Twitter: A Home For Us All

I wear my passions on my sleeve, and so it’s no surprise that people often ask me about my deep engagement as a Twitter user.

Let me tell you a story that will give some clarity on why I believe that Twitter is the most meaningful platform and special company of our time.

In the early nineties, I was a high school freshman and sophomore who spent weekends wearing suspenders, lugging around a briefcase, and traveling around the country on the debate team, arguing the merits of the philosophies of Locke, Hobbes, Kant, and Rousseau.

Yep, and my dating life reflected this too.

As a high school debater in my early years, I racked up many more losses than wins.

Candidly, I was getting my butt kicked every way to Sunday.

It wasn’t until the summer between my sophomore and junior years that I sat down and analyzed the following:

1. I didn’t have to be the smartest guy in the room — these kids were brilliant, but there was a way I could beat them if I told my story, my way;
2. The kids that were beating me were so deep in complex philosophy that they were talking over the judges’ heads, but still winning because I couldn’t come up with strong responses if I tried to play their game and not my own; and
3. I came up with a new strategy: speak to the judges (teachers and parents), and talk in terms that were easily digestible. Take complicated subjects and make them simple. Engage with my audience, rather than talk at them.

With my new approach to high school debate, I finished both my junior and senior year as a top-ten debater in the nation.

That is when I learned my first lesson about the critical marriage of content and context.

That’s when I learned that the content didn’t matter if it wasn’t delivered in a digestible format.

That’s when I learned that the content could be brilliant, but without context and audience buy-in, it was meaningless. And I found my window to victory-lane.

Fast forward into my adult years, and enter, Twitter.

Many years ago, I decided that I wanted to engage with and learn from the most special and interesting people in the world. The virtue I hoped to gain from this goal was to up my own game by surrounding myself with winners, as the more winners we surround ourselves with, the stronger we become.

“Special” to me was defined as individuals, companies and brands with authentic and interesting world views. Some were industry leaders, some were authors, but it was really a mixed bag through a cross-section of verticals.

I created a list of the best people I would want to surround myself with, and then took to Twitter to execute on this plan of building dialogue and also to learn from them.

I didn’t have email addresses or their phone numbers, but I had something better: I had people’s Twitter handles. And these people were open to engagement.

So I engaged. I shared, I listened, I jumped into conversations, I published, and I became even more open. In learning I also shared.

Over time, I developed a voice, and with that voice came an ability to have meaningful dialogue. Not just about tech, but about anything. About everything.

When I wanted to engage with some of the most impactful writers or venture capitalists of our time, Twitter was there. When I wanted to question the status quo, Twitter was there. When I lost a friend to suicide, or when I was questioning my role in the entrepreneurial eco-system, Twitter was there. When I published my first article, or my favorite article, when I had questions about being a new dad, when I had great news to share, or life challenges to face, Twitter was there. And when I was so sad about too much cancer, Twitter was there.

And not only was Twitter there, but it was there as a catalyst to help me think bigger. And to be better.

And through Twitter, I have grown as a person, with a new stable of friends and mentors, who went from online engagement to offline players in my journey of life.

On a macro level, Twitter is the most tremendous and relevant community of our time, with an ability to engage in a manner never before possible and totally unique to its platform.

But it’s the micro level that makes Twitter stand head and shoulders above everything else.

At its most basic level, Twitter is home.

Twitter is the truest intersection of content and context.

Twitter is a place for the greatest stories to be crafted and shared.

Twitter is a place to grow. It’s through Twitter that I have learned a great deal about humility and authenticity. It’s no surprise that some of the most shared tweets are those of brutal honesty, that once rare is becoming embraced because of Twitter.

Twitter is also a place to build meaningful relationships. It’s through the platform and engaging with some of the most special people I could imagine meeting that online engagement has turned into offline stories with friends and mentors.

The truth is, we’ve always been story tellers. Whether it was around the campfire, behind the pulpit, or through the printing press, our stories continue to endure even as technology has evolved. But there is an important difference now. It has never been easier for anyone to grab a microphone as we have each become our own brands, able to craft narratives that echo our values.

Twitter is a place that has invited all of us in, to hang our hats, and to sit down and get comfortable, and make impact in 140 characters, a Vine, or a Periscope. Direct Messaging is the new method of an introduction. And Twitter has changed the manner of content consumption through Twitter Moments, which is a game changer in itself.

And, maybe, just maybe, if you tell a story that is remarkable, people will remark about it.

This is what makes Twitter most sticky for me.

This is what makes it so special.

A home is what I believe that Biz, Jack, and Ev ultimately built. A home that is open to anyone with a desire to tell their story and learn about others, and a home for us all to engage and share our world with the world. A home for us to play at multiple intersections.

A home for us to question, to challenge, to be challenged, and to use our mouse as a megaphone and have a real voice. A canvas for us to paint on with limitless opportunity.

I look forward to being part of the journey that is being a Twitter user, as this is only the beginning.

Please feel free to share this post, and of course, to engage with me on Twitter @jeremyshure