Five Dangerous Ideas

@berkun scottberkun.com

info@scottberkun.com

1. Everyone is a designer

http://fightclubmpm17.wordpress.com/thoughtless-acts-stephanie/

Thoughtless Acts?, By Jane Fulton Suri

“Rats. My client thinks he is a designer. “

He is a designer, just an extremely bad one.

Designers are ambassadors for

good ideas Good designers are the

only mentors for bad designers

2. You have no power

What decisions are completely yours?

Artist / Designer / Advisor / Lackey

If you have little territory, fortifying it

buys you nothing

Whoever uses the most jargon has the least confidence in

their ideas

Power can be: A. Granted B. Earned C. Claimed

3. The generalists are in charge

If there are more than 5 people in the room, you have less

power than you think

In room power vs.

Out of room power

What is the culture’s appetite for change? - Margaret Stewart, YouTube

Ownership Accountability Involvement

How much of yourself will you put behind your own ideas?

4. We work in sales (regardless of your job title)

Everyone has to pitch ideas

Surprise: these are sales tasks

•  Prototyping •  Pitching •  Evangelizing •  Going to meetings run by someone else •  Asking for resources •  Giving presentations •  Growing influence

“Talk to people you don’t like” - Samantha Starmer, REI

Secret: we got into tech, so we can work with software, instead of all the people we don’t like

If people think you are smart and useful your job title is

irrelevant

If people think you are dumb and useless your job title is

irrelevant

5. Creativity is Risk

Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston

Who will:

-  Ask the tough question -  Do the extra work -  Be willing to fail, and learn -  Put their reputation on the line -  Commit to a big crazy idea

Photo Credits •  Stove: http://fightclubmpm17.wordpress.com/thoughtless-acts-stephanie/ •  Various, Thoughtless Acts?, Jane Fulton Suri •  Sales : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Salesman_-beach_-_bikini-

_sun-27Dec2008.jpg •  Maginot Line: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maginot_Line •  Masada night - http://www.flickr.com/photos/18129976@N08/4530206067/ •  Bunker: http://www.bunkertours.co.uk/metrich/block_1.JPG •  Masada above - http://www.bible-architecture.info/Masada.htm •  Masada map - http://www.bible-architecture.info/Masada.htm •  museum 1 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsifrancis/3256582969/ •  Museum 2 - http://www.baunetz.de/talk/crystal/gallerie.php?

group=22&lang=en&temp=crystal&id=9 •  Museum - http://architecturerevived.blogspot.com/2008/11/institute-of-

contemporary-art-ica.html

Thank you. Five Dangerous Ideas

@berkun scottberkun.com info@scottberkun.com

•  Everyone is a designer •  You have (no) power •  Generalists are in charge •  You are a salesperson •  Creativity is risk

Photo Credits •  Wrong way:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nadav/108792921 •  Stove: http://fightclubmpm17.wordpress.com/thoughtless-acts-stephanie/ •  Various, Thoughtless Acts?, Jane Fulton Suri •  Sales : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Salesman_-beach_-_bikini-

_sun-27Dec2008.jpg •  Maginot Line: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maginot_Line •  SPL 4th floor: http://www.flickr.com/photos/devos/96388620/ •  SPL Escalator, http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephenhill/113977751/ •  Jargon List: Blue Flavor •  Bunker: http://www.bunkertours.co.uk/metrich/block_1.JPG