Seattlest Interview: Chris Pirillo

Passionate technology enthusiast, reporter, consultant, personality and entrepreneur Chris Pirillo recently moved himself and his Gnomedex conference to Seattle. Seattlest checked in on him to make sure he's settling in, altough we haven't had a chance to stop by with a box of cookies yet.

Name, web browser, news aggregator?

Chris Pirillo, Maxthon, NewsGator. Maxthon is a free overlay to Internet Explorer and kicks the stuffing out of other browsers out there today. NewsGator integrates seamlessly into Outlook, although I've been keeping my eye on up-and-comer 'You Subscribe' (from You Software).

What's Gnomedex's claim to fame?

When I first realized that my blood was replete with entrepreneurism, there were few conferences that could engage me. I wanted to learn more about technology, and I wanted to meet leaders - and I didn't want to pay an arm and a leg, as most tech industry conferences are in the four-figure range (for barebones benefits). Gnomedex has always been a conference for curious folks, both expert and novice. We all have to start somewhere, and we all want to go somewhere.

Why provide Wi-Fi when you don't include power strips for everybody in the main hall? Why try to set attendence records when the true value of a conference is in meeting other people? Why have more than one track when it only leads to frustrations in choosing which session to see? Why pay more attention to a select group of attendees when everybody should be treated like a VIP? Why find speakers who only do what they do because it's their job? Why spend a thousand dollars on getting lost in the hallways? Why force your attendees to pay more for food and beverages throughout the day?

Gnomedex is the conference that nobody else seems to do - that's its claim to fame, IMHO.

Where have you held past conferences? Why is Seattle a great place for technology conferences and why aren't there enough of them here?

I started the conference with staff in my home state of Iowa in 2001. It continued there for two more years. Des Moines didn't seem to care about Gnomedex, nor did its residents. I continually refined what the conference provided its attendees, but could not overcome Midwestern culture and mentality.

On the heels of Gnomedex 4.0 (staged in Lake Tahoe), I was invited to be involved with MSN Search Champs on Microsoft's campus. It was my second time in the Seattle area, but I felt like I was home!

I've only been in Seattle for a few months now (having moved here at the beginning of December). Already, I've seen fantastic things happening at the hands of fantastic people. Technology is a given in our neck of the woods - but all the "good" conferences are taking place elsewhere. WHY?! Well, instead of continuing to complain about it, I'm bringing the Gnomedex experience to Seattle - and hoping to make Seattle its permanent home.