Retiring Work Talk Research, Back To Stowe Boyd and The Messengers
I am at heart a researcher: I am driven to find out who’s innovating, what’s happening, and where is it all headed. And I like to supply the whys, and share them with others. So, I am planning to spend my time on that, and leave the rest behind.In early 2012, I decided to consolidate a number of activities under the loose brand of Work Talk Research. The idea was to bring together various threads of work with different collaborators (or what might be better called cooperators). But aside from a list of activities on a page, Work Talk Research and the worktalk.ly website never added much to the mix. In fact, it was a distraction for me and probably confusing for others.
The reality is that most of the work I’ve done this year with others has been based on those folks bringing Stowe Boyd into a project or activity, not Work Talk Research pulling others together.
To minimize wear-and-tear for me and possible confusion I am shutting down Work Talk Research and the worktalk.ly website, and consolidating all writings and reports here. (If you are looking for a piece from worktalk.ly, try stoweboyd.com/tagged/worktalk.ly, which includes all the worktalk.ly posts.)
I just like the idea of being an itinerant performer, traveling alone from town to town, and scaring up a back-up band who are always referred to as ‘the Messengers’, even if it’s a different bunch of sidemen every night, or even when I am playing out there solo.I am returning to the brand I used for years: Stowe Boyd and The Messengers. The name comes from a strange occurrence. Back in 2006, I think, I received a request through some web-based event service, and it turned out to be that a co-ed wanted me to come to Albany NY, to play at her college. Apparently she thought I was a band. Since my blog was then called /Message, I started to call my consulting business Stowe Boyd and The Messengers. I just like the idea of being an itinerant performer, traveling alone from town to town, and scaring up a back-up band who are always referred to as ‘the Messengers’, even if it’s a different bunch of sidemen every night, or even when I am playing out there solo.
I am also redirecting the nature of my work. In the past decade I’ve done a great deal of product consultation with social tools companies. In recent years this has grown less rewarding psychologically and financially. For the foreseeable future I won’t be chasing that sort of work. I am planning to direct my attention to writing more in more venues where retainer-based relationships with product vendors may be problematic. So, going forward, my relationship with product companies — if any — will be media-oriented: if Podio wants me to head up a lecture tour, I’m in; if IBM wants me to write a series on the future of innovation, great; or if Salesforce wants me to speak at a conference, fine. And if a tiny start-up wants some advice, I will likely direct them to the nice folks at GigaOM to set up a phone briefing, or a half day of consulting. But that will be of short duration, involve no stock, and I won’t even be negotiating the rates.
Yes, I have a thin folder of stock certificates from product vendors (very thin!), which I intend to keep. But I won’t be adding any more, and I’ll disclose any financial interests I might have when talking about one of those companies.
I am at heart a researcher: I am driven to find out who’s innovating, what’s happening, and where is it all headed. And I like to supply the whys, and share them with others. So, I am planning to spend my time on that, and leave the rest behind.
