Having friends seems more or less like a prerequisite
Nope!
my ability to lead a group like that
If you can send emails to people saying “There will be a meetup on X day, with Y activity,” you’re most of the way there.
Seriously. If there’s anyone in a 100-mile radius who is interested in meetups, making them happen is not hard, and in fact is probably easier than many other social activities. You could make a post on LW to gauge interest in your geographic area :)
Nope!
If you can send emails to people saying “There will be a meetup on X day, with Y activity,” you’re most of the way there. Seriously. If there’s anyone in a 100-mile radius who is interested in meetups, making them happen is not hard, and in fact is probably easier than many other social activities. You could make a post on LW to gauge interest in your geographic area :)