Themes we heard during SXSW 2013

1. SXSW
20
13
LEARNINGS

2. THE TIME FOR EXPONENTIAL GROWTH IS UPON US
TECH INNOVATION =
INDEFINITE
growth = 0 to 1
Technology, is about exponential growth:
going from 0 to 1: a typewriter to a word processor
GLOBALIZATION = DEFINITE
growth =1 to n
Globalization, is about incremental growth: finding things
that work, copying them, and growing by percentiles
take 1 typewriter and repeat to make 100.
SOURCES/ REFERENCES
Peter Thiel (@peterthiel), Founders Fund. This is from their manifesto: http://www.foundersfund.com/the-future

3. (BIG) DATA IS THE NEW CURRENCY
BEHAVIOR
REVENUE
SOURCES/REFERENCES
Dennis Crowley, FourSquare CEO (@dens)
Amy Webb - author of hilarious book (believe it or not) - Big Data: a Love Story (@webmedia)
Sarah Epps, Forrester Analyst (@srepps)
http://adage.com/article/agency-news/ad-holding-companies-spread-data-wealth-media-agencies/240373/
INNOVATION

4. WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY IS HERE TO STAY
SOURCES/REFERENCES
Cindy Gallop, MakeLoveNotPorn - cindygallop.com
Sarah Epps, Forrester Analyst (@srepps)
http://spectrum.ieee.org/geek-life/profiles/steve-mann-my-augmediated-life?

5. GET TO KNOW THE INTERNET OF THINGS:
STOP MAKING THINGS FOR THE INTERNET,
START MAKING THINGS OUT OF THE INTERNET
FOCUSED
FUNCTION DEVICES:
Small & nimble: just try to do one thing well Think: “The Smart Home” filled with smart
lamps, heating, locks, stereos, cameras etc
that all work in concert
THE BIG BOYS:
BIG COMPANIES + OPERATING SYSTEMS
TVs, computers, laptops, mobile phones,
tablets - increasingly forming “clans”/ ecosystems
DATA ONLY
Worker bees (WIFI)
Production bees (barcodes)
Interactive bees (data sensors)
Only really useful in swarms
SOURCES/ REFERENCES
Scott Jenson (@scottjenson) - blog post where he talks about bears, bats and bees: http://designmind.frogdesign.com/blog/author/beyond-mobile/
Ben Malbon of Google Creative Labs fame also talks about this (@malbonnington)
http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2013/03/13/altimeters-take-the-technologies-that-matter-from-sxsw-2013/

6. CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE:
SOMETIMES 10X IS EASIER THEN 10%
“WHEN YOU’RE WORKING TO MAKE THINGS 10% BETTER, YOU INEVITABLY
FOCUS ON THE EXISTING TOOLS AND ASSUMPTIONS, AND ON BUILDING ON
TOP OF AN EXISTING SOLUTION THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY SPENT
A LOT OF TIME THINKING ABOUT.
BUT WHEN YOU AIM FOR A 10X GAIN, YOU
LEAN INSTEAD ON BRAVERY AND CREATIVITY — THE KIND THAT,
LITERALLY AND METAPHORICALLY, CAN PUT A MAN ON THE MOON.”
ASTRO TELLER, CAPTAIN OF MOONSHOTS, GOOGLE X
SOURCES/ REFERENCES
Peter Thiel (@peterthiel) he has done a tonne - with HBS to name but a few
Astro Teller - Google X/standford fame (@astroteller) http://www.astroteller.net/
http://www.wired.com/opinion/2013/02/moonshots-matter-heres-how-to-make-them-happen/

7. “WE CHOSE TO GO TO THE MOON,” John F. Kennedy
said, “NOT BECAUSE IT WAS EASY… BUT BECAUSE IT
WAS HARD. SUDDENLY EVERYONE FROM SCHOOL
CHILDREN TO THE LARGEST INSTITUTIONS IN THE
COUNTRY WERE RALLYING BEHIND THE MISSION.”
Astro Teller talks to Wired:
http://www.wired.com/opinion/2013/02/moonshots-matter-heres-how-to-make-them-happen/

8. “WE WANTED FLYING CARS, INSTEAD WE GOT 140
CHARACTERS: WHAT HAPPENED TO AMERICAN INNOVATION?”
– Peter Thiel
SOLVE BIG
THE BIGGER THE PROBLEM YOU SOLVE, THE MORE INTERESTED
THE WORLD BECOMES IN IT, AND THE MORE AMAZING THE REWARD
SOURCES/REFERENCES
Peter Thiel (@peterthiel), Founders Fund. This is from their manifesto: http://www.foundersfund.com/the-future
Astro Teller - Google X/standford fame (@astroteller) blog http://www.astroteller.net/

10. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE LONG GAME
100 YEAR STARSHIP
http://100yss.org/
http://readwrite.com/2013/03/11/100-year-starship-project-the-grandest-challenge-at-sxsw-or-anywhere
https://soundcloud.com/officialsxsw/100-year-starship-interstellar

11. THERE IS NO OLD
IDEAS OF THE PAST ARE JUST
AS RELEVANT TODAY AS THEY WERE BACK THEN.
http://www.slideshare.net/runger/sxsw-muppets-tomasterykey
https://soundcloud.com/officialsxsw/design-like-davinci-leonardos
http://www.slideshare.net/bunky34/design-like-davinci-sxsw-2013

12. THE ROLE OF BRANDS AT SXSW
REBIRTH OF THE EXPERIENTIAL
WITH THEMED PARTIES FROM THE LIKES OF NAT GEO, JWT, AND TUMBLR; FULL ON
ACTIVATIONS FROM THE LIKES OF VICELAND; RESTAURANTS LIKE THOSE FROM
GIGYA GRILL, FOODTRUCKS FROM HIGHLIGHT; A PLAYGROUND FROM GOOGLE AND
THE GRUMPY CAT ACTIVATION FROM MASHABLE; BRANDS WERE CREATING UNIQUE
EXPERIENCES THAT WERE INVITING, EXCITING AND MEMORABLE.

13. HOW BRANDS CAN CREATE SPACE IN WHICH TO GROW
70% NOW
PRODUCT LAUNCHES
& PORTFOLIO SUPPORT
20% NEW
PRODUCT INNOVATIONS
THAT ARE GAINING TRACTION
10% NEXT
BRAND DREAMS
SOURCES/REFERENCES: COCA-COLA
http://www.slideshare.net/McK_CMSOForum/liquid-linked-marketing?ref=http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130213130531-12921524-invest-to-innovate-coke-s-70-20-10-rule