The things I've learned in 20 years of taking on big, world-changing projects - and failing.

1. Ways I've Tried to
Change the World
and Failed

2. My Name is
Steven Skoczen
and I am trying to change the world.

3. So I’ve tried.

4. It turns changing the
world is really hard.

5. So I fail at it a lot.

6. Here’s my mistakes.

7. Pick one you’re going
to skip.

8. Let’s get started.

9. UCSD
Use tech to give patients a voice.
failed because
Scale matters.

10. ebDB
Single repository for all the world's
ethnobotanical data.
Second System Syndrome is Real.
failed because

11. Olorien
Open-source scientific journal
software.
Sometimes there is no general case.
failed because

12. Cornell University
Environmental Engineering degree.
Expensive doesn’t mean valuable.
failed because

13. Cornell University
Environmental Engineering degree.
Sunk cost fallacy is real.
failed because

14. EPA P3 Research
Small-scale solar-thermal power.
Physics always wins.
failed because

15. SixLinks
Information and actions for all the
world's biggest environmental issues.
If you can't make money at it, stop.
It's a bad idea.
failed because

16. SixLinks
Information and actions for all the
world's biggest environmental issues.
Burnout is real.
Never work >60 hrs/wk on anything.
failed because

17. SixLinks
Information and actions for all the
world's biggest environmental issues.
Meet your audience where they are, not
where you want them to be.
failed because

18. GoodCloud
Software for Small Non-profits.
Don't innovate everything.
Only solve one problem.
failed because

19. GoodCloud
Software for Small Non-profits.
A business must be good at everything.
failed because

20. GoodCloud
Software for Small Non-profits.
Marketing is more important than
product.
failed because

21. Wieden+Kennedy
The world's most powerful ad agency.
Nike, Coke, Old Spice, everything.
You can only move big things with help.
failed because

22. Coffeehous.es
Intellectual discourse among far-away
friends.
Good ideas are worthless.
failed because

23. Science for Humans
Communicating scientific research
through short, animated videos.
A man cannot serve two masters.
Or, you have finite time.
failed because

24. That brings us to now.

25. BuddyUp

26. Ink and Feet

27. These feel like they’ll be
successes.
Just like the others did.

28. You never know.

29. The things that failure
slowly teaches.

30. Intention
Doesn’t count.

31. Empathy
Is the most important personal
skill you can develop.

32. Fear
Is the best compass
you will ever own.

33. Change
The world isn’t static.
Neither are you. Change.

34. Sacrifice
Nothing is free.

35. Ego
Do you care enough about your
thing to improve yourself?

36. You will fail.
Learn how to fall, and how get
up.

37. That’s what I know.

38. Which thing are you
going to skip?

39. One more thing.

40. You can change the world.

41. –Margaret Atwood
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed citizens can change the world;
indeed, it's the only thing that ever does.”

42. –Steve Jobs
“Everything around you that you call life was
made up by people that were no smarter than
you, and you can change it, you can influence
it, you can build your own things that other
people can use.”

43. Tomorrow hasn’t
been written.

44. Write it.

45. Thanks for listening.
steven@inkandfeet.com