[Ring the Tibetan Bells]
[from outside the circle]
Hi. It's wonderful to be here for API Craft Conference.
We are going to have a useful time together.
[enter the inner edge of the circle]
[walk around the inner edge of the circle]
Welcome to Open Space.
[pause]
- Please,
[pause]
- take a look around the circle
[pause]
- See who's here.
[pause]
Over the next two days we will ask ourselves the question:
"Where do we lead the APIs of tomorrow?"
By the end of our time together we will have written a proceedings filled with a vision for the future of APIs.
[pause]
Right now on GitHub there is a wiki of our conference proceedings.
[pause]
It's empty.
[pause]
We will fill that wiki with our best thinking and wisdom about the future of APIs.
How that will happen, we will talk about in a moment.
[pause]
For now, know that we WILL make it happen.
The work we do here will benefit each other and people around the world.
So, how are we going to get from here to there?
It is called Open Space Technology.
Open Space has developed since 1985.
It has been used all over the world with groups from five to two thousand.
It is surprisingly simple and it works.
In just a little while, I am going to ask each of you who cares to – and no one is required – to identify issues or opportunities related to the future of APIs for which you have:
- a genuine passion
and for which you will:
- take real responsibility.
Don’t just consider good ideas that somebody else might do or be interested in.
Think of powerful ideas that really grab you to the point that you will take personal responsibility to make sure that something gets done.
If NOTHING occurs to you, that's okay,
and if you have MORE THAN ONE topic, that's fine too.
When the time comes, here are the steps we will follow:
Once you have your issue or opportunity in mind,
you will come into the center of the circle,
grab a piece of paper and a marker.
(If you have more than one issue, take several pieces of paper.)
Write down a short title and sign your name.
Then stand in front of the group and say,
- My issue is...
- and my name is....
There is NO need for a speech at this point or any sort of explanation.
Nothing but THE FACTS:
- your issue
- and your name
After you have announced your theme, take your piece of paper and tape it up on a blank whiteboard.
On your way, grab a Post It note from the whiteboards, which will give you a time and place for your session, attach it to your paper, and put the paper on the blank whiteboard for day 1 or day 2.
When you've done that, return to your seat.
Just out of curiosity, how many of us have never been to a two-day conference where the agenda was a blank wall?
Well, here's a promise: if at this moment you are looking at that wall and wondering
- what on earth will we do for the next two days?
within an hour you will look at that same wall and wonder:
- how are we going to do it all?”
Proposing a topic does not require that you be an expert on the subject.
In fact, the ONLY THING you need to have is THE QUESTION.
It is so nice to start with a QUESTION, MY QUESTION.
QUESTIONS create an open space in which good thinking can happen.
So, if all you have is a question, that is a great place to start.
Don’t worry if you have no PowerPoints, or a prepared text (although that's fine too) – just state your question, and I believe you will find that our community will join you in finding some answers that really work.
The only responsibility for proposing a session is that you do your best to capture the output of the session for our proceedings.
How do you contribute to the proceedings?
You can:
-
ask for a volunteer at the beginning of your session to take notes
-
or take photos of the whiteboard or flip charts in your session to spur your memory for later
Your only obligation is that you summarize your session on the GitHub wiki. The more details the better.
No area of interest will be denied.
Please put as many topics as you want on the wall.
If at the end of the conference you find yourself saying,
“But they never looked at my issue,”
You have no one to blame but yourself.
[don't take any questions, keep moving]
While you are thinking about the issues for which you have a real passion, allow me to describe the Four Principles and the One Law of Open Space.
They are also posted on that wall to remind us throughout the conference.
The Four Principles are...
Whoever Attends They Are the Right People
It is not about how many people come to your session
...or even who comes - in the sense of status or position - that counts
rather it is the quality of the interaction and conversation that makes the difference.
For good conversation you only need one other person who shares your passion and cares about what you care about.
So what happens if nobody comes to your session?
You could sit there and feel hurt and angry.
Or you might look at it this way.
- First, it is just possible that it wasn’t a very good idea to begin with.
[pause]
- Then again, it may be a great idea but at the wrong time.
In either case, you are getting some USEFUL INFORMATION.
There is, however, another possibility.
- It is a great idea, at precisely the right time, and you are the only person competent to deal with it.
There is nothing in the rule book that says a “conversation group” must be composed of more than one.
As a matter of fact, some of the best conversations our greatest thinkers ever had were with themselves.
Look at this way:
- when was the last time you had a large chunk of time, free to work through a question you are deeply passionate about?
Which brings us to principle number 2:
Whatever Happens is the Only Thing that Could Have Happened
Real learning and real progress will only take place when we move beyond our original agendas and expectations.
If everything turned out just the way we expected, life would be dull, and learning in any useful sense wouldn't happen.
It is precisely in moments of surprise, large and small, that we grow.
Number three: whenever it Starts is the Right Time
Our gathering here is about
- creativity
- and inspiration
Both are essential but they don't care about the clock.
They appear (or not) in their own time, which by definition means it is the right time.
So all parties need to be advised that just because a session is scheduled for, say, 3:00 p.m. there is absolutely no guarantee that anything useful will take place at that moment.
Whenever the good stuff starts, that will be the right time.
And the final principle:
When it’s over, it’s over.
It's a marvelous way to save time and aggravation.
Suppose, for example, that you have scheduled a session at 3:00 p.m. with the expectation that it will take 90 minutes, ending at 4:30 p.m.
As it turns out, all the useful business is conducted in the first twenty minutes.
Common sense would dictate that it's time to move on.
However, there is some strange mechanism in us that finds ways to fill the remaining hour.
Not here.
When it's over, it's over.
You are free to be on our way, to move on to the next great thing.
There is a corollary to the fourth principle:
When it’s NOT over, it’s NOT over.
The time and space here are yours:
- You travelled here.
- You took time away from other commitments.
- Your registration fee paid for the venue.
[pause]
It is your responsibility to do with this conference as you choose.
If you have concluded your discussion, then it is fine to go on to something else.
But if you are NOT finished, nobody will tell you to stop -- particularly if things are just getting cooking.
Of course, we must RESPECT other people who expect a particular space at a particular time.
LUCKILY
[pause]
It is NO great task to move to some other place, or to choose another time when you might gather.
Those are the four principles. Open Space has one law.
The one law is The Law of Mobility
If, at any time, you find yourself in a situation where you are not learning and you're not contributing, exercise the law of mobility and move to a more productive place.
If someone is bloviating, preaching or seems to have a privileged relationship with the truth then - regardless of the size of his or her ego - leave.
Move to a more productive place.
The responsibility for having a quality conference is on each of us.
All too often we sit politely, getting angrier and angrier, while our time is being wasted.
Your lost time will not be redeemed at this conference
and the anger pollutes the environment with negative energy.
So, please
[pause]
if you feel stuck - leave.
Move to a more productive place.
The Law of Mobility makes two additional contributions to the world of Open Space:
- bumblebees
- and butterflies.
Bumblebees are people who take the freedom of the law of mobility very seriously, constantly moving from session to session.
The contribution of the bumblebees is large and direct.
Like their counterparts in nature, they pollinate and cross-pollinate, lending richness and variety to our discussions.
If you're inclined to be a bumblebee, go for it.
Move around.
Butterflies are a rather different sort. Butterflies often never go to any sessions.
They may be found on the patio, along the riverfront or sitting on the terrace.
At first glance it's difficult to see what, if anything, they contribute.
and, indeed, one might wonder why they even bothered to attend.
The truth is: BUTTERFLIES DO VERY LITTLE.
And therein lies their contribution:
- They create centers of inaction
- where silence may be enjoyed
- or new, unexplored topics of conversation engaged.
If you watch a butterfly over time, you will notice that every so often somebody will stop by.
Maybe a conversation will occur, maybe not, but if it does, it often ends up being significant.
One final bit of guidance:
Be Prepared to Be Surprised
If at the end of our time together you find yourself walking out with just what you walked in with, you will have wasted your time.
It is a common experience at an Open Space conference that our ideas, beliefs and agendas get trashed.
While this experience may be painful for some, it is not without benefit.
For when our old ideas depart, new ideas emerge.
So do yourself a solid:
- keep your mind open to new approaches and thinking about APIs.
Be Prepared to Be Surprised!
Ok. It's time to go to work. Let’s jump in!
- Think of a short title and prepare to come here to the center of the circle.
- You'll take a piece of paper
- inscribe the title
- sign your name
- and announce your offering to the group:
- “My issue is... My name is....”
- Decide when and where your group will gather
- and then go post it on the appropriate whiteboard.
- On the way, grab a Post-it to reserve your time and place.
Let's have fun, but it is important to keep the noise level to a dull roar.
We all need to hear the issues and the names as they are spoken by each us.
I now invite each and every one of you - who so desires - to share the issues you are passionate about.
[after the action has started]
Remember, nothing will appear on the wall unless you put it there. You, and you alone, are responsible for the agenda. If you do not find your favorite issue, only you are to blame.
[if there is gathering around the wall]
Please sit down back in the circle so that others can see.
Choosing your sessions will happen once all sessions have been posted.
It's like a buffet: don't fill yourself up on the first dish.
It may taste wonderful, but look at all you will miss.
Patience, please. Just a little patience.
[after all the topics are posted]
In a moment we will open the community boards.
You will be invited to enter into the exchange of issues and ideas by leaving your seats and making the journey to the wall, where you can contribute to as many sessions as you wish.
Before you go, however, there are a few key points.
FIRST is the issue of conflicts.
If you want to go to two sessions but they are scheduled at the same time, the rule is simple:
- you must find the two conveners and
- convince them to combine their sessions
- OR change their times
If neither works, you will have to choose between them.
OR you can become a bumblebee and go back and forth between the two.
SECOND is combining sessions.
If there are several sessions with the same general focus, the temptation will be to combine these sessions.
We can do whatever what we want, of course.
But sometimes it's better to have two sessions on the same subject with fewer people in each in order to have more participation per person.
When it comes to combining sessions, the rules are the same as with conflicts:
- THE CONVENERS RULE
If some person wishes to combine two sessions they must find the two conveners and obtain their permission.
If the answer is, YES, then combine the sessions.
And if, NO, then the two sessions remain as originally posted.
Conveners of sessions, we will have a "how-to" session on creating the proceedings for your sessions by that wall at 10:20am.
The last item concerns public safety.
In the interest of avoiding injury and mayhem:
would all the people sitting directly in front of the community bulletin board:
- please
- take a moment
- pick up your chairs and other belongings
- and move them out of the way
- to either side
Everyone else, please be seated a little longer as we clear the way.
Choose whatever issues you wish to pursue. Enjoy yourselves. Let's get to work.
I will see you for evening news.
The village marketplace is now open.