projects.

Because they may not yet want to / are ready yet to go public about their projects, I may speak without too much detail…..

Met a guy working on a groupon for travel, looking for a ruby on rails programmer to help him. I messaged some friends on twitter and helped connect him up. Also mentioned about the avidtrips startup I saw at the NYC entrepreneur startup pitch a couple months ago – maybe connect them when he’s got more created.

Talking to @_williamli about a ton of projects, the idea of “bu.mp”ing phones to share contact details (instead of trading business cards at networking events, you can bump your phone with a new business contact and share contact details electronically. Another person talked about a friends namecard just having a website where their contact details were. After all this exciting talk just registered a domain and will make a subdomain – ho.wtofind.me (how to find me) which will keep realtime updates of my contact information, and can put this on my namecard instaed of all that social media details.

Met some android developers, talking a bout how to better promote their apps, using internet marketing. I mentioned my attending the MXM mobile cross media event in New York City and gave him some ideas……really cool concept and he’s looking for investors.

Talked about kickstarter.com which helps inventors pre-sell their ideas to the market of early adapters who want to quickly get access to new products and gadgets.

Discussing domain parking, wanchai.com development (since we’re in wan chai neighborhood), visits to factories in Shenzhen. SEO consulting project in Futian district. Just mindblowing sharing of information.
Just overwhelming things….and I’m there with my android phone buzzing every five minutes with tweets. Google talk popups on my laptop….streaming news…..jsut information overflow.
But I really feel like a kid in a cand store.

I love what I am doing, love meeting more people, sharing information….and growing….its just out of control……but positive overall and just gonna keep going.

Comments

JIM - 12/24/2010 great you have phone
apps are speeding down highway
us wan ts to control them
say happy

Michael Michelini - 12/24/2010 thanks dad…..not sure what you mean, but thanks!

nigel - 12/24/2010 Hello, Mike. Happy christmas!

Michael Michelini - 12/25/2010 THanks Nigel, Merry Christmas and a happy new year

Steve T. - 12/25/2010 Hey Mike, Merry Christmas!

Michael Michelini - 12/25/2010 Thanks Steve, merry christmas to you too

Yang - 04/20/2011 We have a short time to live,i remember you said it,so i think you did/doing a good job!

Michael Michelini - 04/20/2011 yea….life is a journey…..i would rather die fighting then die laying comfortably in bed

yang - 04/21/2011 Absolutely right!!!!