Bringing People Together 👯

I‘m not quite sure where this post will lead, but that’s alright.

In 2018 ‘connecting’ has become synonymous with online connection. It’s what you do on Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter (with people you hardly know, or never actually met).

‘Bringing People Together’ is much more interesting and powerful I think. There’s something very special about bringing a group of likeminded people together in real life, over a common interest, or shared activity. Good things happen.

I’ve always said that my startup, PartyWith, ‘connects people for nightlife’. It’s in the tagline, our pitch deck, and what I say in meetings. But it’s actually much more than that - it brings people together (in real life) for nightlife, and to share experiences.

I’ve come to realise that bringing people together is what I’m all about, in my work, my side projects, my hobbies, and as a person. Examples:

• PartyWith: a mobile platform that brings people together, in real life, for nightlife. People who’ve met through the app have then become best friends, travelled the world together, and moved in together.
• PartyWith events: we’ve organized over 100 events as an extension of the app — boat parties, rooftop sessions, bar meet-ups, festivals and more. Events that bring groups of people together, for drinks, for a party, for live music and to share good times.
• The PartyWith team: I recruited a group of like-minded people, with a shared mission — to build something together to solve our own problem (that happens to be an app that brings people together).
• Startup Grind Amsterdam: I’m the Director of Startup Grind Amsterdam, a monthly series of events that brings people in the startup world together — to share experiences, learn from each other, get inspired, and meet people to potentially collaborate with.
• The Pong Network: brought people together for ping pong and casual networking (in a fun way). A couple got married after meeting at one of our events!
• Sport: I started a weekly indoor football (soccer) match in Amsterdam 9 years ago, that’s still going — bringing people together for sport.
• Dinner Parties: I used to organise dinner parties that brought together a random group of interesting people, who I’d just met, to cook and eat dinner together. People became friends, dated and did business together after meeting at the dinners. They were great, I might start them up again.
• Socially: I’ve introduced friends who’ve started working together and some who have become much better friends with each other than with me. I used to get a bit annoyed by that sometimes, but I’m now comfortable with my role as being a connector of people.

Bringing people together is what I do, what I’m good at, and what I love doing. It results in new projects and products, shared experiences and activities, new friendships, inspiration and fun times.

It’s what I will keep doing, in everything I do.