Dope Corners of the Internet

An antidote for LinkedIn cringe

💭 Wow, the internet is actually kinda dope.

That feels like a hot take these days, but that’s genuinely the thought I had after closing out a Zoom call last week.

I’m currently enrolled in an online writing course called Write of Passage, which features 5 weeks of live sessions, assignments, and a very active community. Whatever picture you have in your mind about a group of writers studying writing, this probably aint it.

In my first breakout room, a woman opened up about how her cancer diagnosis changed her view of the mind-body connection and revealed a new path in her work as a physician. In my second room, a man unpacked his ambivalence around his ADHD and its role in his search for purpose in life.

Fuck the “How’s your week been… ya can’t believe its only Wednesday” small talk, we dove straight into the deep end. I left each conversation feeling lit up and inspired to tell my own stories. 

So why were these people willing to open up to me, an internet stranger, in a Zoom room? As much as I want to claim it’s because of my kind eyes and generous listening skills, I have to think it’s the vibe that Write of Passage curates. There’s a theme in the course that everyone has stories to tell, and writing is a matter of uncovering and sharing those stories in an authentic, playful way. That’s a vibe that is noticeably different than other parts of the internet… 👀 LinkedIn

(click the video, then the 🔊 icon for sound on)

@fredasquithWe literally used to live in caves 👔 #linkedin #corporatelife #9to5

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No shade, I’ve been that cringey LinkedIn Sim too 👨🏻‍💼 Sometimes you just gotta play the game right? 

But tbh I’m over playing that game. I don’t think it’s one I care about winning. 

In my search for a different game, I’ve started to piece together a map from various dope corners of the internet. 

These corners are mostly smaller online communities- built and curated for connection, not viral content. Besides Write of Passage, here are some other spaces I’ve been spending time in recently (along with their Substacks if you want to read more):

• Bonfire With Soul is a community and course about bringing more soul and empathy into business

• Pathless Path is a community of folks pursuing non-traditional work/life paths instead of the default path (📝 Pathless by Paul Millerd)

• Small Bets is a community of digital entrepreneurs building, tinkering, and encouraging others (📝Small Bets Newsletter)

• the cabin is a community of conscious business owners and creatives who come together to do focused deep work, bookended by meditation and reflection

• Cabin is a community of internet friends building a network of communal living opportunities (📝Future of Living)

There’s lots of intersection in these groups, and discovering them through overlapping members feels like pulling on a thread that’s helping me untangle my interests and find my people. Through these communities I’ve found:

✍️ Support from fellow writers excited to discuss and edit my work

🏘️ A coliving community in Lisbon where I lived for a month

🤝 Work opportunities and mentorship from kind, grounded people

🎉 Online-turned-IRL friends that have gathered for festivals, dinner parties, and travel

At times it’s felt vulnerable putting myself out there in these small spaces and hoping to fit in - like showing up to a birthday party where you know the guest of honor but no one else. But if I’m gonna throw shade at people for posing on the internet, the least I can do is try another path. Put more eloquently by the legend himself from Tuesdays With Morrie:

Say less Morrie 🫡

Goodwill and good vibes aren’t dead on the internet, you just have to be willing to go look for the dope corners.

Put me on to your dope corners in the comments,

Brandon