Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Privateer vs. Pirate - resolving one's sensibilities

In short, I don't sail for the "Queen's Navy" - and I sure won't ask her for permission to operate as I please.

I've worked for "the Normals", dealt with "the Squares", and said some incredible brain-dead managementese in the spirit of holding a J-O-B. I want that to be in the past; sometimes the remnant douchbaggery surfaces. My skills have grown and reputation is such that I don't need to sign on with the East India Company, or any other competitor (and I sure as hell won't need to hit the seas under the Union Jack).

Gangplank in the landlocked Old Pueblo has been an experience. It started with a walkabout and some Sonoran Dogs. It turned to chaos in a room - a perfect storm of ideas. Then, we spent a summer with our ship in dry dock: "One more week, one more week, one more week!" the shipwrights claimed. The shipwright and the taxman - old buds, I guess. Neither can be trusted. Finally, our ship was to test the waters: an official launch this past Friday.

Now we've gone from "All Aboard!" to "Abandon Ship!" in 3 short days.

But what we've learned since April is: "some get it, some don't". Gangplank is an idea and that idea is dangerous (and those that pay tribute to that are part of the Danger Party).

Gangplank is not a space - it is a community. And a community does not need a corporate sponsor nor a letter of marque to take action. We operate as needed, flying our flag as we see fit from this point forward.

Let us get a few things straight about that _idea_ in case you have not self-selected already:

It's not an opportunity to peddle your wares. It's a chance to expand your mental horizons.

It's not an arena for "vetting your strawman and acquiring cust-dev in order to accumulate feedback metrics". It's a chance to display your merit and prove yourself with actions & presence.

It's not a place for vacantly exchanging business cards. It's a chance to connect and understand perspectives.

It's not a puppet organization. It's a collection of independent, like-minded iconoclasts (or it will be, after this - and we don't take kindly to mutiny).

It's not going to stop being out of step without corporate ideals.

No quarter will be given. No parlay will be honored.

To join us, follow @DangerParty or search for the hashtags #tusdp #dangerparty

Explore. Create. Master.