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Interact Spaces

Circles Symposium · 13-April-2022

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Chautauqua Institution

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Chautauqua Institution

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Chautauqua Institution

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Chautauqua Institution

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Chautauqua Institution

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The reason I'm telling you about Chautauqua is that I had a sudden epiphany in December after spending a significant amount of time with Interacters during Art Basel in Miami. One night when I was walking home, it hit me that Interact has the seeds of a modern-day Chautauqua. Much like Chautauqua, Interact provides a shared context and other social infrastructure for people to learn and build new things.

However, there’s a crucial difference — Chautauqua is embodied in a place that can adapt and grow with its community, while the spaces that Interact inhabits have always been ephemeral. These ephemeral spaces have been fertile soil for Interact, a place where meaningful relationships and projects have blossomed. But as soon as I started thinking of Chautauqua as inspiration, it made me wonder: what would it mean for Interact to be a place, and not just an idea?

I started pestering Maran this winter, and we decided it would be a fun idea to put together a Circle to explore this concept. So for the past 6 weeks, our little group has been exploring questions like “What would it mean for Interact to put down roots somewhere more permanent?” and "How can Interact invest in physical space in the coming months, years, and decades to help the community flourish?”

Today we’ll walk you through the various ideas and opportunities we’ve explored, and what we plan to do next.

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Table of contents

�Introduction

Phase 1: Exploration�Phase 2: Idea generation�Phase 3: Experiment

We need your help!

Appendix + Q&A

Introduction

Here’s a quick table of contents of where we’ll spend our time today…

Introduction – first, I’ll share a brief introduction of who’s in our Circle and what motivated us to come together
Exploration –Then, I’ll talk about how our group spent the first few weeks sharing context on what we love about various spaces where we’ve spent time, and what sorts of spaces we’d like to have more access to in the future. We also discussed what other spaces and programs exist, the needs they fill, and where we thought the holes might be.
Idea generation – Then with that shared context, we generated a bunch of ideas of the sorts of spaces that Interact could invest in, both now and into the future.
Experiment – We got really excited about some of these ideas, and we decided that the next step for learning more about them was to start experimenting with investing in an actual space to see how Interacters use it. I’ll save the details for when we get to this step. :)
We need your help! – As we design this program, there are some important things we could use your input and help on!
Appendix + Q&A – Finally, I’ll point you to the other documents we’ve generated during our Circle, and I’ll leave a bunch of time for questions.

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Table of contents

�Introduction

Phase 1: Exploration�Phase 2: Idea generation�Phase 3: Experiment

We need your help!

Appendix + Q&A

Introduction

Here’s a quick table of contents of where we’ll spend our time today:

Introduction – first, I’ll share a brief introduction of who’s in our Circle and what motivated us to come together
Exploration –Then, I’ll talk about how our group spent the first few weeks sharing context on what we love about various spaces where we’ve spent time, and what sorts of spaces we’d like to have more access to in the future. We also discussed what other spaces and programs exist, the needs they fill, and where we thought the holes might be.
Idea generation – Then with that shared context, we generated a bunch of ideas of the sorts of spaces that Interact could invest in, both now and into the future.
Experiment – We got really excited about some of these ideas, and we decided that the next step for learning more about them was to start experimenting with investing in an actual space to see how Interacters use it. I’ll save the details for when we get to this step. :)
We need your help! – As we design this program, there are some important things we could use your input and help on!
Appendix + Q&A – Finally, I’ll point you to the other documents we’ve generated during our Circle, and I’ll leave a bunch of time for questions.

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Table of contents

�Introduction

Phase 1: Exploration�Phase 2: Idea generation�Phase 3: Experiment

We need your help!

Appendix + Q&A

Introduction

Here’s a quick table of contents of where we’ll spend our time today:

Introduction – first, I’ll share a brief introduction of who’s in our Circle and what motivated us to come together
Exploration –Then, I’ll talk about how our group spent the first few weeks sharing context on what we love about various spaces where we’ve spent time, and what sorts of spaces we’d like to have more access to in the future. We also discussed what other spaces and programs exist, the needs they fill, and where we thought the holes might be.
Idea generation – Then with that shared context, we generated a bunch of ideas of the sorts of spaces that Interact could invest in, both now and into the future.
Experiment – We got really excited about some of these ideas, and we decided that the next step for learning more about them was to start experimenting with investing in an actual space to see how Interacters use it. I’ll save the details for when we get to this step. :)
We need your help! – As we design this program, there are some important things we could use your input and help on!
Appendix + Q&A – Finally, I’ll point you to the other documents we’ve generated during our Circle, and I’ll leave a bunch of time for questions.

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Table of contents

�Introduction

Phase 1: Exploration�Phase 2: Idea generation�Phase 3: Experiment

We need your help!

Appendix + Q&A

Introduction

Here’s a quick table of contents of where we’ll spend our time today:

Introduction – first, I’ll share a brief introduction of who’s in our Circle and what motivated us to come together
Exploration –Then, I’ll talk about how our group spent the first few weeks sharing context on what we love about various spaces where we’ve spent time, and what sorts of spaces we’d like to have more access to in the future. We also discussed what other spaces and programs exist, the needs they fill, and where we thought the holes might be.
Idea generation – Then with that shared context, we generated a bunch of ideas of the sorts of spaces that Interact could invest in, both now and into the future.
Experiment – We got really excited about some of these ideas, and we decided that the next step for learning more about them was to start experimenting with investing in an actual space to see how Interacters use it. I’ll save the details for when we get to this step. :)
We need your help! – As we design this program, there are some important things we could use your input and help on!
Appendix + Q&A – Finally, I’ll point you to the other documents we’ve generated during our Circle, and I’ll leave a bunch of time for questions.

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Table of contents

�Introduction

Phase 1: Exploration�Phase 2: Idea generation�Phase 3: Experiment

We need your help!

Appendix + Q&A

Introduction

Here’s a quick table of contents of where we’ll spend our time today:

Introduction – first, I’ll share a brief introduction of who’s in our Circle and what motivated us to come together
Exploration –Then, I’ll talk about how our group spent the first few weeks sharing context on what we love about various spaces where we’ve spent time, and what sorts of spaces we’d like to have more access to in the future. We also discussed what other spaces and programs exist, the needs they fill, and where we thought the holes might be.
Idea generation – Then with that shared context, we generated a bunch of ideas of the sorts of spaces that Interact could invest in, both now and into the future.
Experiment – We got really excited about some of these ideas, and we decided that the next step for learning more about them was to start experimenting with investing in an actual space to see how Interacters use it. I’ll save the details for when we get to this step. :)
We need your help! – As we design this program, there are some important things we could use your input and help on!
Appendix + Q&A – Finally, I’ll point you to the other documents we’ve generated during our Circle, and I’ll leave a bunch of time for questions.

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Table of contents

�Introduction

Phase 1: Exploration�Phase 2: Idea generation�Phase 3: Experiment

We need your help!

Appendix + Q&A

Introduction

Here’s a quick table of contents of where we’ll spend our time today:

Introduction – first, I’ll share a brief introduction of who’s in our Circle and what motivated us to come together
Exploration –Then, I’ll talk about how our group spent the first few weeks sharing context on what we love about various spaces where we’ve spent time, and what sorts of spaces we’d like to have more access to in the future. We also discussed what other spaces and programs exist, the needs they fill, and where we thought the holes might be.
Idea generation – Then with that shared context, we generated a bunch of ideas of the sorts of spaces that Interact could invest in, both now and into the future.
Experiment – We got really excited about some of these ideas, and we decided that the next step for learning more about them was to start experimenting with investing in an actual space to see how Interacters use it. I’ll save the details for when we get to this step. :)
We need your help! – As we design this program, there are some important things we could use your input and help on!
Appendix + Q&A – Finally, I’ll point you to the other documents we’ve generated during our Circle, and I’ll leave a bunch of time for questions.

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Table of contents

�Introduction

Phase 1: Exploration�Phase 2: Idea generation�Phase 3: Experiment

We need your help!

Appendix + Q&A

Introduction

Here’s a quick table of contents of where we’ll spend our time today:

Introduction – first, I’ll share a brief introduction of who’s in our Circle and what motivated us to come together
Exploration –Then, I’ll talk about how our group spent the first few weeks sharing context on what we love about various spaces where we’ve spent time, and what sorts of spaces we’d like to have more access to in the future. We also discussed what other spaces and programs exist, the needs they fill, and where we thought the holes might be.
Idea generation – Then with that shared context, we generated a bunch of ideas of the sorts of spaces that Interact could invest in, both now and into the future.
Experiment – We got really excited about some of these ideas, and we decided that the next step for learning more about them was to start experimenting with investing in an actual space to see how Interacters use it. I’ll save the details for when we get to this step. :)
We need your help! – As we design this program, there are some important things we could use your input and help on!
Appendix + Q&A – Finally, I’ll point you to the other documents we’ve generated during our Circle, and I’ll leave a bunch of time for questions.

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Circle members

Maran Nelson

Andy Matuschak

Molly Mielke

Andres Cuervo

Raffi Hotter

Nick Hanoian

Introduction

We started this Circle with……

We want to build our village in the physical world. This is a long multi-year multi-million dollar project that will take an enormous amount of time, money, and effort, but we hope the result will be a durable institution that will serve Interacts core mission for decades to come.
To get there, we are using first principles, design thinking, prototyping etc to better understand how interact exists in the physical world.
To start with, we are running a small experiment in the form of a new program called Interact Residencies.

First, I want to introduce to lovely people who joined me for this Circle.

Molly Mielke: Founder of Moth Minds, thinks a lot about grants. Is an editor at Stripe Press. Writes a lot.
Andres Cuervo: Core participant in DynamicLand, interested in opening a space in New York modeled off the same principles with Omar Rizwan. Anticipating founding a company in the education space trying to build better projection tools in schools. Thiel Fellow.
Raffi Hotter: New founder of a brain interface venture. Pulled together a large group house during Covid which had many Interact fellows. Plugged into a lot of adjacent Interact projects and thinking about space.
Nick Hanoian: New founder of a software platform called Composite, that hopes to help organizations manage the complexity of major real estate development efforts. His co-founder is also prospectively useful to us, as he has experience across architecture, development, and construction. Formerly developed properties in Los Angeles for a variety of uses from major art galleries to hotels, restaurants and coffee shops.
Maran Nelson: Founder of Interact and Clara Labs. You probably all know her already. :)
Andy Matuschak: Independent researcher focused on building tools that augment human memory and attention. Has spoken about an ongoing thought to put a lease on a space to work from, but hasn’t actually moved on it.

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Spaces that support our creative work

Phase 1: Exploration

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What Interacters want from physical space

�“…to relate the things that seem most important to me on a given day to others ... to see if my registers of importance line up, to see what's occupying another's thoughts in the shower…”�

“What would the ultimate remote work spot be like? What would the ultimate library be like?”�

“Nooks: create as many possibilities for ppl to feel absolutely comfortable—hammocks, benches, etc”�

“modern version of a well – wells historically were a meeting spot, since everyone had to get water”

Phase 1: Exploration

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Purposes

Boost confidence of people w/ unconventional careers

Lower the activation energy to hosting events

A place to “nerd out” and go deep

Gather people with a shared interest

Custom-built for Interact

Increase serendipity

Non-commercial place to hang out

Shared tools/resources/infrastructure

Home base when you travel

Hotspot for cool visitors

“Rooms for thinking” a la Bret Victor

Highlight great work that we value

Social pressure & support for doing great work

Framework for education

Provide legibility to important but illegible work

Beauty, awe, and a sense of the sacred

Share a meal together

Sense of permanence

Phase 2: Idea generation

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Opportunities

Permanent home for the retreat

Urban clubhouse

Crashpad in the city

Coffeehouse

University campus

Classroom

Art gallery, museum, exploratorium

Master-planned community

Library

Restaurant

Village

Modern-day Chautauqua

Makerspace, tool library

Community garden

Neighborhood in a city

Resort

Commune

Cathedral

Phase 2: Idea generation

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Criteria for our first experiment

Low-hanging fruit
Enthusiasm from Interacters
Can be used for multiple purposes
Has a central purpose (a “spine”) that generates critical mass
Can be tested quickly & then scaled up

Phase 2: Idea generation

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introducing

Interact Residencies

We’re excited to share that this summer, we’re going to begin our first real experiment of Interact investing in space.

It’s called Interact Residencies, a grants program to incubate breakthrough ideas about technology and the future, which will be hosted in a physical space in New York City for 6 weeks this summer.

This is solving an important problem in its own right – Interact has been thinking about how to more create supportive, collaborative environments for novel work for a long time, and has been thinking about how to create a grants program that can support its recipients in a differentiated way: pair grant with space.

We’re still really early in defining how Residencies will work, and the pilot we run this summer will inform how it evolves over time. We’re sharing the early outlines of Residencies to bring you into our thinking and get your input about a few key decisions we’re making right now about how the program will work.

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Interact Residencies at a glance

We’re going to run a pilot of Interact Residencies with these parameters:

15-25 Residents spend 6 weeks in NYC in summer 2022
Optional programming throughout to support Residents’ work
Present your work at the in-person Symposium at the end

Phase 3: Residencies experiment

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Residencies Calendar

15-25 Residents
6 weeks in NYC
Optional programming throughout to support Residents’ work
Present your work at the in-person Symposium at the end

Phase 3: Residencies experiment

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Why Residencies?

Non-commoditizable impact
We will prioritize lines of inquiry about technology that:

Propose a unique method of inquiry
Have a fresh take on philanthropy
Leverage Interact’s ecosystem

New pathway to join Interact besides the Fellowship

�

Phase 3: Residencies experiment

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Who should be a Resident?

We will prioritize lines of inquiry pertaining to technology that:

Propose novel methods of inquiry
Have a unique relationship with philanthropy
Leverage Interact’s ecosystem

Phase 3: Residencies experiment

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Long-term vision

Tweak parameters of how Residencies works, depending on what we learn from the pilot
Rent/buy a permanent space to host Interact Residencies
Expand to other cities/locations

Phase 3: Residencies experiment

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Time for questions!

To ask a question, type “I have a question!” in the Zoom chat

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We want your input!

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Who is someone you know who'd benefit from being a Resident? Why are they a good fit?

What specific events & other programming would be useful/interesting for the Residencies space to host?�
Do you know of spaces to rent in NYC?

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Do you know of spaces to rent in NYC?

Work space: A “base camp” for the Residents

6 weeks between June-August�We’re open to renting 2-3 places for a few weeks each �(though the less we have to move around, the better)
20-30 people, 20+ desks
Ideally would have some outdoor space too
e.g. townhouse, office space with multiple rooms�

Symposium space: Focal point of Symposium week

100-200 people
Space for people to present (e.g. stage, science fair, etc)
e.g. church, theater, large office space

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bit.ly/interact-residencies-suggestions

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Appendix

You can find this slide deck at: � bit.ly/interact-spaces-deck