Bernaisesource

[Today’s entry is the first in a series of postings about the social media community here in Atlanta. I call this series New South Media Buzz. I hope to profile individuals, companies and firms who are leveraging non-traditional media to create new business models and new marketing strategies.]

Georgia Tech student and blogger: Paul Stamatiou

His technology blog is one of the most widely read. His idea for a company was launched over a weekend. He helped build Yahoo’s corporate blog during a summer internship. And he is not yet 22.

His name is Paul Stamatiou – a Georgia Tech computational media major – a field of study, which wasn’t even offered when he was a freshman.

Paul is a member of the small social media community in Atlanta. He stands out because of his knowledge, accomplishments and, of course, his age.

Paul’s blog has a Technorati ranking of 293 and an Authority of 2,837. Technorati lists it as “a tech news blog with a twist of what's going on in the college life of a student at Georgia Tech. Mainly tech guides, reviews, news, how to's and everything in between. Paul is keen on support and answers your tech questions.”

Needless to say, for a blog created as a place to post tech articles, it is now in the top 500 as rated by Technorati.

Paul was able to parlay this experience into a Yahoo internship, but his experience was different than most.

In the first few weeks at Yahoo, he was helping to lead the effort to build Yahoo’s corporate blog -- Yodel -- and experiencing a Silicon Valley rite of passage – a mention in Valleywag.

His Yahoo colleagues kidded him and joked that “the voice of the company was built by a teenager.”

This past fall his idea for a company was selected as the winning business concept in Atlanta’s startup weekend.

Three days later a company was born, and it was one of the most successful start-up weekends.

Skribit was based on Paul’s desire to cure writer’s block by allowing readers to offer suggestions for future postings.

Skribit is a free, customizable, user-generated content suggestion application for blogs. It helps bloggers gain reader insight. At the same time it enables readers let bloggers know what interests them. Skribit also connects readers with fellow readers, increases their value in the blogging community, and helps them discover related blogs.

As Paul envisioned it – “It’s where you go for tomorrow’s news or a Techmeme for tomorrow.”

Startups appeal to him. “I am a tinkerer; I enjoy making it work and learning as I go. Start-ups are where I get my passion. I can do something instantly and avoid bureaucracy. It’s not just about the money. It’s about building community and following your passion. Effective social media should not only benefit the creator, but the community as well.”

As for the future of social media, Paul doesn’t see it slowing down. He feels he is typical of his generation, but his accomplishments and belief in the power of community make him a breed apart.

Paul is planning to move to California after graduation. Skribit’s success may delay his departure, but he is drawn to the Bay area. I don’t blame him and have often thought of moving there myself.

Paul’s success and his future plans are why I selected him for my first posting for New South Media Buzz.

He is the best of what Atlanta’s young high tech community has to offer. He also represents the challenges and promises of building a high tech community in Atlanta or any area that is trying to attract and retain high tech professionals.

I think Atlanta and Paul have benefited from each other. He came to Atlanta to attend Georgia Tech, and Georgia Tech has given Paul an excellent foundation.

So why California? As he explained it to me, his motivation is not just about money; it’s about community. California offers much more opportunity. He knows many like-minded people out there and is attracted to a culture that is focused on technology.

Atlanta has technology companies, but the dynamic is different. In northern California the community is decentralized, but it has a high concentration of users. Atlanta is also decentralized but its community is less concentrated. For now, we need to develop a more centralized infrastructure and create a clearinghouse of activities to nurture the growing number of individuals who are focused on social media.

And while Georgia Tech has a strong tech engineering focus, it is still in the early stages of building web apps and online communities programs that can produce the next generation of entrepreneurs.

In speaking with Atlanta-based CEOs, I feel Atlanta is making inroads, but we are not there yet. If Atlanta is going to build a thriving social media business community, it will need to find ways to incent more young tech professionals to move and stay here. We need to build programs and a community where social media can flourish and prosper. We need to create a culture that rewards social media, and we need successes to spur more investment and help businesses overcome any skepticism or fear they may have.

I am confident we are creating that business climate in Atlanta. It will take commitment and economic incentive. In coming posts, I hope to identify companies that are showing the way.

Let me get back to you.

Technorati Tags: Paul Stamatiou; Georgia Tech; Atlanta High Tech; Skribit; New South Media Buzz;

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