Lance Wills' Blog – "Internet Lifestyle Trends" (subscribe)!

At first, I thought it was a mirage, but it turned out to be an oasis; an oasis of talent, ideas and activity, that is!

It started as innocent as most things, a mere “Meetup” with the Tempe nerds. I must admit, I was having a tough time finding credible talent in Phoenix; “it’s like a desert here!” (Please tell me that you got that one.) Tired of having my Craigslist Internet gig postings flagged by disgruntled CHUDs, I decided to take another approach. Little did I know what a gem I would stumble upon from this auspicious beginning.

Over lunch, I learned that the bulk of the Tempe nerds are Internet savvy talent that spend their days at the Gangplank studio in Gilbert, a suburb of Phoenix. Housed within the Gangplank studio location are several different Internet companies, including Integrum, 40 and more. But of particular interest is the “co-work” space that is available for unaffiliated talent to occupy while working on their own projects.

How can any outsider focus on their own projects when there is so much energy, kindness and activity at Gangplank? Xbox 360, Wii and darts, just to name a few of the goings on. But the most popular game is Dangerball, a type of billiards game that I’ve only heard of at Gangplank.

The motif of Gangplank, as if you couldn’t tell by the name, is pirates, argh!

Regardless, there is a true sense of community here and every person has been nothing short of kind. Perhaps that is why I have devoted much of my time here as of late, working on my own Internet properties. I am anxious to contribute and am working on heading up a “Pitch and Partner” night to pair talent up with business minded entrepreneurs. This type of climate has already generated some start-ups including DateDesigner.com, SimpleSeating.com and AuthorityLabs.com. It’s no wonder, as every programmer who I have spoken with is currently working on bringing to life their own project of passion.

It is truly inspiring to see the founders of Gangplank creating their own slice of Silicon Valley, in the middle of the Arizona desert.

Keep an eye on this enclave of talent, it’s only a matter of time before the next great iPhone app, twitter derivative or dot com juggernaut comes out of Gangplank. So, matey, check out GangplankHQ.com, argh!!!