The most amazing 3 minute feedback loop ever

On Wednesday I was minding my own business, buying coffees and teas for the Hello Viking team at our favorite coffee shop, Spyhouse (the new second location at 24th and Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis). I place my order. Then I wait. And as I'm waiting, I glance around the huddled masses with their glowing laptop screens.

A woman seated closest to the register is reading something on her Macbook. 

Wait a second.

She's reading my blog.

She's reading the post I wrote that morning about my new MCAD curriculum. There! She just scrolled past my Facebook widget.

This is really, really weird. 

I've seen people pick up a magazine and glance at an ad I'd written, or watched one of my commercials play on a TV in a bar full of strangers. But this felt very different. It was the first conclusive proof that complete strangers actually read my blog. (Yes, Typepad's stats and Google Analytics tell me I have readers, but that data isn't very tangible.)

Do I say hello? What do I say?

I decided to Twitter the immediate experience. Maybe she'll notice the Twitter sidebar and look up or something.

My drink order came. I paid. Then I decided to just say, "Hello. Uhh, I see you're reading my blog." I suspect the moment was pretty surreal for her, too.

So here's the really weird part. Turns out Valerie, the woman reading my blog, is a student at MCAD and she majors in Advertising. A friend of hers (also, it turns out, a friend of mine—thanks, Mason!) saw my tweet about the curriculum and forwarded the link to Valerie, suggesting she enroll in my class—which she had already done.

Well, let Valerie tell you the story. She sent me this awesome graphic outlining the experience from her perspective. It speaks to how oddly and immediately connected we can be in this day and age.

Comments

[Matt Dickman]

Awesome post Tim. Shows you the real power of social media is the offline connections.

[Beth Robinson]

I thought that was really cool at the "you SAW someone you didn't know reading your blog" part. The follow up was even better. Thanks for sharing.

[Alan Wolk]

That so cool Tim.

I 100% hear you about knowing on an intellectual level that strangers read your stuff but not quite believing it.

Even now, when people tell me "Oh I read your blog" I think they're just being polite or they glanced at it once.

Oh, and Valerie: great visual.

[pwenzel]

I would also add to the equation that Minneapolis is mind-bogglingly small-towny. No matter what coffee shop you enter, there is always somebody within earshot who knows you, or some bit of tasty gossip being whispered.

[Dan Knutson]

This is AWESOME! I am now sitting at Spy House (original location) and find myself eyeing others' computer screens ...

I wish this worked in the online dating world :-)

[Schmittyapolis]

Good timing for Valerie!

I wished I had that kind of luck!

[Kristina Halvorson]

Excellent post, Tim - and kudos for Valerie for capturing it so quickly in a stellar graphic.

Two very powerful experiences well-captured in a single post.

[Matt Pruett]

I was just thinking about how funny this little turn of events was when I turned on my facebook and it's right there on my wall in the form of an easy to read flow chart. Very nice.

[Pete (pjbfcp)]

Wait a minute, You're telling me all those people online might actually be at coffee shops right now. So they're, "Real"? I thought this social thing was just a marketing idea.

[Joe Kutchera]

Great post capturing how digital communications can enhance professional communications. Can we call it Serendipity 2.0? Hoping to come to the MIMA party on Wednesday, so let's aim to chat in person then.