I’m willing to speak to people about my experiences at EAGx Boston 2022 and EAG London 2022. I’m already signed up for EAG San Francisco 2022, so clearly I think it’s a great use of time and resources.
The number one reason to go is to connect with other EAs in person. I embraced the 1:1 philosophy and had about 50–60 1:1s combined over the two conferences. I am mid-career and knew only a handful of people from the online community. But people are friendly, want to connect, and want to help so it was super easy (barely an inconvenience) to schedule 1:1s and talk with folks. Even at meals, it’s not hard to just sit down at a table and strike up a convo with whoever is there.
I’ve had follow-up conversations online, and it really helps to have established that in-person, face-to-face connection first.
If you are worried about the expense, then apply for funding to go. CEA has been very generous with grants since they know fostering deeper connections in the EA community is one of the best ways to spend money.
The one caveat is you should absolutely have at least a solid understanding of the EA philosophy and an earnest desire to contribute in some tangible way.
You don’t need to be perfect to attend. I believe the EA movement benefits from having a more welcoming, “big tent” approach. So if you’re not fully vegan, don’t give 10% of your income to effective causes, or aren’t currently working in EA, that’s ok. I think we benefit from having as many people as possible “kick the tires”. Yes, that means some won’t go any further than that, but even for them, the seeds are planted and they may talk about EA with others in their lives. If we treat browsers with respect, they can be marketing allies to help spread the word.
I’m willing to speak to people about my experiences at EAGx Boston 2022 and EAG London 2022. I’m already signed up for EAG San Francisco 2022, so clearly I think it’s a great use of time and resources.
The number one reason to go is to connect with other EAs in person. I embraced the 1:1 philosophy and had about 50–60 1:1s combined over the two conferences. I am mid-career and knew only a handful of people from the online community. But people are friendly, want to connect, and want to help so it was super easy (barely an inconvenience) to schedule 1:1s and talk with folks. Even at meals, it’s not hard to just sit down at a table and strike up a convo with whoever is there.
I’ve had follow-up conversations online, and it really helps to have established that in-person, face-to-face connection first.
If you are worried about the expense, then apply for funding to go. CEA has been very generous with grants since they know fostering deeper connections in the EA community is one of the best ways to spend money.
The one caveat is you should absolutely have at least a solid understanding of the EA philosophy and an earnest desire to contribute in some tangible way.
You don’t need to be perfect to attend. I believe the EA movement benefits from having a more welcoming, “big tent” approach. So if you’re not fully vegan, don’t give 10% of your income to effective causes, or aren’t currently working in EA, that’s ok. I think we benefit from having as many people as possible “kick the tires”. Yes, that means some won’t go any further than that, but even for them, the seeds are planted and they may talk about EA with others in their lives. If we treat browsers with respect, they can be marketing allies to help spread the word.