Michael Karnjanaprakorn

A couple of years ago, I had an idea to create a site that introduces remarkable people to each other.  I knew there was going to be a huge backlash to being connected online – facebook, twitter, etc.  I got tired of meeting new people online, which I regarded as “weak connections” without really forging any new “genuine connections” which I believe could only occur offline.  With the rising popularity of match.com, meetup.com, and couchsurfing.com, I noticed a lot of sites that started to utilize technology to get people to meet in real life.

So I got to thinking, what if there was a service that introduces me to remarkable people that I should meet in my own city? But, like the saying goes, timing is everything.  I pitched the idea to Adrian Lai and Derek Lo who had mixed feelings about it.  “Who would pay a monthly fee to meet other people?  I already meet tons of people!  How would it work?”

So, like a lot of ideas, I put it on the backburner but something about this idea would never go away.  I started to do a little a bit of research and wrote some posts on my blog.  One around “Social Isolation“, “Social Origin of Good Ideas“, and another around “New Wealth“.  I started to read a lot of articles around these topics including “Sleeping by Strangers” by Good Magazine, “Social Networking for the Elite” by Business Week, and excellent blog posts on being connected that blew my mind.

And from there, I started hashing out the idea in my notebook and tons of Google Docs.  Looking back at my notes, here are the early versions of the idea (don’t laugh!)

Meet Interesting People
Meet other interesting people in your city over coffee, lunch, dinner, or drinks.  It’s not a dating site.  It’s a site to forge genuine connections for professional and personal use.

Purpose:
Using technology to facilitate face-to-face individual meetings.  connects interesting people that should meet to meet with each other on a more individual (micro) level.

Problem:
Only way you can meet new people is through events, friend of friends, etc.  all which are very time-consuming and proactive.

Most social networks don’t create genuine networks and relationships.  Within the past 20 years, the rise and triumph of communication technologies— proliferation of email, cell phones, BlackBerries, and MySpace—have caused our circle of close friends and confidants to shrink by a significant margin.  We are somehow more connected than we once were, and more isolated than ever before.

Online social networks have replaced local communities, unique cultures, and genuine connections that can only occur face-to-face.  The world’s greatest achievements across all realms are a result of collaborations, which also spawns accountability and cross-pollination.  “Going it alone” seldom works, and without a strong network, most ideas will never happen.

So yeah, those were the first drafts at carving up By/Association.  From there, I started to hash out the idea and just launched it.  And as you can see today, it’s come a long way.

By/Association is a private service for personal introductions to remarkable people.We hand select our members for their exceptional creativity, vision, and cross-disciplinary networks.

We then introduce them to each other. Because when two amazing people get together, their potential impact grows and the world changes shape.

We know someone you should meet. 

I encourage everyone to read the “manifesto” which is what drove the branding and strategy behind the entire site.  So, today marks the first day that we launch By/Association in New York and San Francisco.  It’s been a long journey and I hope that you guys sign-up!