You attend an event like Big Seminar and you can’t but be sucked into the world of “big” business. In the last 48 hours there have been multiple conversations about companies hoping to “sell to Google or Microsoft,” talks of not just millionaire, but but billionaire friends and more. This is a very real world with very real high stakes. These are also friends and people I love dearly - it is extremely personal.

It is usually this point in the event where I start wondering if I should get that office, hire that staff, etc. One friend invited me to stay a few days more and visit his office of which he’s hired 30 in no time flat.

The claim is, of course, once you “run it right” you don’t have to be in that office every day. And there is truth to this - my friend who made the offer left another office of 30+ to start this one - and he’s still seeing plenty from office #1. You can “run it right.”

But oh, man, do I love that home office - especially when you’re away from your family on a trip like this.

Catchin up on my feeds this morning, I read this post from Andrew Baron. It contains some thoughts on “why we do this” that I recommend everyone read. Here is one snippet

… illuminated the concern that I’ve always had with regards to companies that become bigger and more powerful than the humans behind them

Well said friend.

I’ve seen this too many times. I’ve seen big versions of this problem. I’ve seen small versions of this problem.

But I’ve seen this problem a lot.

I’ve seen it in politics - in ways you’d never believe. I don’t think I’ll ever dabble in that world again.

I’ve seen it in religion - and not in the ways you’d think. Thank God my faith remains.

I’ve seen it in business - I know multi-millionaires who can’t “buy the good things money can bring” because they’re chained to their freaking jobs.

The question isn’t - do we monetize Podcasts / do we not?

The question isn’t - what scheme is the best way to making money with your voice?

The question is, simply - what is that you want to do, and how can new media be used as a tool to make it happen?

When anything (tech, money, politics, etc.) gets in the way of what you’re here for, make it stop.

You’re the human, you’re in charge (of the tech and businesses at least).

If you don’t stop it, we have the first chapter of every dystopian science fiction book ever written.

I think it was Covey who told us to “begin with the end in mind.”

If we make it about that, we’ll do fine.

So, the question is, this, what do you want from Podcasting and new media?

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