> Become a pioneering Hitchhiker on Hitchhikers.Earth! We're assembling a diverse crew of 42 creative adventurers, inspired by Douglas Adams, to shape a global, playful project connecting communities and storytelling. Join the journey from Portland to planet-wide gatherings!
# Invitation Letter
You’re invited to be part of something a bit special (and delightfully weird): the very first official crew of Hitchhikers.Earth. We’re putting together a tiny founding squad of **42 people** — the “first 42 hitchhikers” — to help launch the project and shape what it becomes. We’ve loved collaborating with you before, and it feels only right to ask you to join this first wave. If you’re up for it, we’d be thrilled to have you onboard.
# What is a “Hitchhiker”
The essence of a what it is to be a Hitchhiker draws inspiration from the playful, creative spirit of Douglas Adams’ seminal work, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. We aim to assemble a founding group of 42 Hitchhikers that reflects the planet’s diversity—not in any rigid sense, but rather as a bold, imaginative gesture. This creative team will be diverse across ages, backgrounds, skills, and personalities, representing a lively tapestry rather than a solemn cross-section of all humanity.
> Our ask if you agree to join us as a Hitchhiker is that you help us assemble this initial team of 42.
# What Does it Involve?
Our activities kick off with a soft launch event on GroundHig Day (February 2nd), followed by a series of activities and gatherings over a period of 42 Weeks. The initial recruitment target is six hitchhikers, with three founding members – including myself, Graham in Barcelona, and, hopefully, you over in Portalnd. Together, we will expand the core group to 42, actively seeking a balance of genders and perspectives from the start.
For example, we are eager to recruit at least two women early in the process; I’ve already approached Inger-Metta, and am considering Nicole and Chetna. Of course, your recommendations are encouraged.
# How Does the Recruitment and Teamwork Process Work? - Each hitchhiker is both a group member and an active recruiter, helping identify and invite others who will bring new strengths and backgrounds to the team. - The group collectively debates, selects, and mentors new members to ensure ongoing diversity—not only in terms of demographics but also in cognitive approaches and skill sets.
# Expectations for Commitment and Participation Equal time commitment is key for healthy group dynamics. We do not want a situation where just a few hitchhikers shoulder the bulk of the work while others remain nominal contributors. Roughly, we estimate that being a hitchhiker entails about one hour a day of active involvement. This could overlap with work you’re already doing—such as coding for Planet Nine or participating in relevant book clubs and events—which would now directly support the Hitchhikers.Earth universe. Activities like speaking at conferences, running discussions, or creating infrastructure all count as contributions. Thanks to collaboration and shared projects, this role may even streamline your current commitments, as team members will support each other towards shared goals.
# Who Are We Seeking? The ambition is to gather people from a wide range of ages—perhaps even including children or retirees—and different regions of the globe. We especially hope to find individuals who can serve as a focal point for gatherings in 42 distinct locations worldwide. For example, you could represent Portland, Oregon, but “geography” can be interpreted playfully, with imaginative connections and “wormholes” between different localities à la science fiction.
# Team Structure and Cycles Our work is organised into six-week cycles, with likely weekly Zoom meetings for updates and coordination. Each hitchhiker is encouraged to develop a local “assembly”—their own sphere of influence or mini-community—and is responsible both for nurturing this and for identifying future members. - Hitchhikers are arranged in seven groups of six, with each group ideally recruiting their own assembly of 42 over time. - This approach echoes fractal growth: the initial 42 seed hundreds, then thousands of similar groups globally.
# Flexibility, Stewardship, and Succession Being a hitchhiker is not a lifetime appointment. If at any point you need to step back, you are encouraged to “steward” your role and help find a suitable successor. The idea is to transition smoothly—preferably by identifying and supporting someone who can continue your contributions—rather than departing abruptly and leaving other group members scrambling.
# Role-Playing and Personal Storytelling Part of the project’s charm is its mix of reality and fiction. Each hitchhiker develops both a real-world biography and a “sci-fi character”—a public, creative persona that interacts playfully with others. You’ll have the space to craft and share your own story (perhaps as “the Portland Hitchhiker” or “the Oregon Embassador”), blending your other projects and interests into your character. This is similar to live-action role-playing: in specific contexts (meetings, conferences, interviews), you’ll represent the Hitchhikers.Earth team using your chosen narrative. - Each hitchhiker should proudly identify as a founding member (e.g., “I’m one of the first 42 hitchhikers”). - Public appearances, emails, and interviews may be branded with “hitchhiker” symbolism, and using official emails like [yourname]@hitchhikers.earth is encouraged.
# Benefits and Opportunities By joining, you are contributing to a playful, innovative global project combining community-building, creative storytelling, and practical collaboration. As a founding member, you are shaping the direction and spirit of the wider Hitchhikers.Earth community that could one day include thousands of related assemblies worldwide. In summary, this invitation is to join as a founding hitchhiker from the US—ideally representing the Portland or Oregon region. You’ll help build a creative, diverse community; shape its activities and narrative; mentor and recruit new members; and have fun developing your own character and local assembly. If this piques your interest or you feel ready for the challenge, your “yes” would be celebrated. Do let us know your thoughts—either as a long-term leader or a temporary caretaker. If it’s not for you, that’s also understood—we simply want the right people in the right hats.