Let's Get Started!

[John Berryman]

Hello Penny University early adopters,

At the end of this month we will release Penny University to the masses. In the next week I am asking you all to do Penny U a huge favor -- get started! Please everyone (including those signed up to teach):

• Find a topic that you're interested in learning.
• Email penny-un...@googlegroups.com to ask if anyone can meet with you. OR contact individuals on the teachers list directly.
• Set up a chat session (coffee shop, Google hangout, etc.).
  
• And learn together - as peers!
• Finally post what you learned at penny-university@googlegroups.com and share with your friends on social media.

That last step is important! Letting others hear your experience is how we remind people of the value in this network.

In our Future

Penny University has members in four cities -- look at the list. We're already coast-to-coast! But shaping our culture is up to you.

• Often, people will meet a single time and the "learner" will come away with a clearer understanding of the topic they were interested in.
• Sometimes meetings will turn into longer-term relationships where a team learns together and where projects are built.

But in all cases, you, the "teachers", are in charge of your availability and your interactions. So what will you make of Penny University?

Rollout Plan

Soon we will roll out Penny U to the world:

• 1/25 - GirlGeekDinner
  
• 1/26 - PyNash
• 2/4 - PyTennessee
• 2/7 - Code for Nashville
• Where can you pitch Penny U?

You can help by telling your friends. Now's the time. Feel free to invite "teachers" and invite "learners" who belong here.

Now go out and learn and teach!

John Berryman

Author of Relevant Search (Manning)

@JnBrymn

LinkedIn

[JnBrymn]

Hey Folks!

It's been a week and based upon what I'm hearing and reading in the forum, people are enjoying their experience with Penny University. But we're getting ready to kick things into high gear as we invite the larger community. Please help us out:

• If you have had a good learning/sharing experience with Penny University, then please write about it in the forum and share it on social media. (All Penny U links are publicly viewable.)
• If you haven't had a Penny-Chat yet, then set one up! Contact the forum with something you'd like to learn or see if there's already somebody signed up to teach your topic of interest.
• If you're signed up to teach (on the list above) but you no longer have time, then please let me know and I'll take your name off the list. It's no problem at all! We just want make sure that those signed up to teach are as available as they said they would be. Later, when you have more time, reach out and we'll sign you back up!
• Finally, invite "teachers" and invite "learners" who belong here with us.
  

Cheers!

On Sunday, January 15, 2017 at 2:51:05 PM UTC-6, JnBrymn wrote:

Hello Penny University early adopters,

At the end of this month we will release Penny University to the masses. In the next week I am asking you all to do Penny U a huge favor -- get started! Please everyone (including those signed up to teach):

• Find a topic that you're interested in learning.

• Email penny-university@googlegroups.com to ask if anyone can meet with you. OR contact individuals on the teachers list directly.

• Set up a chat session (coffee shop, Google hangout, etc.).
  
• And learn together - as peers!
• Finally post what you learned at penny-university@googlegroups.com and share with your friends on social media.

That last step is important! Letting others hear your experience is how we remind people of the value in this network.

In our Future

Penny University has members in four cities -- look at the list. We're already coast-to-coast! But shaping our culture is up to you.

• Often, people will meet a single time and the "learner" will come away with a clearer understanding of the topic they were interested in.
• Sometimes meetings will turn into longer-term relationships where a team learns together and where projects are built.

But in all cases, you, the "teachers", are in charge of your availability and your interactions. So what will you make of Penny University?

Rollout Plan

Soon we will roll out Penny U to the world:

• 1/25 - GirlGeekDinner
  
• 1/26 - PyNash
• 2/4 - PyTennessee
• 2/7 - Code for Nashville
• Where can you pitch Penny U?

You can help by telling your friends. Now's the time. Feel free to invite "teachers" and invite "learners" who belong here.

[JnBrymn]

Hey, guess what!?

Thanks to Devyn Cunningham buying up the www.pennyuniversity.org domain and Josh Stephens helping me last night to point it to the right place, we now have an easier way to invite people to our community and our cause. From now on, just send folks toward www.pennyuniversity.org and they'll see the Google Group landing page. I all goes well, then in a few months we'll outgrow Google Groups and www.pennyuniversity.org will point to a shiny new app that will make it easier to find interesting topics and connect with people for penny-chats.

Cheers,

John

[JnBrymn]

These are Exciting times for Penny University! Last week we started pitching Penny University at local meetups (Girl Geek Dinner and PyNash); we are now openly inviting people on the NashDev Slack; and this weekend we will have a booth at PyTN.

This is an important point to think ahead about the culture that we are creating.

• Let's make Penny University as inclusive and diverse as possible. If you know someone who belongs in Penny U, reach out to them. Pull them in!
  
• Be available! If you signed up to teach for X hours a week during mornings, then make sure you are there when people have questions! If you're too busy (we all get busy), no problem. Tell me and I'll modify your availability.
• Be curious. There are so many interesting things to learn and so many interesting people to help you learn them. Take time to learn!
• Share the wealth! If you have a good experience, then let people know. Add a "Penny Chat Review" in the Google Group. Share the link out on social media and in NashDev. This way everyone will recognize the value of our community.

And if you see me at PyTN this weekend, say hi!

-John