Why 9-ON
Most online discussions get stuck in one of two traps. Either there are too many people (15+), so what ends up happening is only a few voices fill the room. Often one person dominates the conversation altogether. Or you have so few folks participating (2 or 3) that the energy never quite lifts. The best conversations happen in the middle—a circle small enough that everyone can be seen and heard, and large enough that ideas bounce like ping pong balls. Everyone participates actively.
A table, not an audience
Two experiences inspired 9-ON's founder Andrew Mann to design an online discussion platform that optimizes for real connection. In high school, he enjoyed classes using the "Harkness Table" format—just a dozen kids around one oval table, eye to eye, contributing perspectives (and often disagreeing, but always respectfully!). The teacher served as both host and participant. He did not talk down to the students; instead he treated them as esteemed peers. His objective was to keep the conversation on point and include everyone. As such, no one faded into the background. What a joy how everyone helped carry the conversation forward.
And then years later during the pandemic Mann stumbled on an online biweekly philosophy study group, led by a brilliant professor with decades of teaching experience, Dr. Greg Salyer PhD. He would provide a reading assignment for each gathering and was masterful at passing the baton around the room, making sure everyone was engaged. It was private, steady, and nurtured personal relationships that grew closer with each session. Mann left after a year and a half knowing the people, not just the topic. Together, those two experiences planted the seed for today's 9-ON.
A virtual meetup with a shape
Picture something like a cross between Meetup (if it were virtual) and Netflix (if it were social): Scheduled gatherings you can join from anywhere, on almost any topic imaginable, with the intimacy of a recurring crew instead of a one-off webinar. We call the format a Parlor—a small virtual discussion group, usually around nine seats, though hosts can be a little flexible. Turnout and comfort matter more than a rigid headcount. Best of all, there are so many new groups going live all the time with endless things to explore and talk about....There is always something ON at 9-ON!
Beginning, middle, end
Like a good dinner club, a Parlor works best as a closed container for a season: enough time to make friends, then a gentle scheduled off-ramp when it's time to go off and meet new people and explore new subjects. That arc is part of the design—not an endless loop, but chapters you can move through.