Session report: How barcamps can change the world….

A promising title- yet only few participants in the session. Were there no believers at the barcamp? Perhaps.. Indeed the title is very grandiose and my expectations about hearing a magic formula with which to cure the world were quite high. Of course I didn’t hear any such thing. BUT… we did try to explore the question how entrepreneurs worldwide can contribute to positive global change.

The idea of Jan, the initiator of the session, was that at the moment we are caught in an economic network where nobody is able to do what they actually want to do because we frankly don’t have time to think about our passions. This could be given by a project of FunkyBusiness Berlin: a week-long barcamp “Be the white rabbit” held from 28 November til 4 December with live streaming so that people all over the world could participate. An ambitious project calling for “use of interactive methods for crowd-intelligence, poolíng of  collective knowledge, initiation of joined projects and creation of a new form of collaboration“. At the “Entrepreneurship Summit 2011” in Berlin, held by the entrepreneur guru and self-styled business angel Prof. Dr. Guenter Faltin, Jan and his team introduced the idea of the week-long barcamp and gathered many supporters from all over the world in the course of a few weeks.

The security which people are looking for in our political and economic system is an illusion Guenter Faltin explained and pointed to the entrepreneur deeply rooted in each one of us. Yes, I agree! I think that each of us would like to be able to sustain him or herself and be independent from the “system”. Don’t get me wrong – I like to be part of a system – but it is natural to like being part of something which you are actually able to create yourself or at least co-create.

Some interesting take outs / theses of this session are briefly outlined below:

1) The idea of a “global crowd incubator”

Business incubators actually exist in every country and the latest developments show that “virtual” business incubators are on their way. But more progress still needs to be made in combining these merely enabling incubators into “good value”- disseminating entities as envisioned by the head of the session.

2) The idea of doing what you really want to do and benefiting others because you unfold your maximum potential giving “society” or what you might call the  “system” the very best you can offer.

3) Money is not a stumbling block if you have the will to realize your greatest passion

One of the participants in the session – and myself too! – was actually of the contrary opinion. But the discussion changed my mind.

If you gather smart people around you with totally different resources  -be they money, material, knowledge, humour or outrageous skills  – in a specific area your idea will be successful! Paired with the right use of the internet for sharing your idea and enabling others to be part of it you will be the winner “in reality”.