Burning Man is Google
(This was an email to a friend/client/service provider/colleague. I’m not treating it as an open letter; therefore the name will be redacted, but I thought I’d share it here. At the same time I want to invite others who are willing to learn and teach and network at the same time. Keep reading on. )
Howzit [Name Redacted)
I’m not one for endless meetings, but I do value the investment of one’s time in exhaustively workshopping an idea. Even workshopping for new ideas. The people at Google were the 1st to bring this to the forefront. Google HQ is famous for having cafés, Ping-Pong halls, dog walking maize’s and even nap pods. What is seldom mentioned is that at every pool table, or Pilates class, there’s an electronic whiteboard at arm’s reach. This is to take notes and chart ideas as they are spontaneously conceived. Also at Google you are granted 20% of your paid time back for development of a pet project. There is a word for these phenomena:
The Propinquity Effect.
Did you know that Larry Page and Sergey Brin were burners? When the final contracts for Google Company were being singed Page and Brin was on their way to Burning-Man, leaving the boring formalities to their lawyers. The 1st Ever Google Doodle had the Burning-man on it.
Most people have some grasp on what Google is, but do we understand Burning Man? The perception is that it’s a bunch of stoned half naked hippies raving in the desert…maybe it’s a little, but at its core, The Burn is a propinquity event on speed, both literally and figuratively.
Before you think that I’m advocating for narcotic use or naturalism, I’m not. I’m not fond of rave music either. What I do see worth exploring in different ways is the propinquity effect through (paid or unpaid) internship or leanership opportunities. A practical example for our trade would be to have a drone pilot shadow a cameraman in order to understand camerawork better. One can endlessly crisscross between skills and disciplines even crossing industry borders.
Your thoughts?