webmaster world key note

Guy gave the key note. If you haven't heard guy, he's worth listening to. Engaging speaker. Below are my notes. Already I like this conference more than web 2.0 -- I got a chair in which to sit.

The art of innovation - by guy kawaski

1. Make meaning -- People of pure heart innovate. When you make meaning you make money. It's not about selling your company for 1.6 BB, but rather creating meaning for a set of customers. Eliminating some wrong doing in the world -- and in the case of guy, it was eliminating MS-DOS at Macintosh.
2. Make mantra -- Wndy's mantra should be healthy fast food. Nike is Authentic athletic performance.  Fedex is peace of mind. ebay is democratize commerce.  These mantras explain why the compnay exists. It's not about mission staements with words like leadership, partnership, and creativity.
3. Jump to the next curve -- it's not about improving something 10%, but rather improving something 10x. He told a great little story about ice harvesters -- and how they were put out of business by the refridgerator companies. Not one ice harvester became a referidgerator because they stayed on the same curve.
4. Roll the dicee -- Deep (fanning reef), intelligent, complete, elegant, emotive
5. Don't worry, be crappy -- version 1 menas you never have to say your sorry.  Ship then test. Ship revolutoinary stuff, with items of crap in them.
6. Polarize people -- don't be afraid to piss people off. Some people will love it and some will hate it. Guy watches t.v. and loves tivo.
7. Let a hundred flowers blossom -- Take your best shot at who your customer is...but then plant fields of customers. You don't know who your best customer is....aldus pagemaker saved apple.  Apple had no clue what it's customers wanted ...but aldus did and showed apple who it was. Go to your evangelists and ask them why they use your product.
8. Chrun, baby, churn -- your product must  constantly improve 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and evolve etc. Innovation is not an event but rather a process. You must listen.
9. Niche thyself -- A 2x2 matrix.... ability to provide a unique product or service...value to customer...How are you unique and of high value to your customer.
10. Follow the 10-20-30 rule -- as an innovator you have to pitch for money, approval, sales, employees etc. 10 slides, 20 minutes, 30 point font. These are the guidelines for the presentation .
11. Don't let the bozos grind you down -- it can't be done, shouldn't be done, etc. Just do it.

Great opening. Lots to think about.

Comments

[p-air]

Sorry to say tell you this now Andy, but you could have saved yourself the ink here as Guy was a lecturer at the Stanford Technology Ventures Program, and gave that same presentation. Here's a link for any one that wants to watch it online (I took two pages of notes while watching this myself):

http://edcorner.stanford.edu/authorMaterialInfo.html?mid=1171