Improv & Entrepreneurship by Devon Wright of Turnstyle Solutions (TechTO June 2015)
11
-
Upload
techtoronto -
Category
Technology
-
view
138 -
download
5
Transcript of Improv & Entrepreneurship by Devon Wright of Turnstyle Solutions (TechTO June 2015)
@MrDevonWright [email protected] 1.647.965.3386
Bit About me
Raised in Whitby, Ontario.
Went to Western, worked in a big bank for 3 years, worked
at a start up for 6 months, started Turnstyle.
Singer Songwriter for Natural Animal
Love Cats, Coffee Time, and Improv.
@MrDevonWright [email protected] 1.647.965.3386
Bit About Turnstyle
LBM Play - Mission is to change the way people connect
with their world.
Founded in June 2012 - started with $50K from a buddy
Curently 25 staff, raised $2.6M, 2000 locations and
growing
Plan to grow to 10,000 locations, 50 employees by end of
2015.
@MrDevonWright [email protected] 1.647.965.3386
Improv vs. Acting
Improv is like a startup – trying to find product/market fit.
Acting is like a big business – trying to reproduce an
established product.
You are never all one, all another. Great entertainment
takes elements of both when appropriate.
Equal to Startup vs. Big Business
@MrDevonWright [email protected] 1.647.965.3386
Laws of Improv
Set WHO, WHAT, WHERE.
Be creative – you have no props.
‘Yes And’ everything… Listen and include input from
EVERYONE on your team.
Listen to the audience.
Have Fun.
@MrDevonWright [email protected] 1.647.965.3386
The Who, Where, What
The players in your company need clear titles (WHO).
Sets who is accountable for what.
e.g. CEO vs CTO vs Manager of Marketing
The players need an arena to operate (WHERE).
Gives focus.
e.g. Online vs. Offline vs.
The players in your company need a mission (WHAT).
Gives purpose.
e.g. to change the way people connect with the world
around them.
@MrDevonWright [email protected] 1.647.965.3386
Be Creative – you have no props
In improv, you have no props.
In startups, you have no money.
It is the most empowering thing in the world. You can have
WHATEVER you want! Just do it!
The audience (the market) rewards this handsomly if you
own it!
@MrDevonWright [email protected] 1.647.965.3386
YES AND…
Everyone is important. Listen and include input from
EVERYONE on your team.
Yes:
Don’t get attached to your ideas just because they’re
yours.
Be selfless, accepting and TRUSTING.
And:
Contribute, be decisive and be confident in your choices.
Live with your decisions. You can change directions, but
your past decisions will always remain.
The most important principle in life…
@MrDevonWright [email protected] 1.647.965.3386
Listen to the Audience
In start up land, the market is the audience.
Laughter (reaction) is to the audience what money is to the
market:
Audience reacting – do more of that.
Marketing paying – do more of that.
It isn’t good until the market pays. LISTEN TO THE
AUDIENCE.
@MrDevonWright [email protected] 1.647.965.3386
Have Fun
The audience wants to see you having fun. The market
rewards this handsomly.
People want to join companies that are fun.
Even if you fail, you will have succeeded.
@MrDevonWright [email protected] 1.647.965.3386
Contact:
Devon [email protected]
1.647.965.3386http://getturnstyle.com
