Full Transcript for Turning Conversations into Community

idea. 00:01:56.719 --> 00:02:07.280 I mean that's when you start to realise it's I I guess when I launched it and it snowballed pretty quick, I thought I'm onto something here, and I still get I use the tagline Are You In and I still get people saying I'm in. 00:02:07.439 --> 00:02:15.840 And the early days kind of made me understand what it could become, yeah, but I'm still nowhere near along the journey of what will it become? 00:02:15.919 --> 00:02:17.680 I think we're still I'm still learning. 00:02:18.240 --> 00:02:19.599 Tell me about the newsletter. 00:02:19.680 --> 00:02:25.599 I mean, that's a critical point of the community, and quite frankly, I look forward every Friday to get the newsletter in the morning. 00:02:25.840 --> 00:02:31.039 So, how I mean is it something you started immediately with the community, or that was just like a second step? 00:02:31.280 --> 00:02:37.919 I think I started posting news on Fridays years ago, like on my feed, and then somebody said to me you should do it as a newsletter. 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:42.479 I thought that's a good idea, and I I I can't remember the date, it's probably about three years ago, I'd say. 00:02:42.560 --> 00:02:50.879 So it's pre-data centre club, it's before data centre club, and and again, I think as the industry's grown, the the newsletter's growing. 00:02:50.960 --> 00:03:02.560 You know, I've got nearly over 50,000 subscribers now, which seems crazy, and it's something that, like you say, the industry relies on, and I feel that pressure every uh every Friday morning when I'm right panically writing it after uh a busy. 00:03:03.039 --> 00:03:13.680 You should also bring the question how do you decide what kind of news you want to share with the rest of the community versus the one that maybe don't simply deserve any any attention? 00:03:13.919 --> 00:03:20.400 I always go with I've always focused on like big announcements, so whether that's construction projects, capital investment. 00:03:20.560 --> 00:03:27.439 So always on that, but I've also always tried to incorporate articles that are I guess thought-provoking that are sharing different stories. 00:03:27.520 --> 00:03:30.800 So you you'll see in my newsletter negative articles on the industry. 00:03:30.960 --> 00:03:39.280 I won't just show the positive, I'll show the you know the difference in opinions because I think it's important that people can formulate their opinion based on everything that's out there. 00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:52.639 You know, there's there's pros and cons to everything depending on the way you look at it, and I think what I've tried to do is share the holistic view of the industry so people can read both sides of the story and make and formulate their own opinion. 00:03:52.879 --> 00:03:56.639 And that brings me to another point, which is reputation. 00:03:56.800 --> 00:04:06.960 I think uh don't you think you have a responsibility at this point to considering the community you have in terms of how much you can drive eventually the reputation of uh the data center industry? 00:04:07.199 --> 00:04:11.840 I think I do I do feel it more as a responsibility now than I did, but again it's unintentional. 00:04:12.080 --> 00:04:17.920 So I I do feel sometimes I get some people message me saying why didn't I include their article? 00:04:18.079 --> 00:04:19.600 It could have been I just didn't see it. 00:04:19.759 --> 00:04:22.000 Like it's you know it's I can't see everything. 00:04:22.079 --> 00:04:27.199 Um or if it I look uh products, I don't really include products because it would just become too much. 00:04:27.360 --> 00:04:36.240 It's not a it's not a choice, it's more of what the newsletter was when I started, it's just grown from there, and you could there's only a lit, there's a limit to what you can include in it. 00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:40.160 So I've tried to focus on the same areas, you know, even now. 00:04:40.399 --> 00:04:45.439 I'm sure if I went back, you know, it feels like the newsletter's getting longer and longer than it was two years ago. 00:04:46.480 --> 00:04:48.560 That's the way the industry works, exactly. 00:04:48.639 --> 00:04:52.639 Yeah, and some weeks you look at you know North America and it'll just go on and on and on and on forever. 00:04:52.720 --> 00:04:55.439 So it's difficult, uh, and you could just keep going and keep going. 00:04:55.519 --> 00:04:58.240 So I try and I guess what I try and include is the big news. 00:04:58.399 --> 00:05:02.480 Yeah, try and find all the big news, whether it's big investment, big projects, whatever it might be. 00:05:02.560 --> 00:05:08.560 And then the other interesting articles is just like if it's thought-provoking, or if I read it and I learned something and I think someone else. 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:19.600 And that's the digital part of it, and then you also added the physical aspect of it because we have like in-person kind of meeting and gathering, right? 00:05:19.759 --> 00:05:24.560 Uh, how did it come to your mind, you know, to create those kind of events? 00:05:24.800 --> 00:05:27.759 I think you a community has to have physical, doesn't it? 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:33.120 I guess post-COVID we became more physical, physical events became more important. 00:05:33.920 --> 00:05:36.560 I tend to forget those two years when this time. 00:05:36.800 --> 00:05:39.040 And I think as AI comes in, it's going to be even more important. 00:05:39.199 --> 00:05:41.040 Physical connection is going to be what we've got, isn't it? 00:05:41.120 --> 00:05:42.639 That's what we that's what we're going to be doing. 00:05:42.800 --> 00:05:45.199 Technology will do a lot of the rest, but physical connection. 00:05:45.279 --> 00:05:45.680 That's true. 00:05:45.839 --> 00:05:47.920 Um, and I think the demand was there, and more people wanted it. 00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:50.160 And if you've got a community, it has to be connected. 00:05:50.319 --> 00:05:53.519 I don't think it you can

obviously have an online community, but that's not what I wanted. 00:05:53.600 --> 00:06:02.720 I wanted a physical connection, and I was chatting to Paul Hammer and he said about doing data centre club nights, and and obviously we met at one in London a few years back. 00:06:02.879 --> 00:06:08.160 We've had them in Bahrain, Singapore, Sydney, um, Zurich, all over the world. 00:06:08.240 --> 00:06:11.439 And but they've they're driven by an individual in that area, it's not it's not me. 00:06:11.920 --> 00:06:17.680 Obviously, London was us, but it a lot of the time it's somebody in that region saying, Look, I'd like to get a little group of people together. 00:06:17.759 --> 00:06:19.120 Can I use your brand? 00:06:19.279 --> 00:06:19.839 Yeah, of course. 00:06:20.079 --> 00:06:20.639 That's the whole idea. 00:06:20.879 --> 00:06:21.439 That's what makes sense. 00:06:21.680 --> 00:06:25.680 Use the brand, launch it, data centre club night Scotland's become quite a data centre club Scotland. 00:06:26.160 --> 00:06:30.560 And then now we have also some kind of spin-offs like the centre marketing club. 00:06:30.720 --> 00:06:31.040 Yeah. 00:06:31.600 --> 00:06:39.839 Tell me something about how did you start and uh I think what's the future for this kind of mini spin-off of the office world. 00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:45.040 Well, a data centre marketing club is you, obviously asking me for a coffee and saying I'd like to start a marketing community, you know. 00:06:45.360 --> 00:06:46.319 And that's what it takes. 00:06:46.399 --> 00:06:53.600 It takes someone passionate about their specialism or their niche to drive it, and and then you use the community to bring people together. 00:06:54.319 --> 00:06:56.319 You have a request from other functions or people. 00:06:56.720 --> 00:07:07.759 We've looked at we're looking at one in sort of talent, so people around HR, talent acquisition, try and get people collaborating in that world, but it's a very difficult world to get people to collaborate in when it when they're all fighting for the same talent. 00:07:07.839 --> 00:07:10.240 So it's trying to that's a challenge. 00:07:10.319 --> 00:07:12.240 Um, but we've looked at loads of different ones. 00:07:12.319 --> 00:07:16.399 I think there's value, you could have a community, I think, in every every niche. 00:07:16.639 --> 00:07:20.399 I think it's just is that possible, is it sustainable? 00:07:20.480 --> 00:07:23.120 And you need somebody really to drive it. 00:07:23.279 --> 00:07:29.759 I think it's important that you know, like marketing club works because you're in marketing, you understand the challenges. 00:07:29.839 --> 00:07:32.160 I think I couldn't start one on engineering. 00:07:32.240 --> 00:07:49.839 I think you'd need an engineer to really drive it, and I guess that's yeah, and I think I found one of the main needs for uh the data center marketing club being the fact that we are isolated, meaning we are part of small marketing teams, but in

a way we are completely isolated from all the other companies. 00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:52.000 So that is in a way fielding. 00:07:52.399 --> 00:07:57.279 Well I think that's that's data center club and it's like it's ethos was everywhere, the whole industry is like that. 00:07:57.439 --> 00:07:57.759 Yeah, exactly. 00:07:57.920 --> 00:08:01.279 But the industry now is pretty collaborative to a degree. 00:08:02.879 --> 00:08:06.240 If you go back three, four years, yeah, no one even talked to each other. 00:08:06.399 --> 00:08:15.759 And that was what I struggle to understand when I go to events and it was all very siloed, and you know, no one will tell anyone what they were doing, even though everybody knew what everyone else was doing, we just didn't talk about it. 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:18.319 Which is also giving you more responsibilities, right? 00:08:18.399 --> 00:08:25.199 And how they are driving a so large community at the point that you are considered and properly an influencer. 00:08:25.360 --> 00:08:29.199 So you you are a proper B2B influencer, which is also the reason why you are here in Dublin. 00:08:29.519 --> 00:08:31.279 I'm in Dublin with you, AVK. 00:08:31.360 --> 00:08:38.320 Yeah, I think um, and again, like I find I'm very fortunate I get these opportunities like today with you, an AVK and pure. 00:08:39.120 --> 00:08:41.919 Not a people in my job shouldn't have these opportunities. 00:08:42.000 --> 00:08:47.039 That's yeah, I'm very fortunate I've got it, but I think I've achieved it because I've always done it with the right ethos. 00:08:47.360 --> 00:08:53.679 Like my ethos is to share, to collaborate, to help help the industry, like promote the industry is it's the best industry in the world. 00:08:53.759 --> 00:08:55.440 I'll I'll argue, I argue with everyone about it. 00:08:55.519 --> 00:08:59.360 And I think people ask me for like the blueprint, you know, how how did you do what you do? 00:08:59.440 --> 00:09:05.759 Like if I could sell what I've created, I'd be I'd I'm sure I'd be a very rich man, but I think it works because it's accidental. 00:09:05.919 --> 00:09:09.919 Um and I always say to my children, like, you know, they're like, Are you a creator or an influencer? 00:09:10.080 --> 00:09:14.559 I'm like, well, in this little world of data centers, I am, but don't worry about it, kids. 00:09:14.639 --> 00:09:15.360 It doesn't mean anything to you. 00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:18.480 Andy, tell me about your plans for the future of the community. 00:09:18.559 --> 00:09:23.919 I mean, you already did some something that, in my opinion, is extremely innovative, for example, the pubcast. 00:09:24.080 --> 00:09:24.240 Yeah. 00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:27.360 Tell me about the pubcast, but also what you have in mind for the future. 00:09:27.600 --> 00:09:34.399 I think the pucast was again, we were chatting about it a few, it seems like ages ago, but it probably wasn't that long ago, a year ago. 00:09:34.480 --> 00:09:41.039 And

um I just wanted to bring people into an environment where they feel comfortable, and that's the guest and the audience. 00:09:41.200 --> 00:09:45.120 I think one thing I noticed about the pubcast audience was there were some different people there. 00:09:45.440 --> 00:09:49.440 There were people from other industries that were trying to learn about the sector. 00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:56.879 There was obviously you know some important people from the industry there as well, but it was that environment where everyone, I guess, felt comfortable. 00:09:57.039 --> 00:09:58.240 And I think that's a pub, isn't it? 00:09:58.320 --> 00:10:02.879 Like if you go back to the yeah, we're in Dublin now, you can give the perfect place for pubs. 00:10:03.039 --> 00:10:11.039 Like, pubs are that environment where you can go sit down with your mates or with your friends, have a chat over a beer, and that that's what I wanted to create. 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:15.039 And obviously, doing it with Rory, who's a good mate anyway, from the industry helps. 00:10:15.200 --> 00:10:23.039 It it gave us that ability to use our friendship to have a bit of a chat with with industry veterans, and uh, and we definitely want to do more. 00:10:23.840 --> 00:10:25.360 What else do you envision for the community? 00:10:25.679 --> 00:10:27.440 How this is evolving, in your opinion. 00:10:27.679 --> 00:10:32.080 I want to do more physical events, but not events as they are today. 00:10:32.159 --> 00:10:33.600 I don't want to compete with the event. 00:10:33.840 --> 00:10:34.720 The events of today are brilliant. 00:10:34.879 --> 00:10:35.519 That's morally the case. 00:10:35.759 --> 00:10:36.960 Yeah, that's not what I want to do. 00:10:37.039 --> 00:10:42.480 I want to create informal networking environments where people can learn. 00:10:42.559 --> 00:10:50.559 You know, people can connect, but they can also go away thinking I learned something today, not just I saw some good products or I saw a good panel about power. 00:10:50.639 --> 00:10:57.200 Like they're generally where they've learned something, and it might be that it's leadership or you know, it might be they're learning from a different industry. 00:10:57.279 --> 00:11:02.159 You know, like I'm sure like you know, we learn a lot from you from your time outside the industry, bringing it into the industry. 00:11:02.240 --> 00:11:03.759 And I think that's really important. 00:11:03.919 --> 00:11:06.559 I think we're a siloed world of data centers. 00:11:07.120 --> 00:11:08.799 I think you're touching also an interesting point. 00:11:08.960 --> 00:11:16.960 All the new people coming to the industry, they are in a way lost, and uh they need some kind of centre of gravity, and the community can be one of the different things. 00:11:17.279 --> 00:11:22.879 And I think they can also they can bring brilliant ideas because they see it differently, and I think that's what I've learned. 00:11:22.960 --> 00:11:33.039 Like the people that are come from other industries, they see the challenges totally different, or they say, actually, we dealt with this challenge before in maritime, this is what we did, and that's what the industry didn't do for years. 00:11:33.120 --> 00:11:44.639 It was we're data centers don't come and help us, whereas now all these fresh minds are bringing new ideas, but and they do they but they also want to connect with the people that are in the industry because it's can be difficult to get into that circle. 00:11:44.960 --> 00:11:54.000 Again, it's much easier now than it was, but yeah, so I'd love to create something where that kind of ethos of a a community is is a bit more physical. 00:11:54.080 --> 00:11:56.960 Um what that looks like, I'm open to ideas. 00:11:57.360 --> 00:11:57.519 Good. 00:11:57.759 --> 00:12:01.440 Andy, thank you very much for uh uh sharing all this information with me. 00:12:01.519 --> 00:12:01.679 Thank you. 00:12:01.919 --> 00:12:03.279 Thank you for having me in Dublin. 00:12:03.759 --> 00:12:04.639 Go to the pub.