Thursday, June 08, 2000

The Cyber Scene in Dallas ~ by Gregg Wetterman

What’s it like?
When my friends ask me what it is like to work for a DOT COM my first thought is that it is a lot like being back in Boot Camp in the Marines. Everyday is a new experience and it is a lesson in continuous motion. You get to do and be part of things that you could not do anywhere else and you are challenged everyday. There is no start or finish time for each day or even a clock to tell you how you are doing. Everything needs to be done now, if not by yesterday. Maybe it is more like the birth of my first child. While you may fundamentally know how to do everything you still have some unknown that pops up everyday and you realize that you have little room for error. In the end I guess you have to be ready to walk down the path blindfolded with complete trust in the team around you, because unlike the big companies I have worked for in the past a DOT COM is a team effort and will only succeed if everybody is working towards the same end result. Except for my time in the USMC I have never found a group of people so devoted to each other and the mission at hand.  I would suggest that everyone should try both.

Big D is getting it done

So many great things are happening in the North Texas Internet community. The City of Dallas is really working hard to build the Deep Ellum area into a center of innovation. I had a chance to have to have lunch with Hammond Perot last week and was really impressed with what they are trying to do. Hammond is the bizdev manager for the city of Dallas and is man that has the vision and charisma to pull it off. With the wealth of money, technical resources, leaders and ideas in this town, Dallas is set to continue being a leader in the Internet world. The Deep Ellum area is a cross between the Sunset Strip and Bourbon Street. With an eclectic collection of bars, shops, coffee houses, restaurants and tech companies it seems like a great idea just as long as none of my favorite haunts get turned into someone’s cool new office.

"The Gathering"

Last night saw the largest collection of Internet professionals in North Texas Internet history gather at the Gypsy Tea and Ball Room in Deep Ellum. Over 900 Net heads showed up for my weekly GeekMeet.com happy hour. Two different groups performed at the event. Deborah Vial got things going and is an amazing singer then the Johnson Administration rocked the house.  AnyWhereYouGo.com, Hughes and Luce Law Firm, Cysive, and Scient sponsored the event. The Dallas Fort Worth Interactive Marketing Association (DFWIMA) and the Dallas Internet Society were organizational sponsors. DFWIMA used the event to celebrate their second anniversary. Sheryl Gatto the VP of Marketing at iChoose.com and the founder of DFWIMA brought two huge cakes for the celebration. Courtney needs to come down and join the party sometime soon. Brian McKinney (VP of Business Strategy / Interactivist at Rare Medium) was our emcee for the evening.

“Having the time of my life”