Email scales; i don't... sorry i'm such an ass :(

folks: please accept this mass apology to everyone i've been unable to followup with recently via email (or phone/vmail or Facebook or LinkedIn) -- seriously i feel like a real ass & i'm very sorry if i've left you hanging or haven't been available to meet/talk. 

since returning from Japan a few weeks ago -- and really, starting last summer/fall with the first Graphing Social Patterns event & Stanford Facebook class -- my inbox has been pounded, and i've done a piss-poor job of responding to even high-priority items & commitments, much less other requests for meetings / startup advisory or investments that i'd typically like to learn more about.

as a result i'm changing my process in 2008 to be less reactive to inbound emails, and more proactive on outbound contacts of my own choosing, related to the projects & priorities i'm involved with this year.  in short, i'm declaring email bankruptcy.  sigh.

this may seem like i'm being an asshole (not denying that one, really) and not responding to your quite reasonable requests for a meeting, phone call, or yes/no answer on something... however, i'm finding i just can't scale up as fast as email does.  i'm still exploring solutions here, but for awhile i'm going to be saying "no" and/or not responding to a lot more stuff.  i feel like a real shit about the latter method, but you'd be amazed how much time gets spent on a daily basis saying no gracefully, or even at all.

anyway, i'm sure this isn't a new problem for many other folks who are a lot more visible / in demand than me, and i'm not trying to play the victim... i'm still C-list at best, and i have no idea how folks manage who have 2-3 orders of magnitude greater # readers / $ net worth / brains than i do.  but for the moment, that's where i'm at.

on the flip side, i hope to continue spending time on these projects in 2008:

• Graphing Social Patterns, the social platforms conference(s) i'm running
• O'Reilly Web 2.0 Expo, the "all-things-internet" event i'm co-chairing
• teaching at Stanford about social network platforms & product metrics 
• meeting smart geeks / entrepreneurs, & helping new startups
• supporting social entrepreneurship causes thru Unitus, Kiva, and SVMN
• raising 2 wonderful kids & spending more time with my wife & family

here's to a great 2008 for everyone :)

Comments

[pete]

You linked to "The 4 Hour Workweek" - I am interested to hear how it works for you. It was my top business read of 2008 and #2 of all time next to GTD.

I took Ferriss' advice regarding email (check it twice a day) and combined with GTD you can become a ninja in days. I also went on a "media diet" (no newspapers, 1 hour of pleasure reading, no TV, etc). I had so much free time I didn't know what to do with myself. I must have gained at least 10 hours a week of my life back.

I used to read The WSJ and LA Times practically cover to cover. What a waste. Like Ferriss says, if something big happens you will hear about it from someone else! (My wife is always filling me in on what I need to know).

Merlin mann @ 43 Folders is a big inspiration for me too. Check out Merlin's Inbox Zero talk that he did at google: http://www.43folders.com/2007/07/25/merlins-inbox-zero-talk and look out for a soon-to-be-released video of his recent macworld talk on managing attention.

pete