What an interesting article. To me, it illuminates two things: the desire for that child-like sense of depth and mystery that many of us still look for in our everyday lives, and the tendency for Silicon Valley money to turn everything it touches into a slide-deck-laden commercial enterprise. Sadly, as much as I love the idea, I see the same thing happening with venture-funded cooperative living arrangements. When I…
Collectives (and meetups etc) happen because someone volunteers. When that volunteer disappears whatever they were organizing often disappears with it. Turning it into a business means someone can be hired to do the organizing when no one has the time / motivation to do it themselves. Volunteerism is great but most people have other things they need to do as well. Paying so someone can do those things full time seems like a win/win.
Of course the details matter. I've been to a few "Spin" events and they needed more organization but at least at the time my impression was they were just starting and still finding out what worked and what was required.
I guess I don't see how making it a commercial enterprise is bad by default.