Yesterday, I did 7 one-hour walks with Munich EA community members. Here’s what I learned and why I would recommend it to similarly extroverted community members:
Format
Created an info document and 7 one-hour Calendly slots and promoted them via our WhatsApp group
One hour worked well as a default timeframe − 2 conversations could have been shorter while others could have gone longer
Scheduling more than an hour with someone unfamiliar can feel intimidating, so I’ll keep the 1-hour format
Walked approximately 35km throughout the day and painfully learned that street shoes aren’t suitable—got blisters that could have been prevented with proper hiking boots
Participants
Directly invited two women to ensure diversity, resulting in 3⁄7 non-male participants
Noticed that people from timeslots 1 and 3 spontaneously met for their own 1-1 while I was busy with timeslot 2
Will actively encourage more member-initiated connections next time to create a network effect
Conversations
My prepared document helped skip introductions and jump straight into meaningful discussion
Tried balancing listening vs. talking, succeeding in some conversations while others turned into them asking me more questions
Expanded beyond my usual focus on career advice, offering a broader menu of discussion topics
This approach reached people who initially weren’t interested in career discussions
One participant was genuinely surprised their background might be impactful in ways they hadn’t considered
Another wasn’t initially interested in careers but ended up engaging with the topic after natural conversation flow
2 of 7 people shared personal issues where I focused on empathetic listening and sharing relevant parts of my own experience
The remaining 5 discussions centered primarily on EA concepts and career-related topics
Results
Received positive feedback suggesting participants gained either new information, decision-making help, or expanded horizons
Sent follow-up resource links to most participants after our walks
Scheduled specific follow-up meetings with two participants who wanted to continue our discussions
Deepened community connections, which I view as an investment in motivation for both others and myself
Takeaway
Thoroughly enjoyed the 1-1 interactions on a sunny day, exactly as I had hoped
Found this volunteering format personally rewarding and well-aligned with my strengths
Recommend to other community members who enjoy walking conversations—it’s an accessible way to contribute
Learnings from a day of walking conversations
Yesterday, I did 7 one-hour walks with Munich EA community members. Here’s what I learned and why I would recommend it to similarly extroverted community members:
Format
Created an info document and 7 one-hour Calendly slots and promoted them via our WhatsApp group
One hour worked well as a default timeframe − 2 conversations could have been shorter while others could have gone longer
Scheduling more than an hour with someone unfamiliar can feel intimidating, so I’ll keep the 1-hour format
Walked approximately 35km throughout the day and painfully learned that street shoes aren’t suitable—got blisters that could have been prevented with proper hiking boots
Participants
Directly invited two women to ensure diversity, resulting in 3⁄7 non-male participants
Noticed that people from timeslots 1 and 3 spontaneously met for their own 1-1 while I was busy with timeslot 2
Will actively encourage more member-initiated connections next time to create a network effect
Conversations
My prepared document helped skip introductions and jump straight into meaningful discussion
Tried balancing listening vs. talking, succeeding in some conversations while others turned into them asking me more questions
Expanded beyond my usual focus on career advice, offering a broader menu of discussion topics
This approach reached people who initially weren’t interested in career discussions
One participant was genuinely surprised their background might be impactful in ways they hadn’t considered
Another wasn’t initially interested in careers but ended up engaging with the topic after natural conversation flow
2 of 7 people shared personal issues where I focused on empathetic listening and sharing relevant parts of my own experience
The remaining 5 discussions centered primarily on EA concepts and career-related topics
Results
Received positive feedback suggesting participants gained either new information, decision-making help, or expanded horizons
Sent follow-up resource links to most participants after our walks
Scheduled specific follow-up meetings with two participants who wanted to continue our discussions
Deepened community connections, which I view as an investment in motivation for both others and myself
Takeaway
Thoroughly enjoyed the 1-1 interactions on a sunny day, exactly as I had hoped
Found this volunteering format personally rewarding and well-aligned with my strengths
Recommend to other community members who enjoy walking conversations—it’s an accessible way to contribute