You should start a meetup group.

Too many people want to go to Hacks/Hackers London. Despite catering for hundreds of people each month, tickets are snapped up in a matter of minutes. Its organisers simply can’t meet the demand (and no wonder, because it’s always a bloody brilliant night).

I have a potential solution. Everybody who currently attends Hacks/Hackers should start their own meetup group. Four months ago I might have reacted to this idea with terror: fears of nobody turning up, of being called out as unexperienced, of it all going wrong somehow. But since having started/taken over Journocoders last December, I’ve realised that it takes little more than picking a date and venue and spreading the word. Everything else falls into place easily enough.

Don’t just make any old meetup, though. The best meetups find a certain niche. Perhaps you could focus in on viral listicles, or reporting on hedge funds, or typography. Whatever gets you excited to be in this industry. The more obscure the subject, the more dedicated attendees will be, and the more interesting the crowd will become.

It doesn’t need to be organised through Meetup.com. It doesn’t need to be every month. It doesn’t need to be in a pub, or involve drinking. It doesn’t need to have sponsors. It doesn’t even need to be attended by any more than a dozen people. Maybe it’s a handful of enthusiasts having a cup of tea together. In fact, that sounds amazing. ‘Tea and Typography.’ If you organise it, I’ll be there.

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