This past Thursday, Pat and I attended Communitech's Tech Leadership Conference, where we were a Silver Sponsor, and came away with a lot of great ideas. Jeremy Gutsche, founder of Trendhunter started the day with a very entertaining talk on innovation. Some key points were have a methodology on how you innovate - break out your steps. I would add that not only is it important to do this, but ensure that your team can talk about your methodology with people outside your company.
Seth Godin focused on the concept of ideas that spread win. It makes me wonder if too many companies and individuals are complicating things by trying to be all things to all people. This idea was echo'd at April Dunford's session at meshU earlier this year which Pat attended. Godin stressed the need to be remarkable, and tell a story that connects and engages your customers. They will spread the word. One needs to look no further than TOMS Shoes for a remarkable, compelling story. Buy a pair of shoes, and TOMS donates a pair to a child in need.
In between these sessions Pat and I split up to attend various sessions in the morning and afternoon. Some highlights - Mike McDerment, CEO of Freshbooks, clad in shorts and a t-shirt presenting with George Tsiolis of AGORACOM. How is moving back in to your parents house and having five friends come over every day to work out of the basement a great example of bootstrapping? One word... Dedication! Gerry Remers, COO of Christie Digital - where I think the only limit to 3D will soon be our imagination. Lastly, Mark Evans' Deep Dive on Social Media Tools was very informative showing how applications like Mr. Tweet, and Common Craft help you use tools like Twitter more effectively. This may be another sign of success in that people are building tools for tools.
Paul Kedrosky wrapped up the day talking about the new normal in the company. What is the new normal? For Startups it is finding customers and revenue before putting your efforts into venture capital. Self-funding through revenue is a challenge, but as an owner, you have more options to explore ways to grow, and the confidence to say, "No," to investors who don't match your philosophy.
All told, a great day followed by an opportunity to mix afterwards over cocktails and appetizers. Congratulations to Communitech on a successful day.
