I recently had the chance to sit down with Jonah Peake to talk about the go-to source he created for all of San Diego’s tech and entrepreneurship events, (and perhaps what could be called his alter ego), The Social Coyote.
More than just a mere event newsletter, The Social Coyote is one man’s mission to get 1000 San Diegans out of their dens and into the tech and entrepreneurship community. Sprinkled throughout the weekly calendar are a healthy doses of coyotes wearing sunglasses and a fur-rocious amount of puns. It’s great fun, sure, but The Social Coyote is also a case study on building community and connection in an increasingly digital age. And honestly, it’s working – it really does get people excited for these events! Who would have thought that such a simple concept, a curated event email newsletter, would be so much fun? Jonah would, that’s who.
We talked about a number of topics, including using change to propel yourself forward, his thoughts on San Diego’s tech culture, how to build and see a community’s web, how to be comfortable at unfamiliar events, and how to finally find your pack.
If you’d like to learn more, you can reach Jonah on his LinkedIn – or sign up for his newsletter here to stay abreast on all that’s happening in the San Diego tech scene. (Just make sure to use this link so I can get the coveted CoyoTee).
Howl yeah!
I’m primarily interested in the concept of resilience – whether personal, communal, or societal. What does the concept of resilience mean to you?
I like this question – I’ve actually been thinking about it all week! Resilience, to me, means going through something challenging, coming out different, and then finding a way to use that difference to move forward.
I have a bit of a personal story with this. When I was 27, I went through a health crisis. I went into a coma, was taken into the hospital by my girlfriend (who is now my wife!), and it turned out that I had ketoacidosis, which is what happens when you have Type 1 Diabetes. Basically, your body turns acidic because you can’t get sugar into your cells.
It was crazy because, after a few days in the hospital and many IVs, I was released from the hospital – but I had an entirely new lens to view the world. If I eat a certain way, I have to think about it differently. If I exercise a certain way, I have to think about it differently. Even something like leaving the house is different. And it was a total shift in how I lived my life.
So in a weird way, going through that experience shifted who I was completely, and refocused how I thought about everything – and I do see that as finding a bit of resilience in an extremely challenging situation. I could have easily said “This sucks” and felt sorry for myself, (although you sometimes do), but that’s not the way you want to go through something like that.
I think if we think about it, most of us have had an experience that totally shifted us, but that health crisis was a really strong one that taught me a lot.
So going through something, and coming out on the other side differently as a result – but resilience is found when you use that difference to propel yourself forward.
I mean, you never go back to being the person that you were a year ago – or even the person you were yesterday. Propelling yourself through change with a new context is how I like to think about it.
You are heavily involved in the San Diego startup and entrepreneurship community. Can you briefly give some background on your career/areas of focus so far?
The start of my career in San Diego was teaching surf lessons and handing out Monster Energy drinks. These ended up being dead end jobs and I needed to find something I could grow into. So I went searching for a startup, and what I found was basically on-demand tech. I found my way to a company I found on Craigslist called Handy, which was a home cleaning startup, in the era where people were trying to build the next “Uber for ….” They eventually were purchased by Angie’s List.
Handy shared coworking space with Postmates – so we battled for conference room space with them to onboard our people!Then, I worked on a project that would eventually automate my job entirely at Handy, and, seeing the writing on the wall and having connections at Postmates, I jumped over. Plus, food delivery felt cooler than home cleaning!
What I started to notice, though, is that when a company (like a Postmates) gets massive quickly, they start to dial in certain processes. There’s less “We don’t know how to solve this, go figure it out,” and more “Here’s the playbook, run it and do the same thing every day,” which isn’t necessarily how I tend to think.
I really enjoy trying things and being creative, and that doesn’t always lend itself as well to the big machine that companies eventually grow into. I realized that I wanted to go earlier and see what companies that were far younger were doing. And so I started to seek out the San Diego tech scene, see who was active here, and see who was building things here. That’s how I started to plug into what was happening in the scene.
I started offering to volunteer at organizations that I thought were cool, like Startup San Diego, which was looking for an entrepreneur in residence in 2020. I ended up spending a year with them and putting on the Startup Month conference. It was actually a month, not a week, at that point!
Cool.
And there were a few others as well – the San Diego Angel Conference was going online, and when I talked to some of the people involved, it seemed super interesting. So I volunteered there, and tried to meet people and see who was operating in that space.
What ends up happening with many communities is that the same faces start showing up at different events. You start recognizing people from all over the place, and you start to put these webs together.
I had enough time working in and hopping between these different ecosystems and realized that we have a pretty intimate web in San Diego. Even though it’s large, there’s lots of overlap and crossover. And that got me really excited.
Before we move on to The Social Coyote, let’s keep talking about the idea of a San Diego ecosystem. What do you believe are some unique strengths in the San Diego scene? A common topic of discussion is that the San Diego tech scene is great at starting and growing mid-sized companies, but with a few exceptions, tech companies here seem to have a hard time crossing the chasm to become giant household names.
There’s a lot of debate on what makes San Diego what it is and why it’s the way that it is. Some people say that we’re the little underdog brother to some of the bigger scenes, and others disagree. Other groups don’t count biotech as part of the tech scene, even though I think it’s really a massive part! It could be partly due to the fact that there are so many transplants here. I’m one.
One thing I’ve thought about, and I don’t know if this is the real reason, is that some of the biggest industries and most influential groups in San Diego aren’t necessarily in the news. For example, they provide infrastructure or something to the military and it’s literally top secret so you can’t talk about it.
Biotech is also interesting. They don’t like to share what they do unless it’s already successful. Then, a company like Qualcomm is huge, but their technology powers other technology – and most people are just more familiar with Apple than the technology inside an iPhone.
So I think there’s a feeling that we don’t have as much going on here as we truly do, just due to the nature of some of the biggest tech businesses we have here – but again, this is something that people like to debate.
The other thing though is that we have this culture here that is a touch more relaxed. You might have noticed this if you’ve asked for an intro to someone. It’s somehow easier to acquire than other tech scenes or tech communities.
I also think there’s just something about the way the city is structured. It’s very laid back. It doesn’t have the intensity of New York or San Francisco, and I think that changes how other people view it. But I think that’s a good thing! I really like how we have this energy and how we, for example, like to just take advantage of when it’s nice out!
So, I don’t know. I do think the friendliness and interconnectedness are a bit more vibrant here. We also shouldn’t forget that we’re 1.5 million people with 2 million more just south of the border who are very engaged with what’s going on up here – in effect, we’re nearly 4 million people in a very small area. That counts for something.
Totally. And so that’s where you come in! Your current project, or perhaps your alias, is The Social Coyote, and helping push these connections and the culture. Can you talk about that? Why a coyote?
I guess I was looking for some creative fulfillment. I was feeling disconnected from, let’s say, community in general, for a number of reasons. There was the pandemic, and I had a young child which also limits your schedule. But a few cool tools started to come online right around then – AI started to come out and people are generating amazing images with it, and there’s this new platform, Beehiiv, which allows you to make newsletters in a really effective and efficient way. All of these things kind of came together for me – I know I want to do a project, I want it to be creative, I want it to be helpful, and I want it to have some sort of cool impact on San Diego. And I also know that I have a limited schedule, and there’s lots of cool stuff going on.
Meanwhile, people would shoot me a text and ask me if I was going to something that night that I didn’t even know was happening. I had to decline all the time because I couldn’t get out of the house that quickly, so it started to get a little frustrating. So I first thought that, if I could learn how to code a web scraper, I could pull every event into one big database, and then I could know who is doing what and then I choose what fits in my schedule. I used as many tools as I could and banged my head against a wall, because that turned out to be a really bad plan! I realized that curation is what makes The Coyote special, not aggregation.
I told a friend about this and he told me just to do it manually – just make a list and put it out there. See if anyone cares. That was a good point, because I was really overthinking what I wanted to do, and he pushed me to just go for it.
So at that point, I had to figure out what I really wanted to highlight. I knew some people in the tech community and really respected the events they were putting on, and I could share their events without having to attend each one. So then it all started coming together, but I couldn’t put out a brand that was something like OnlyTechEvents, or something, but that’s a little too basic – or a little too much like OnlyFans. But maybe my SEO would have been great!
Then I thought of some other names, like Songbird Soirees. But songbirds didn’t make sense, and soirees are too fancy. So then I started to think about what we have in San Diego. What’s a San Diego animal? Could be a pelican, but then everyone who reads my list is a pelican too. So then I thought, what do I really want this to be? And I wanted it to be groups, packs of people. I wanted it to be a clever animal. I wanted it to have the feeling of something that is always present, but you might not always see. That’s when I thought about coyotes, which you sometimes see in our canyons or trotting around our neighborhoods, and I’m certain that they know a hell of a lot about us, even if we don’t see them at all!
And all of these things together felt really right. Packs and families, groups coming together. It felt like something I wanted to embody – bringing groups of people together and having them meet each other. My thesis became, the more people got out into the community, then the more opportunity they’d have to meet someone new who can open a door for them. We just needed the initial catalyst to get people out of their dens. And then the puns started showing up, and that’s what I built the brand around. It just felt right.
That sort of hearkens back to your original comment about resilience – using the change from a transformative event to propel you forward. You felt disconnected from a community, then acted on that feeling to build something new. And you acting on that feeling has allowed other people to access that community too.
I think that’s really true. When I started talking to people, I realized that most of the comments I got back were things like, “My events pop up in my feed,” or “Someone told me about it,” or some other way of getting lucky. I didn’t want luck to be the barrier that prevented people from getting out there.
The more interactions we have, the better we get at them, so I wanted to make it easy for someone to grab my list, make it unbelievably simple to find what they’re looking for, and encourage them to go to it. And I wanted to make Mondays something to look forward to!
But really, I see this as a way to bring more eyes and more people into the tech community. If we can get more people in more easily, I’d consider that to be a success.
You mentioned that the genesis for The Social Coyote was that you felt disconnected. It was during COVID, you had a young child at home. Now that you’re connecting with the business community at large, does that fill that personal need for connection? Are you experiencing more community?
I think it does!
I think what ends up happening, and maybe this happens by accident, is you just start to go out more. You start to notice more connections. You start to see more people doing things you appreciate, and you absorb that.
Speaking of resilience, I remember going to a couple of events in the very beginning to test my thesis, and I knew no one. It was so hard to be at one of those events with something so small. The Social Coyote was tiny, and I wasn’t even sure I was allowed to talk about it yet. No one had heard of it. I didn’t even know if I had anything yet. But what I realized was, the more you went, the more you started to see similar people. The same people were now at a different event. And so you started to feel a bit more comfortable, and by being more comfortable, you felt more confident in going out and trying something new.
The other thing I noticed throughout this process is that every event starts out and hasn’t warmed up yet. So a lot of times you show up and get into a room and think, “This is uncomfortable. I am uncomfortable. I shouldn’t be here.” But what I realized is, after a certain amount of time, everyone warms up and loosens up, and so does the event itself. A lot of people associate that with having a drink or whatever, which can be a good strategy, but the event itself takes time to warm up too.
Sometimes just giving it time, being observant, and finding someone that you recognize is all it takes to get to that point. Then, when you get out more, you run into more people. You follow their journeys, and you see them grow as well. That’s kind of how I think about it, anyways.
To continue down the coyote theme, you’ll start to find your pack and this will help you get more comfortable!
What are some tips that you have for people who want to get involved in a new community, perhaps the San Diego business scene, who don’t have much experience in these types of events and don’t know where to start?
One thing I learned from the early stages, before I was comfortable, was that I didn’t actually have to say anything. I didn’t have to come to the table and start to pitch what I was doing, or tell everyone everything that is really cool about me, or whatever.
This strategy lets me ease into events a little more. After a few times, you start to recognize people, and now it becomes easier to chat with someone or even just show up at an event. Like I said earlier, it takes time to warm up. It will always feel weird at the beginning. And if you do have something you want to chat about, have that prepared a little bit so you don’t hit someone with a really long winded story! Wait for some questions to come in after you give a little elevator pitch.
The other thing is to just ask questions. Care about what other people are doing. That makes the thing a whole hell of a lot more fun if you’re curious and truly want to learn what other people are up to.
I used to do this when I was uncomfortable. I would be in my own mind a little bit and pretend I was hosting a podcast. Just ask some questions and don’t feel like you have to talk about yourself, because sometimes that can be a bit uncomfortable. Sometimes just being curious as to what other people are doing can be super helpful, and can take the spotlight off yourself too.
I like that podcast host tip – that’s unique! A fun little mental trick.
It actually works! Although it sometimes backfires, because I’ve had conversations end and the other person says, “I feel horrible! I didn’t ask you anything about yourself!”
In my mind though, I’m like, “I loved our conversation, I learned so much!”
Can you share some success stories from The Social Coyote? Have there been any connections or communities built that you have been especially proud of?
There are a few examples! I can’t take credit for either of these events, but I love that I can help elevate newer events.
One of my favorites is the North County Tech Meetup. This isn’t my group, but I love helping to promote it. Hussein is the best!
Rick Moy’s product group is another group that I love to promote.
Both groups are under a year old but are gaining steam. Everyone knows about the big San Diego events, but it’s these up start groups by talented people that really get me going.
So it really doesn’t take much to get me excited. Someone gave me a “Howl Yeah!” in Costco the other day and it made my week! I can’t take credit for much of this really, everyone else is working so hard – I just collected a few things that I thought looked awesome and wrapped them in some coyote puns.
The branding of The Social Coyote is so unique – and fun! I especially love the “Howl Yeah” shout out. Despite being a relatively small niche (San Diego tech events), you have such a strong brand voice. Can you talk about the importance of branding? What, in your opinion, goes into making a strong and memorable brand?
I don’t have a background in branding or anything, but I just like things that flow together and sort of fit. The Social Coyote has a lot of elements that are kind of weird, or funny, but together feel like they make sense for some reason. It’s important to listen to what other people are saying too. They like coyotes wearing sunglasses. They say things like “Howl yeah.” And you’re like, “Oh man, that works. You’re right.”
I think maybe the advice is, for something like this, you don’t have to create the entire brand, but set the foundation and put it out there, and you’ll get good feedback. The hard part can be, and part of this is from the tech background that says to always innovate and move forward, is knowing when to keep things simple. I put out a couple questions asking what I can do better and what to do next, and someone replied, “Don’t.” And that made me realize that something cool can be simple.
Totally. What’s next for the Social Coyote?
I’m trying to figure that out right now. There are lots of really interesting ideas! For the brand, it could be events. It could be promoting events. I’d love to help founders make connections if I can, and of course I’d like to be a little more connected myself.
I’ve even been pitched a Coyote Accelerator, a program that helps founders. I like all these ideas, so I think it’s now just finding out how to look through the lens and see what’s next.
I wish I had a grand master plan, but I’m having so much fun meeting people that, just the fact that this is out there and people are noticing it, is considered a win. I think there could be more down the road, but we’ll have to see.
What is the best way for someone to follow you (or get in touch!) if they’d like to learn more or get involved? How can someone reading this blog help out?
I’m mostly on LinkedIn. I have a pretty simple rule for connecting there – if you’re in San Diego, I’ll accept. I just love to meet people in San Diego.
I think the best way to help is to just come out and support event organizers! People put a lot of work into these events, and getting out of our dens makes an even more connected San Diego. Oh, and loop in folks who’ve just moved here with The Social Coyote so we can bring them out too.
That’s kind of the origin of all of this anyways. How can we build a bigger network, a bigger group, a bigger pack of people who care about San Diego Tech and Entrepreneurship?
The other thing too is, there’s always room for more awesome events. If you’re eager to get a pack of people together and start something, go for it. Nothing should slow you down. Even just getting people together for coffee is valuable, and I like promoting that stuff too.
Get out there and check things out!
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Startup San Diego Events Calendar – Powered by The Social Coyote
Mick Hammock 
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