Business Burners

psynapz · Post by **psynapz** » Sat Sep 12, 2009 11:21 pm

I just got back from my first burn, and it was amazing (life-changing!). I would love to implement the )'( philosophy and culture into my default life :)

I now understand the connection the Google founders had with Eric Schmidt when they found out he was a burner .. plus their value system.

Are there any developed ($250k+ revenue) entrepreneurs / business burners here? Would love to connect and see if there's something we can work together on. I deal primarily in the ecommerce & immersive tech space.

Isotopia · Post by **Isotopia** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 1:51 am

Hon. you need to troll MUCH better than that.

psynapz · Post by **psynapz** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 2:48 am

? I'm not sure what you mean. I am serious about connecting with some left-brained people that "get it". Although many people attend burning man just to have a good time, I can see there is much that goes on behind the scenes in the setup, organization, etc. Also in the philanthropic donations and support (which is what my immersive tech endeavors lean more toward).

It is good to have values and ideals etc, but to really make lasting impact in the default world, we need to put our money where our mouths are. Working life should be (and can be) filled with fulfilling, creative work for the other 51 weeks of the year, vs returning to a mundane grind while wishing we were back at the burn.

I'm located in Los Angeles, CA, if anybody wants to meet up. Let's keep this thread positive and constructive, in the spirit of )'(.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 9:49 am

You're sort of like a Black Rock Ranger who wants to apply the non-confrontational attitude to "real" policing.

Good luck.

psynapz · Post by **psynapz** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 12:46 pm

Hey Dougly,

Yep, I guess I can see the analogy there. I'm a new burner, so am still soaking in the philosophy and culture, and maybe idealistic? However, I am experienced in business, and do think business could (and should?) actually be motivated by )'( values.

For example, people seem to be fulfilled when their work is filled with creative self-expression. As such, I have become conscious about ensuring my employees have the ability to creatively express themselves in their work (and they know they have the freedom to do so).

Am I chasing a dead end here? Do burners not believe any )'( philosophies can be applied to the default world's working system?

btw, I am not really familiar with the Black Rock Rangers (didn't encounter any) - does their "non-confrontantional attitude" thing work?

Simon of the Playa · Post by **Simon of the Playa** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 1:18 pm

i'll bite...

pm me.

Oldguy · Post by **Oldguy** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 1:34 pm

Put it in your business model and stated goals. Ten principals reworked and put in your employee new hire packages could be a start. I'm unsure how decommodification would fit into it. BMORG is a limited liability corporation and not presently a non-profit organization. There is pre-event commerce, and services are contracted out to government and private providers. We are not totally disconnected to the default world although many like to believe that we are. In this forum, we can recommend but not solicite, its a fine line...

Oh, and IPO's and net opportunities are so 1980's...What products do you make? What services do you provide? How many new hires this quarter?

SageV · Post by **SageV** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 2:34 pm

How does Burning Man not offer the best basic tool an entreprenuer needs? You get to sit in the desert with usually well-to-do, progressive, open minded people for a week and get to know them and make friends and maybe you network with them a bit back in the default world. This is kind of like a question that a virgin asked me once "how do burners network?" and I answered "Burning Man..."

That's an oversimplification, but you get the point.

Post by **mdmf007** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 5:53 pm

Yes, there are quite a few execs and 6,7,8,9 figure incomes represented at BM

Industry giants, household names, billionaires even. Eplaya is nto the place to search though.

If your legit and new - you have to understand that we get a LOT of trolls here, working their magic. Its up to me and some others to dump the obvious and go from there. So far - the eplaya is doing its own job of vetting you.

have fun.

later

psynapz · Post by **psynapz** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 9:55 pm

Oldguy: Thanks for the feedback! I think the 10 principals reworked is a good starting point. Set the culture and mindset, then actions will develop from there. I run a portfolio of ecommerce websites in two industries; fundraising for non-profit organizations, and nutraceutical health and wellness. I will avoid posting them here so I don't get labelled a 'troll' off the bat (ala Isotopia :/), but will PM you if you're interested.

Sage: Burning Man was definitely a fantastic place to network and connect with people. I guess I just loved it so much I don't want to have to wait the rest of the year to network! :) Also my first experience was so mind-blowing that I probably didn't spend as much time 'networking' as I could have - instead spent more time soaking in the art, attending workshops, and trying to understand wth was going on haha.

mdmf007: Thanks for the feedback - wasn't sure if ePlaya is the right place or not, and if it isn't, then I'll move on (although I think it would be AWESOME if there was a "business burners" section, where we could collaborate on projects?). Perhaps there's a facebook group, or other website that you could point me to? Perhaps I may just have to start a "businessburners.com" haha. So from what I gather, eplaya is just more for general chit-chat, and not development/networking etc? Or perhaps I should have posted this thread in the philosophy section? (ultimately, I am seeking to understand how the burning man philosophy can be applied to the default world, from an exec pov)

CapSmashy · Post by **CapSmashy** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 9:02 am

There could be a potential for eplaya to work (within a subforum of course) for these kinds of ideas but unfortunately, I do not think there are enough interested people on this site to make it happen and the snark factor/hostility from the deeply entrenched towards anyone new coming in with an idea or two usually drives them away in a few posts and would eliminate much, if not all, potential future discussions for it.

Not too mention how many interesting threads here that get taken over by randomness as if some of the entrenched posters (or their socks) fear any kind of organized discussion beyond talks of bitching about the theme or fighting over the best way to use rebar for tent stakes.

CapSmashy · Post by **CapSmashy** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 9:06 am

I'm a business owner myself here in Texas and do what I can to put elements of what I have learned in the desert into effect on the jobsites. The nature of my business does not always allow for an application of the 10 in terms of the work we do, but it is still applicable to how I handle the relationship with my employees.

Mister Jellyfish Mister · Post by **Mister Jellyfish Mister** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 9:35 am

This year was my sixth art project in a row in which I've had a public website (www.MutantVehicle.com) for those who choose to follow along. This year, at the behest of one of the crew members (Lucifer), I set up a private Google Group for crew members only. This was useful for collaboration of both long and short distance crew members. I am finding that it is within these close-quarters environments when we roll up our sleeves together that true friendships and networking blossoms in a way that sometimes spills out to default world endeavors.

I'm president of a local networking chapter that meets for breakfast once a week for that very purpose, and have done my best to infuse BM principals-- especially radical inclusion.

If you really want your business to thrive, Burner style, may I suggest you volunteer with a local Burning Man art crew and pursue friendships for their own sake, build art for art's sake, and see if business comes to you as an ancillary by-product of your endeavors. Having done the first two, you may find the third less important than you originally believed.

Lastly, do you know a good Flash programmer that would like to work on a BM project remotely?

Be well and do strange things.

spectabillis · Post by **spectabillis** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 11:13 am

Mister Jellyfish Mister wrote:If you really want your business to thrive, Burner style, may I suggest you volunteer with a local Burning Man art crew and pursue friendships for their own sake, build art for art's sake, and see if business comes to you as an ancillary by-product of your endeavors. Having done the first two, you may find the third less important than you originally believed.

[crush] and yet another reason for awsome [/crush]

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 7:08 pm

There was a tribe called something like "Burner Chamber of Commerce." It wasn't very active, and I dropped out, but maybe it's still there and worth putting some effort into it. I'm probably one of those snarky old-timers who will derail any conversation I don't approve of, but possibly having a place where you wont offend any of the "no commerce" stipulations/principles.

Of course, maybe that's what the awesome Mr. Jellyfish meant by that post that read like a non-sequitor to me.

Apollonaris Zeus · Post by **Apollonaris Zeus** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 8:39 pm

The changes that can be applied to the default world doesn't need to come from the wealthy. It can simple come from the person above you. Just this weekend I finally saw "The Devil Wears Prada" another great movie from Meryl Streep. Here is the perfect example of defaultia and what better industry then the fashion world. Though, Streep's character is an extreme vindictive person, the change of those that are superiors of others can change the world just by being a little sympathetic to those under you.

Supporting health care reform is that change that our country can do to enact the BM gifting.

AIIZ

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 12:32 am

psynapz wrote:Hey Dougly,

Yep, I guess I can see the analogy there. I'm a new burner, so am still soaking in the philosophy and culture, and maybe idealistic? However, I am experienced in business, and do think business could (and should?) actually be motivated by )'( values.

For example, people seem to be fulfilled when their work is filled with creative self-expression. As such, I have become conscious about ensuring my employees have the ability to creatively express themselves in their work (and they know they have the freedom to do so).

Am I chasing a dead end here? Do burners not believe any )'( philosophies can be applied to the default world's working system?

btw, I am not really familiar with the Black Rock Rangers (didn't encounter any) - does their "non-confrontational attitude" thing work?

When it's applied, and the circumstances allow it to work, it usually does.
So generally, yes.

I do think there are times any business needs a designated bastard.
Part of this is allowing other personnel to remain non-confrontational.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 11:38 pm

An interesting diplomatic approach to credit in Bhutan.

JungleJim · Post by **JungleJim** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 7:17 am

These guys are right - I think when you are on the playa and you make connections with othere business owners, great. Not sure about trolling here, although it might be a good place for another forum, but I think it would quickly be overrun with people taknig advantage of the system. It is amazing how many requests I see for "burner-friendly mechanics" etc, and I beleive that there is a real effort that shows up to help other fellow burners - I have done it many times. I own a business as well and what BM has done for me was change my outlook on life. I'm an ex-hippy from way back and many of the core values of BM have always been with me, but to attend BM last year for the first time was an eye opener. What an incredible bunch of great people - I have made so many new friends - it is like a community of damn cool people. I have always treated my employees with respect, usually as equals, and we have a wonderfull team environment. They know I'm a burner, although trying to explain BM to someone at work is like trying to explain yellow to a blind person - you just have to experience it. Sometimes they think I'm crazy, but I really don't care! Keep the attitude and values in you heart, and see you at the next burn.
Jellyfish - I'm bringing my Jungle Bus to the Reno Decomp and will be next to Fluffer so I will finally get to meet you!
Jungle Jim

aka thinfilmguy

psynapz · Post by **psynapz** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 3:44 pm

Thank you to everybody for the responses! I am appreciative of the various viewpoints and comments.

I agree with CapSmashy's sentiment; that there [i]could[/i] be potential for eplaya to work with a "burner chamber of commerce", but unfortunately the two main issues of snark and discussion randomness would probably prevent it from thriving.

That being said, I'm still open to developing a 'default world' business relationship with any burners, but PM's will probably be a better place for it.

Enjoy the upcoming decompressions if you're attending! See you at the next burn ..

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 4:19 pm

No trolling, just knee-jerk reactions.

Business Burners

Business Burners

Thank for for the responses!