We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kaben Clauson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kaben below.

Kaben, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

As humans, we’ve spent thousands of years gathering together for discussion, laughter, and connection. Today, people are spending more time alone than ever before. The isolation of the pandemic still lingers, while remote work removes another place of gathering.

The future of social will be different than the past. The age of apps that addict our attention but leave us disconnected must be replaced. In the coming era, where any online person could be an AI, we will crave vetted communities of real people.

I have found that video calls cannot replace the need for in-person connection. The desire to gather with people is a part of our biology. We are all seeking tribes, a place to know and be known. Yet, it’s become too difficult.

The mission of Base was to make it easy to find your tribe. Every great city can feel lonely, even as thousands of people surround us. Who should I know in my city? How can I know them? Our mission is to answer these questions.

Kaben, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I remember being in my early 20s, full of ideas but unsure how to make them a reality. I learned a good lesson then: just get started – even if you aren’t sure.

Over the last decade, I’ve led multiple technology companies to varying degrees of success. The successes are fun, but the failures are what made me. I thought of my career as a series of learning challenges. This viewpoint has helped me move faster toward getting better. It helped me to not wait when inspiration strikes.

In 2023, I was becoming obsessed with how AI was going to change every aspect of our world. I’d ask myself, “what won’t change?, “what is something AI can’t replace.” I realized the answer was obvious, it’s us and the relationships we form with each other. No matter how good technology gets, we will always want to be in community with each other. One could argue that the more disconnected we become, the more people will crave this connection.

Base started from the idea that we would always want to be in a tribe. That’s nothing could top the feeling of an incredible social evening with excellent people. This problem was everywhere, I found. It wasn’t a small group of people who were addicted to phones, used to staying in, and constantly feeling isolated. It was most of us. With that kernel of truth, I set out to create a solution.

Base was started as a ‘distributed social club’ – meaning we don’t own any physical space but instead use the ambience of each city as our clubhouse. Base now matches thousands of people to curated dinners, tours, and talks each week. We’re in 7 US cities and plan to expand greatly over the next year.

When people have a close tribe of friends in their city life gets better. Spiritually, professionally, romantically, intellectually. This is why we started Base.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

A great team requires trust. Trust requires transparency of thought and action.

At Base, we work to give teammates the facts of what is happening and the tools to improve it. In any role, people need to know where they are and where they are going.

I think too many organizations fear their people. They worry if they learn something negative they might quit, or if they are not watched 24/7 they won’t work hard. Throughout world history, the best armies have always fought for a cause. The worst have always fought like mercenaries, with money their only aim.

A team that believes the mission and knows the entire map will move mountains. The team that works in the fog or in information isolation will only do the minimum.

We constantly look for people who are on a mission. They are looking to grow their careers but also themselves. Great morale comes from giving people every chance to be great. This is only possible when trust is present.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

When you are young in your career, you care a lot about the opinions of others. You want people to believe in you, hire you, promote you. In our personal lives, we often get so caught up in ‘what will they think?”

The truth is, outside of your closest friends & family, no one is thinking about you. They are thinking about themselves.

This truth might feel harsh, but it’s freeing. The world is not waiting around to judge you. It’s focused on its own challenges. Audacity rules the day. Try it, say it, just do it. There is little downside to being bold, being 100% authentic.

The reason to unlearn the need to ‘be liked’, is that it’s the number one way to be ordinary. The need for everyone to like you is one of the fastest ways to do nothing. Our fellow humans are too fickle in their opinions. The main person you need to have like you in this world is yourself. And as thousands of therapists will tell you, that is no easy job.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://base.club
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbclauson/
• Twitter: https://x.com/kbclauson