Alt-MBA

1. The ASAMBA Program.
Preparation and pre-readings: Now
First Day of "Classes": 1/19/2009
Last Day to Register: 1/21/2009
Last Day of "Classes": 7/10/2009
Peer Reviews Due: 7/17/2009
Commencement Ceremony: 7/20/2009

Since we will be providing diploma-esque certificates to reward those who have gone through the entire program, we will be limiting registration to the first week of "Classes". If this is successful and there is interest we will have a follow on course starting in August, where people who missed out on the original registration can sign up. This was a hard choice, but we need people engaged from the beginning. And we feel OK about it because after we record the materials, we will have them live in the online world, available to everyone!

2. Book discussions.
Weekly discussions on books from PersonalMBA We know there are LOTS of books to read, so don't worry, you don't have to read everyone (although we do encourage it). Instead, we will be adopting the 'To teach is to learn twice' philosophy. Every week, we will feature a new book, then its your choice to read it or not. We will then ask for a group member, at the beginning of the week, to provide a 'spark notes' version of the book using slideshare, podcast, google presentation, jing, or other online medium. That same group member will then lead a discussion for that book, and then moderate a conference call at the end of the week. We will be using dimdim so that in addition to being able to be live on the call, we can have a whiteboard area to.

3. Share and grow your ideas.
We will be asking each member to step-up and share their ideas. Either in discussion groups, on squidoo, slideshare, or any other online format. Then, as one collective group, we will be collaborating to grow that idea. New week, new idea.

4. Expert contributions.
We will be recruiting experts and have these experts present on a topic of interest. Add your topic and vote for it - we will go with what the group decides! Presentations will be presented in similar formats to the books using slideshare, podcast, google presentation, jing, or other online medium.

5. Industry and news analysis and discussion on trends...
This area of the program allows for us to pull on news articles (such as facebook is dead), to discuss on a weekly basis. We'll ask for different group members to moderate discussions around the articles, and then issue an official 'ASAMBA Point-of-view' at the end of the discussion period.

6. Evaluations.
We will be doing evaluations on the program as a whole using Google Forms or Surveymonkey. We want to make sure the program exceeds your expectations, so evaluations will help keep it on track! We'll ask that members, after "teaching" their topic initiate their own, personal evaluation so that each can receive constructive criticism on how to continue to grow and improve.
If you have ideas now... we want to hear them. Please don't wait for the evaluation!

7. Certificate of completion.
Yes, this program will have one. Judged by your peers, active participation is the key determinant to your grade. Teaching is to learn twice. So in order to really learn, we ask that you teach.

8. Recording the program.
We will be recording and compiling all slideshares, google presentations, podcasts, discussions, webinars, live-meetings, etc. so that at the end of the program, we will have one central location where all the information can be repurposed. Plan as of now is for this to live OFF of triiibes so that it can assist people not in this program.

As I was talking about the original opportunity with all of my friends and getting really, really excited about it, I started telling them about who Seth Godin was, and what he did. Many of them had heard me talk about him before, but were now truly interested for the first time. I love the passion and energy that Seth brings to the table, and even though I don't always agree with him, he gives me more to think about on a daily basis than most others.

Then I started looking at the lenses of all the other applicants, and looking at their "digital footprint" as it were, and I knew that there were a ton of incredible people out there who have a lot to offer a program such as this. I was starting to think about this this morning before I got the official word from Seth, that the people that applied and weren't selected were just as amazing as those who would be, and that random chance would exclude many many people who would bring awesome stuff to this program.

I really think we can do this, and that it can be just as amazing as what the people in the "official" program are going to get. Those of us in the Alt-SAMBA, will keep doing our day jobs, and like activities, and that will give us a greater diversity which in many ways will be an improvement over the original program. Not that the people that Seth selects won't be diverse, but they will be working on the same thing day in and day out, where we will bring all types of day in and day out experiences to the table.