9 things I've learned since uni (abridged)

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    9 things I've learned since uni (abridged) - Presentation Transcript

    1. The original for this talk had some secret squirrel stuff in it (which I’ve now cut). So here’s a trimmed version, & you’ll need to come to my next talk in person to get the full detail... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    2. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    3. Basically... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    4. I help start & oversee businesses Sunday, 22 November 2009
    5. But more on that later... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    6. For now... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    7. I’d like to go back Sunday, 22 November 2009
    8. to when I was in shoes similar to yours... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    9. I’ll talk through Sunday, 22 November 2009
    10. some of the journey since Sunday, 22 November 2009
    11. as a way to share Sunday, 22 November 2009
    12. some of my learning Sunday, 22 November 2009
    13. hoping to Sunday, 22 November 2009
    14. spark Sunday, 22 November 2009
    15. insight Sunday, 22 November 2009
    16. This won’t be: • Heavily Structured • With Bullet Points • And 3 key take homes Sunday, 22 November 2009
    17. Instead, I’m hoping for... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    18. more of a ramble Sunday, 22 November 2009
    19. with a l o o s e vibe. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    20. More of an approach Sunday, 22 November 2009
    21. rather than a result Sunday, 22 November 2009
    22. I’m calling it: Sunday, 22 November 2009
    23. 9 things I’ve learned uni since Sunday, 22 November 2009
    24. (here’s where you miss the first chunk of secret squirrel stuff...) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    25. 1. Learn to fail quickly (& cheaply) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    26. The jobs I was doing while at uni were small projects For people that knew me Or that I started for free Sunday, 22 November 2009
    27. So they couldn’t break me Sunday, 22 November 2009
    28. How did I go? Sunday, 22 November 2009
    29. Only OK Sunday, 22 November 2009
    30. I wasn’t as good as I wanted to be Sunday, 22 November 2009
    31. So I shipped myself off... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    32. ...to Glasgow Sunday, 22 November 2009
    33. Sunday, 22 November 2009 Glasgow School of Art
    34. Big reputation Sunday, 22 November 2009
    35. Epic Professor (like Prof. Bell) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    36. Who taught me #2... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    37. 2. It’s the question that matters Sunday, 22 November 2009
    38. “The mere formulation of a problem is far more essential than it’s solution, which may be merely a matter of mathematical or experimental skills ” -Albert Einstein Sunday, 22 November 2009
    39. I’d thought I was going to Glasgow to learn ‘Design’ Sunday, 22 November 2009
    40. And instead, I had my first real taste of... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    41. Marketing Sunday, 22 November 2009
    42. The majority of each project... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    43. was spent learning how to ask the right question. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    44. We would pull markets apart Sunday, 22 November 2009
    45. Looking at them from multiple angles Sunday, 22 November 2009
    46. Watching users Sunday, 22 November 2009
    47. Becoming the user Sunday, 22 November 2009
    48. Experimenting on users Sunday, 22 November 2009
    49. And even talking to them on occasion Sunday, 22 November 2009
    50. Trying to gain... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    51. insight Sunday, 22 November 2009
    52. That others have missed Sunday, 22 November 2009
    53. Like Nits Sunday, 22 November 2009
    54. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    55. Or Fruit Sunday, 22 November 2009
    56. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    57. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    58. I loved this approach Sunday, 22 November 2009
    59. In fact, thinking about Drucker now... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    60. “Marketing is the whole business seen from the customer’s point of view” -Peter Drucker Sunday, 22 November 2009
    61. I realised I was falling in love with marketing. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    62. So after a year in Glasgow Sunday, 22 November 2009
    63. Sunday, 22 November 2009 Travelling loads
    64. Surfing most weekends Sunday, 22 November 2009
    65. No matter what the weather Sunday, 22 November 2009
    66. It was time to turn back Sunday, 22 November 2009
    67. home to Oz Sunday, 22 November 2009
    68. Bang out my last uni years Sunday, 22 November 2009
    69. (sorry, secret squirrel strikes) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    70. Meet my future wife Sunday, 22 November 2009
    71. Bust through some proper engineering work Sunday, 22 November 2009
    72. Then think... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    73. Ehhhh, enough of that Sunday, 22 November 2009
    74. And decided to go back to the UK... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    75. because my design & marketing skills were not up to scratch Sunday, 22 November 2009
    76. My Glasgow friends had moved to London Sunday, 22 November 2009
    77. So that’s where we made camp... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    78. Started applying for jobs Sunday, 22 November 2009
    79. ... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    80. And kept applying for jobs... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    81. I couldn’t even get past the receptionists! Sunday, 22 November 2009
    82. So I got a job at a hardware store Sunday, 22 November 2009
    83. Which was around the corner from Sunday, 22 November 2009
    84. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    85. Where I would hang at every chance Sunday, 22 November 2009
    86. Soon the surf shop offered me a job Sunday, 22 November 2009
    87. Which was more fun than the hardware store Sunday, 22 November 2009
    88. I kept applying for design jobs Sunday, 22 November 2009
    89. And finally got a foot in the door Sunday, 22 November 2009
    90. via a guy a mate played soccer with... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    91. (at a place that secret squirrel has removed...) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    92. We did ‘pure’ concepts Sunday, 22 November 2009
    93. That were meant to help explore future directions for these companies Sunday, 22 November 2009
    94. I didn’t really dig it... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    95. There weren’t enough constraints Sunday, 22 November 2009
    96. It was more art than design Sunday, 22 November 2009
    97. Which helped me realise #3 Sunday, 22 November 2009
    98. 3. Constraints help define your opportunities Sunday, 22 November 2009
    99. Constraints in the creative process Sunday, 22 November 2009
    100. With a star designer... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    101. I was working on art, not design. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    102. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    103. All this while (churning out art that we called design) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    104. I was still doing shifts at the surf shop... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    105. trying not to go broke. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    106. There’s some downtime in a surf shop Sunday, 22 November 2009
    107. So I’d try & make stuff for them Sunday, 22 November 2009
    108. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    109. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    110. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    111. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    112. Because it was no longer just a sales guy’s opinion, Sunday, 22 November 2009
    113. now it was an official poster on choosing the right board for you, Sunday, 22 November 2009
    114. board sales grew around 900% Sunday, 22 November 2009
    115. It was a fun place to play Sunday, 22 November 2009
    116. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    117. After a year... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    118. We got jack of London Sunday, 22 November 2009
    119. So came home to Oz Sunday, 22 November 2009
    120. I’d done the engineering Sunday, 22 November 2009
    121. I’d done the ‘design’ Sunday, 22 November 2009
    122. And I’d realised a core truth... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    123. 4. “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” -George Bernard Shaw Sunday, 22 November 2009
    124. I was evolving a better vision of what I wanted to be... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    125. And it was incomplete. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    126. I wanted to understand Brands & Marketing better. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    127. So that was enough of an excuse to... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    128. Sunday, 22 November 2009 move to Torquay!
    129. It was either Sunday, 22 November 2009
    130. It was either or Sunday, 22 November 2009
    131. I chose Rip Curl for ‘cos it seemed more tech & down my alley... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    132. I approached, interviewed, was passed on to other managers, interviewed again... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    133. I approached, interviewed, was passed on to other managers, interviewed again... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    134. I approached, interviewed, was passed on to other managers, interviewed again... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    135. I approached, interviewed, was passed on to other managers, interviewed again... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    136. They liked me, but couldn’t work out the best spot... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    137. The thing they liked most? Sunday, 22 November 2009
    138. My fruit chart Sunday, 22 November 2009
    139. With no perfect openings... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    140. They offered me a low paid accessory designer role Sunday, 22 November 2009
    141. Which I jumped at! Sunday, 22 November 2009
    142. Hats, belts, jocks & socks... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    143. ...I was in. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    144. 4 seasons a year Sunday, 22 November 2009
    145. 4 seasons a year 70 odd products a season Sunday, 22 November 2009
    146. 4 seasons a year 70 odd products a season This was fast design Sunday, 22 November 2009
    147. But a perfect way to discover... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    148. 5. The Feedback Loop Sunday, 22 November 2009
    149. 5. The Feedback Loop (Probably the single most under- appreciated part o almost every business) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    150. Designing about 280 products a year, Sunday, 22 November 2009
    151. which either sold or bombed, Sunday, 22 November 2009
    152. you could work things out pretty quickly... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    153. ...but most designers didn’t. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    154. They designed, Sunday, 22 November 2009
    155. then moved on. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    156. (secret squirrel) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    157. While designing soft accessories, I was getting to know the equipment guys Sunday, 22 November 2009
    158. Spot Sunday, 22 November 2009
    159. Grab Sunday, 22 November 2009
    160. Was now a Product Manager Sunday, 22 November 2009
    161. (secret squirrel said there was some stuff here about the division drifting a little from...) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    162. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    163. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    164. So that became our new angle... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    165. Get back to selling the dream Sunday, 22 November 2009
    166. Which was when we hit our next stumbling block... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    167. 6. Asking customers is not enough Sunday, 22 November 2009
    168. “If I had listened to my customers, I would have given them a faster horse” -Henry Ford Sunday, 22 November 2009
    169. The aim becomes to give customers what they will value, rather than what they ask for. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    170. From sales reps to existing consumers... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    171. They were asking for better square school bags Sunday, 22 November 2009
    172. MORE sections Sunday, 22 November 2009
    173. BIGGER zips Sunday, 22 November 2009
    174. CHEAPER prices Sunday, 22 November 2009
    175. Yet when I’d go on boat trips through Indo Sunday, 22 November 2009
    176. Or jungle treks through Tahiti (for research) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    177. Or jungle treks through Tahiti (for research) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    178. I’d watch surfers struggling with a crap pack Sunday, 22 November 2009
    179. So we had to put new ideas in front of them, Sunday, 22 November 2009
    180. & see what connected. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    181. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    182. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    183. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    184. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    185. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    186. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    187. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    188. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    189. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    190. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    191. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    192. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    193. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    194. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    195. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    196. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    197. We made progress Sunday, 22 November 2009
    198. Monitored the results Sunday, 22 November 2009
    199. Evolved the offering Sunday, 22 November 2009
    200. & repeated Sunday, 22 November 2009
    201. Sales grew Sunday, 22 November 2009
    202. quickly Sunday, 22 November 2009
    203. Which let our team Sunday, 22 November 2009
    204. Take on a more global role Sunday, 22 November 2009
    205. We weren’t really asked to... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    206. But it would let us get more volume behind our ideas Sunday, 22 November 2009
    207. Which then let us step it up again... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    208. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    209. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    210. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    211. And marketing budget appeared... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    212. & we even got new titles Sunday, 22 November 2009
    213. & we even got new titles Sunday, 22 November 2009
    214. But in the surf game... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    215. Bags & Equipment are not exactly the lead categories Sunday, 22 November 2009
    216. Boardshorts are what get the love Sunday, 22 November 2009
    217. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    218. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    219. When marketing a brand in tropical locations Sunday, 22 November 2009
    220. Boardshorts are often the only visible product Sunday, 22 November 2009
    221. (so secret squirrel let us loose here...) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    222. So I was asked to help out... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    223. Injecting some brand values back in to them Sunday, 22 November 2009
    224. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    225. Or as mates would say... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    226. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    227. The issue? Sunday, 22 November 2009
    228. Once again, they had been building what the retailers were asking for, Sunday, 22 November 2009
    229. rather than what the customers had not yet realised they wanted (a much harder sell) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    230. For most users... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    231. They say the look is what matters Sunday, 22 November 2009
    232. But with boardies, if there is no functional underpinnings, Sunday, 22 November 2009
    233. the look is undermined Sunday, 22 November 2009
    234. So instead of just building brighter basic boardies Sunday, 22 November 2009
    235. We decided to tackle 3 key targets we thought our brand could hit... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    236. 1. The Core surfer 2. The aspiring surfer 3. The fashion forward surfer (who we were totally missing) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    237. 1. The Core surfer 2. The Aspiring surfer 3. The fashion forward surfer (who we were totally missing) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    238. 1. The Core surfer 2. The Aspiring surfer 3. The Fashion surfer Sunday, 22 November 2009
    239. High Price, 1. The Core Surfer High Performance Sunday, 22 November 2009
    240. 2. The Aspiring Surfer Fit, Details & Features Sunday, 22 November 2009
    241. 3. The Fashion Surfer Connect to creative cats Sunday, 22 November 2009
    242. So here’s a favourite lesson of mine... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    243. Coming in at #7... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    244. 7. Understand where your market is Sunday, 22 November 2009
    245. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    246. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    247. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    248. Interestingly, boardies straddle all of these segments Sunday, 22 November 2009
    249. Core Average Oakleigh surfers consumer Pool Sunday, 22 November 2009
    250. Or if you ain’t the big guy, look to redefine the performance axis Sunday, 22 November 2009
    251. I love this conceptual map... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    252. The way it makes you consider the most relevant performance axis, Sunday, 22 November 2009
    253. understand how well served the market is, Sunday, 22 November 2009
    254. And consider if there is a chance to redefine the performance axis Sunday, 22 November 2009
    255. ... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    256. So I’d got to play with all these areas Sunday, 22 November 2009
    257. We’d got some awesome growth Sunday, 22 November 2009
    258. Travelled the world Sunday, 22 November 2009
    259. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    260. Mixing work & play Sunday, 22 November 2009
    261. (with lots of play) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    262. But it was feeling a little hollow Sunday, 22 November 2009
    263. My learning had slowed Sunday, 22 November 2009
    264. I was realising that my passion was to... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    265. 8. Work on Thinking, not on things Sunday, 22 November 2009
    266. The world is not only changing... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    267. It is changing faster Sunday, 22 November 2009
    268. Accelerating change means... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    269. The things you learn here will me mostly outdated by the time you graduate Sunday, 22 November 2009
    270. Hopefully the thinking will be your take out Sunday, 22 November 2009
    271. You’ll have learned to learn Sunday, 22 November 2009
    272. “it is not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones who are most responsive to change” -Charles Darwin Sunday, 22 November 2009
    273. So just over a year ago Sunday, 22 November 2009
    274. I split Rip Curl Sunday, 22 November 2009
    275. & started some businesses with 2 other partners Sunday, 22 November 2009
    276. We call it Sunday, 22 November 2009
    277. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    278. It’s kind of a business incubator Sunday, 22 November 2009
    279. Where we try to Sunday, 22 November 2009
    280. build value Sunday, 22 November 2009
    281. build value from good ideas Sunday, 22 November 2009
    282. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    283. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    284. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    285. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    286. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    287. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    288. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    289. These businesses span 3 areas that we believe we have insights in... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    290. 1. Healthcare & Industrial products 2. Web Space 3. Step-Up brands Sunday, 22 November 2009
    291. We try to build these businesses: Lean Agile & Flexible Sunday, 22 November 2009
    292. Because we have realised a fundamental truth... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    293. 9. The great ideas are usually only obvious in hindsight Sunday, 22 November 2009
    294. For all your planning, theories & efforts... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    295. ...you still usually get it wrong. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    296. Then the little thing you never expected much of... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    297. brings home the www.smileyland.com bacon. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    298. My favourite example of this... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    299. is everyone’s favourite example of everything... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    300. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    301. We all know it has changed the worlds of Product, Marketing, Business & Brand Sunday, 22 November 2009
    302. And we all knew it was always going to right...? Sunday, 22 November 2009
    303. nope... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    304. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    305. When you look in to it... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    306. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    307. SEARCH IS COOKED! Passed over by the best VC firms in the game Sunday, 22 November 2009
    308. While investors had poured in to... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    309. Apple’s Newton Sunday, 22 November 2009
    310. Multi billion dollar satellite phone systems Sunday, 22 November 2009
    311. And American car companies Sunday, 22 November 2009
    312. Great ideas are not obvious (except in hindsight) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    313. Great ideas are not obvious (except in hindsight) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    314. So we try not to predict too much (except in hindsight) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    315. Instead, we build something cheaply... (except in hindsight) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    316. get it to market... (except in hindsight) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    317. ...and then start our real learning. (except in hindsight) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    318. Learning strong theories is important... (except in hindsight) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    319. But learning to execute well is a whole other game. (except in hindsight) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    320. So we’re now in this fast learning phase (except in hindsight) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    321. Making mistakes again (except in hindsight) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    322. And getting some wins (except in hindsight) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    323. We regularly measure, review, revise (except in hindsight) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    324. And we record or best insights on a crazy document we call the TOE (except in hindsight) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    325. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    326. But that’s another lecture... (except in hindsight) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    327. The final thought I want to leave you with today... (except in hindsight) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    328. Is more of a vibe than a theory (except in hindsight) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    329. It’s guided by a thought that Seth Godin enunciated well (except in hindsight) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    330. That when someone hires you or your company... (except in hindsight) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    331. ...it’s more about where you are going rather than where you have been (except in hindsight) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    332. They want to feel that your bus is going somewhere great, (except in hindsight) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    333. and that they have the chance to come along for the ride... (except in hindsight) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    334. Yet because we are aussies... (except in hindsight) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    335. it’s all about understating that... (except in hindsight) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    336. 10. Under promise, over deliver (except in hindsight) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    337. Put yourself in areas that you can get excited about (except in hindsight) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    338. And then get excited (that means work hard) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    339. And then get excited (that means work really hard) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    340. Bud Caddell showed it well (except in hindsight) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    341. when he adapted Good To Great’s Hedgehog (except in hindsight) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    342. to be relevant for the individual... (except in hindsight) Sunday, 22 November 2009
    343. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    344. If you’re working at the intersection of your... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    345. Passion, profit & pride Sunday, 22 November 2009
    346. You don’t need to talk it up. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    347. People will know you’re on a great bus, going somewhere fast. Sunday, 22 November 2009
    348. That’s me... Sunday, 22 November 2009
    349. Any questions...? Sunday, 22 November 2009
    350. Or perhaps some silence...? Sunday, 22 November 2009
    351. 9 things I’ve learned since uni 1. Learn to fail quickly 2. It’s the question that matters 3. Constraints help define your opportunities 4. Life is creating yourself, not finding yourself 5. The Feedback Loop 6. Asking customers is not enough 7. Understand where your market is at 8. Work on thinking, not on things 9. Great ideas are only obvious in hindsight +10. Under promise, over deliver Sunday, 22 November 2009
    352. Or view the whole presentation at: http://www.slideshare.net/afallshaw Sunday, 22 November 2009

    + Andy FallshawAndy Fallshaw, 1 month ago

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