BUILD 26/30: Experimental Collaboration

⊕ show captionAbout the Title Picture: Yep, screwing around with stuff to figure it out is a perfectly fine way to start a public social experiment!

Happy Monday! Today I started a new experiment on the DS|CAFE Discord Server called Freelance, Inc to create a microcosm of a workplace centered around freelancing activities.

This is an experiment in the grand tradition of trying out a bunch of stuff and seeing what happens, adjusting as we go. To keep it focused, only actively freelancing members who have joined are allowed to post, thought anyone can see what's going on.

To help get started, I wrote up some guidelines based on the formative discussion in our main chat room.

The Starting Format

First, I set some basic assumptions about why we're doing this, and cited some ideals for the kind of culture I thought would be encouraging.

• There is no hierarchy of freelancing! Everyone is doing their own thing and we're all awesome for doing that! It doesn't matter if you've been freelancing for a zillion years or are just getting started. We're all here to support and share for mutual success.
• We can pick a role or department (of one) that we're representing professionally; you can pick several of them as freelancers wear multiple hats.
• The vibe is that of a workplace where we are all on friendly terms and wish success for everyone. The ideal is that it is the kind of place where one can share without fear of judgment or being talked-down to.
• We can talk about any issue related to freelancing and related business stuff! If you are looking for a sounding board from fellow freelancers, or workshopping some work, that's totally cool.
• We are starting with this single room, but can expand as needed. If the experiment looks like it was helpful and has some minimum level of engagement, we can keep it going for as long as people want.

Starting Process

Next, I set some suggested activities for minimal participation as well as general rules to help keep the vibe helpful and egalitarian.

• We have a daily check-in and check-out.
• To promote the feeling of accountability to producing work and sharing acknowledgement of progress, we can post what we're working on and report what we finished. In return, participants can provide a thoughtful acknowledgement in the form of cheering progress on.
• We do not give unsolicited feedback on work shared, unless the posting person asks explicitly for it and provides a hint about what kind of feedback they like.

Creating Safety

Lastly, I wanted to ensure that participants knew that it was ok to try stuff out because it's an experiment! There's no judgement! We're just seeing what will happen and hoping it's good!

The creation of this freelance channel is one of the first purposeful attempts to build a tiny part of "The Colony", which I first referenced in my 2023 Groundhog Day Resolutions post: to have the kind of community I wanted, I had to have a place that was capable of supporting its needs. Infrastructure! Culture! Prosperity!

Here's how I originally outlined the elements of The Colony:

⊕ show captionFigure 1. The Colony is modeled after a developing market economy with a charter to create a lasting outpost where all can prosper. It's more based on fantasy than rigorous economic theory.

In the new Freelance, Inc channel, we'll have a chance to test the bones of this idea in the so-called "Public Square" that is ringed by our various freelance businesses.

⊕ show captionFigure 2. The public square is where specialty service offerings and discussion occur in the larger context of the greater colony.

The experiment is slated to run for just one week, after which we'll evaluate and see whether we can keep it going for longer. I'm hoping it will provide valuable data to see what works and what doesn't.

If you'd like to check it out, join the Discord and say that you're here to help with our Freelancer, Inc experiment! You can find the server link by visiting the Virtual Studio and Coworking Space page!

BUILD CHALLENGE COMMENTARY

A couple of good progress things today:

1. The first load of 250 Mini ETP Notebooks was successfully (?) shipped to Amazon Marketplace, so that's the first revenue generating activity other than freelancing for this year. This is the first tiny step of an expensive bet that I can create a livable income from such activities.
2. I've gotten enough feedback on my business card design from last week to feel like I can go ahead and have them produced. Tomorrow I'm dropping off a check for the run of notebooks, and I'll see if I can have the cards produced locally.

I have family visiting for an extended holiday, which I was not quite ready for. This time of year is challenging for balancing family and entrepreneurial endeavor! As this week is Thanksgiving, it's probably going to be tough to maintain good progress. I also have TWO appointments the following week that require two hours of driving back and forth.