There's a Niels Bohr quote that I love: "An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made, in a narrow field." After ten years working as a development manager at web agencies, I feel like I've made more than my fair share. My talk would take a narrative approach to mistakes that I've either made or seen other agencies make in hopes that I might save my generous attendees the trouble of making them. In particular:
* Define growth, and talk about when growth can actually destroy value
* Debunk the American business myth, "Grow or Die"
* Offer strategies for retention, and talk about why it matters so much
* Discuss sales strategies for getting good clients, doing what you love to do, and making your work repeatable
* Regale the crowd with epic tales of agency success and failure
A recording of this presentation is available from Drupalcon Portland.
1. Seth Brown // @sethlbrown // Drupalcamp Colorado 2013
“An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made
in a narrow field.” — Neils Bohr
MISTAKES AGENCIES MAKE
Sunday, June 30, 13
3. TOP THREE REASONS TO LEAVE
NOW...
‣ Your agency does more than $10mm per year
Sunday, June 30, 13
4. TOP THREE REASONS TO LEAVE
NOW...
‣ Your agency does more than $10mm per year
‣ Looking for a more tactical discussion of project
management methods
Sunday, June 30, 13
5. TOP THREE REASONS TO LEAVE
NOW...
‣ Your agency does more than $10mm per year
‣ Looking for a more tactical discussion of project
management methods
‣ You thought this was the CHX coder lounge.
Sunday, June 30, 13
7. “
— Garrison Keillor on English Majors
WELCOME TO BURGER WORLD
---- WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY
OUR TWO-POUNDER WITH A
POUND OF FRIES AND A
GALLON OF SODA POP?
Sunday, June 30, 13
8. “
— J.K. Rowling
THE BLOOD OF A UNICORN WILL
KEEP YOU ALIVE, EVEN IF YOU ARE
AN INCH FROM DEATH, BUT AT A
TERRIBLE PRICE.
Sunday, June 30, 13
14. “
— Tom DeMarco, Slack
THERE IS NEVER LESS THAN A 15
PERCENT PENALTY DUE TO TIME
SHARING A KNOWLEDGE WORKER
BETWEEN TWO OR MORE TASKS.
Sunday, June 30, 13
15. “
— Tom DeMarco, Slack
SLACK IS THE NATURAL ENEMY OF
EFFICIENCY, AND EFFICIENCY IS THE NATURAL
ENEMY OF SLACK.
Sunday, June 30, 13
20. LESSONS LEARNED
‣ Discipline sales
‣ Human beings aren’t fungible.
‣ Don’t over-schedule your resources
Sunday, June 30, 13
21. LESSONS LEARNED
‣ Discipline sales
‣ Human beings aren’t fungible.
‣ Don’t over-schedule your resources
‣ Hire talented people where you find them
Sunday, June 30, 13
23. “
— Oscar Wilde, e Picture of Dorian Grey
HOW SAD IT IS! I SHALL GROW OLD
AND HORRIBLE AND DREADFUL.
BUT THIS PICTURE WILL REMAIN
YOUNG. IF IT WERE ONLY THE
OTHER WAY.
Sunday, June 30, 13
32. “
— Edward Hess, Darden School of Business
THERE IS VIRTUALLY NO SUPPORT FOR THOSE
BELIEFS IN THE FIELDS OF ECONOMICS,
FINANCE, ACCOUNTING, STRATEGY,
ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR, COMPLEXITY
THEORY, OR EVEN BIOLOGY.
Sunday, June 30, 13
33. “
— Edward Hess, Darden School of Business
THERE IS NOT A STRONG
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GROWTH
AND PROFITABILITY
Sunday, June 30, 13
46. LESSONS LEARNED
‣ Growth is not inherently good and it can conceal a host
of ills
Sunday, June 30, 13
47. LESSONS LEARNED
‣ Growth is not inherently good and it can conceal a host
of ills
‣ Match revenue to work
Sunday, June 30, 13
48. LESSONS LEARNED
‣ Growth is not inherently good and it can conceal a host
of ills
‣ Match revenue to work
‣ Maintain a 10% cash reserve for working capital
Sunday, June 30, 13
49. LESSONS LEARNED
‣ Growth is not inherently good and it can conceal a host
of ills
‣ Match revenue to work
‣ Maintain a 10% cash reserve for working capital
‣ Have a growth strategy
Sunday, June 30, 13
51. “
— Herman Melville , Moby Dick
TALK NOT TO ME OF
BLASPHEMY, MAN; I'D STRIKE
THE SUN IF IT INSULTED ME. FOR
COULD THE SUN DO THAT, THEN
COULD I DO THE OTHER...
Sunday, June 30, 13