Thread by @alexhillman

I realized that a lot of people probably don’t know the story behind our @indyhall hoodies. It actually dates back to 2007, and my first experience at SXSW.

STORYTIME THREAD!

https://twitter.com/alexhillman/status/1178002939824283648

I went to SXSW’s interactive conference for the first time in March 2007, and very much on a lark.

I found out about it a week before it began. I crashed on a couch in a room with friends from Viddler, an early B2B YouTube competitor based in Bethlehem PA.

It was still super early days for the @indyhall community. That SXSW played a huge role on shaping my goals personally and professionally. It was also critical to future friendships and partnerships - it's where I met @amyhoy!

But when I came back, I couldn't stop thinking about one thing:

At the "world's largest gathering of internet professionals" - where was Philly?

Like, I knew other Philadelphians were there. But there wasn't any Philly visible. No story. No representation.

I remember coming back and saying to my soon-to-be-business partner @geoffd (who I had also just met a week before SXSW):

“I don’t know what happens next with this @indyhall thing but I know that next year, I want to go back to Austin with a CREW.”

Over the next year, our community grew. We opened our first space on Strawberry Street. We learned a lot about who we were and why we loved Philly.

I started thinking ahead to Spring 2008, and asked the crew if anybody wanted to join me at SXSW.

I found an incredible boutique hotel in South Austin that slept 14. Worked out the numbers and got enough people to sign up to rent the whole thing out.

But I wanted to do something else, too.

I wanted us to be visible. Unmistakably connected in some way, even to strangers.

So I designed and ordered a batch of hoodies with giant gold "Indy Hall" lettering on the front. One for every person in the group.

It was just a dozen+ of us, but when we all were out and about, you could NOT miss us. Even just 3-4 of us were so easy to spot as a group.

Best of all, it made people ask:
"What is Indy Hall? I keep seeing people with this hoodie!"

It's small and superficial but those hoodies made us look and feel REAL.

It made talking about what was going on back in Philly natural and honest and exciting.

Today, people around the world product wear those hoodies. Alumni and friends and supporters.

I’ve seen and heard about people being spotted in all kinds of places.

It’s kinda silly but seeing a LEGO minifig wearing one of these hoodies means a lot more to me than even I expected.

Heh, @natalienagele reminded me that the LEGO hoodies aren't our first attempt at miniaturization.

https://twitter.com/natalienagele/status/1178376051585638410?s=21