Heroes Community Launch 2008

Worlwide user groups are conducting Community Launch events focusing on technical dives of Microsoft Windows Server 2008™, Visual Studio 2008™, and SQL Server 2008™. Community leaders have been trained directly from Microsoft and empowered to host technical launch events locally

A different Approach

The Community Launch concept is certainly not a new concept, however this time around there was a big change in Microsoft’s approach towards it. Instead of just creating demos of their products as they felt necessary, they went about getting direct feedback from the community leaders, leaders all across the world described scenarios about what kind of demonstrations they wanted. So if a leader felt his community was concerned about security or administration of systems or certain kinds of projects which they are developeing, they they described those scenarios via a feedback system. The concerned product teams then went about developing demonstrations and training material around those scenarios. So basically the Goals were just fantastic, the scale was phenomenoal and it goes to describe new models in which consumers and producers, customers and companies interact. This is nothing short of path breaking in my humble opinion. The point here is that companies definitely do intend, to enable such kind of scenarios. However, pulling it of is nothing short of launching a rocket in space. I hope to get more behind the scene scoops on this as I’m sure it will be exteremely interesting.

Ok so great content and training was available what about other resouces (Hint:$$$$$$$$$$) to do such an event!

More than $$$$

Organizations such as Culminis and INETA were on the forefront of enabling leaders to conduct such events. Whether it was providing hard cash, yeah MONEY to sponsor the food, giveaways, get speakers, book a venue or it was enabling them to promote their event and attract more attendees or it was to organize the event. These organizations played their role in providing the $ and more.

It almost seems like the most perfect environment to stimulate growth. I’m not certain what, I can’t seem to place my finger on it, however, here goes…

Wouldn’t it be fun and extremely powerful if this concept was turned around on it’s head on the scale which it is currently. All the participants of these events, YES I MEAN ALLL,  turned around and voted on what they want Microsoft to produce in the next release of their software. Wouldn’t that be powerful. Ok now this is happening at a smaller scale maybe, where like the MVP Summit, influencers gathered around and provided feedback to Microsoft on their products and plans for the future, HOWEVER, here I’m proposing not just a select bunch of people, I’m proposing THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, becomes involved in DIRECTING the next generation of products which they WANT. Ok yeah! I can see it thru these words as you read them, yeah I’ve become a mind reader now!!! that you feel this will just be chaos, HECK NO! Think only about the possibility, yeah you can call me crazy however 10-15 years back things like a COMMUNITY Launch just conceptualising it might have been considered crazy… ok that’s it, time for you to sleep over it and me to move on to other things….

Btw to look up Events happening across the globe you can search here: http://www.heroescommunitylaunch.com/EventSearch.aspx