Meetup
“Use the internet to get off of the internet”
If you are like me you spend to much time online. Having real relationships are going to be more beneficial for you. Meet like minded people, form business relationships, and find joint venture partners. I have not joined meetup yet, but I am looking forward to meeting some internet folks who are interested in building websites, launching new products, and making money online. Talking to people one on one live is alot different to chatting online. Internet relationships lack substance. People do not feel as if they have anything invested in the relationship - it is not even considered a real relationship. Meeting up in person, and making friends is going to be far more productive. You can get to know a person better, and find out if this is someone you want to do business with. I am speaking from experience here. I have had business partners in the past, and alot of the times they started off as friendships, or if they where strickly business they often evolved into a friendly relationship. I would rather do business with a friend than a stranger I met over the internet. I have gone that route as well, and it has not gone well. People can be so eager to start a business together, but after the excitment wears off they just stop answering your emails. This can end up being a waste of time and money that you have invested in the joint venture. Personally I would never start a JV with someone I have not met in person. Ideally I would like to meetup with some local people who would like to work together closely on a project.
