Why Bother with Twitter?

My uncle is dumbfounded that I'm on Twitter, and he's certainly not alone. Many people simply don't see the use in reading thousands of tiny messages that let you know that some guy in Alaska just brushed his dog's teeth. I'll admit to having been skeptical when I first heard of the site, but over the past year I've found it to be one of the most useful resources in my day-to-day life. Here's why:

• VC's are all over Twitter. Having followed the community for the past year, I've found it to be an immensely useful way to develop a better sense for what's happening in the industry. But you have to look beyond the single message to see the value. For instance, a recent Tweet by Brad Feld stating that he did CES in 3.45 hours isn't useful on its own, but thousands of messages just like that over the course of a year begin to paint a picture of what VC's are doing. Jeff Bussgang recently wrote an excellent article on peHUB in which he estimates that 10-15% of the VC community blogs and provides a succinct and convincing argument for the value of blogs and Twitter. I'm convinced that these new technologies are fundamentally changing the industry.
  
• Much of my news now starts at Twitter. People post articles throughout the day, which serves as a valuable way for me to find interesting and relevant info.
  
• MBA's are on Twitter in all their glory, albeit in small numbers. For instance, the Kellogg Twitter community currently has 41 students, alumni and staff. We're on there every day, chatting up various random events happening around campus as well as news, thoughts, and random observations. It's not just a social outlet - it's actually an invaluable means for keeping track of what's happening. For instance, if it weren't for Twitter, I would have missed the deadline for applying to NBI. And thanks to conversations that took place entirely through Twitter, I decided to take Turbo Finance, which was the right decision for me. I share fellow first year Orlando O'Neill's perspective that Kellogg students shouldn't be afraid of the course.

Altogether, don't look at Twitter through a magnifying glass. If you do, each message will seem strikingly pointless. Instead, take a 50,000 foot view, and you will begin to develop a broader sense for what's happening in your community and in those of others. That's worth a lot.