More Related Content Similar to 9 Things I've Learned Since Uni (10) 9 Things I've Learned Since Uni3. I’m a former student of
Prof Norman McNally
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
12. So I work from...
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
19. My job title is
kinda hard to
work out...
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
30. I help start
& oversee
businesses
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
31. as a way to get good
ideas out there.
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
35. to when I was
in shoes similar
to yours...
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
38. as a way to share
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
43. that will mean this is
time well enough spent
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
47. This won’t be:
• Heavily Structured
• With Bullet Points
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
48. This won’t be:
• Heavily Structured
• With Bullet Points
• And 3 key take homes
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
49. Instead,
I’m hoping for...
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
50. more
of
a
ramble
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
51. with a l o o s e vibe.
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
55. 9 things
I’ve
learned
uni
since
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
59. Planning to add:
Industrial
Design +
Mechanical
Engineering
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
60. But then...
Industrial
Design +
Mechanical
Engineering
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
62. …my uni pinched an
idea from Glasgow:
Product Design
Engineering
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
64. So I was doing uni...
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
66. (not many
Prof. McNally’s)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
67. So I start freelancing
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
69. Logos
for friends
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
70. Logos
for friends
or friends of friends, or friends of friends of friends...
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
72. Products
(for family)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
73. Products
(for free)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
74. Products
(or almost free)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
77. 1. Learn to fail quickly
(& cheaply)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
79. They were small projects
For people that knew me
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
80. They were small projects
For people that knew me
Or that I started for free
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
84. I wasn’t as good as
I wanted to be
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
87. (that’s how we picture you
guys down there…)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
92. 2. It’s the question
that matters
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
93. “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
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
95. It’s why engineering is
the most common
undergrad degree for
Fortune 500 CEO’s
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
97. I’d thought I was going to
Glasgow to learn
‘Design’
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
98. And instead, I had my
first real taste of...
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
100. Marketing
(although I don’t think Prof McNally
would call it that)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
113. but for a convict
from down under,
it was kinda new…
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
116. Or Fruit
(my first project back in Oz)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
121. “Marketing is the whole
business seen from the
customer’s point of view”
-Peter Drucker
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
125. So after a year in Glasgow
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
130. home
to Oz
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
131. Bang out my last uni years
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
134. Bust
through
some
proper
engineering
work
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
136. Ehhhh,
enough of that
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
138. because my
design & marketing
skills were not
up to scratch
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
145. So I got a job at a
hardware store
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
150. Which was more fun than
the hardware store
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
153. via a guy a mate played
soccer with...
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
156. a guy in lots of
design books
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163. That were meant to help
explore future directions
for these companies
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166. It was more
art
than
design
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
171. I was working on art,
not design (& was a long
way from engineering).
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
173. All this while
(churning out art that we called design)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
174. I was still doing shifts at
the surf shop...
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
177. So I’d try & make
stuff for them
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
182. Because it was no
longer just a sales guy’s
opinion,
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
183. now it was an official
poster on choosing the
right board for you,
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185. It was a fun place to play
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
189. So
came
home
to Oz
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
193. 4. “Life isn’t about
finding yourself.
Life is about
creating yourself.”
-George Bernard Shaw
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
194. I was evolving a
better vision of what
I wanted to be...
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
195. And it was
incomplete.
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
196. I wanted to understand
the complete business
process,
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
197. and ‘desire’
(brands & marketing)
is where I was
weakest.
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
198. So that was enough
of an excuse to...
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
202. I chose Rip Curl for
2 reasons...
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
204. 1. More Techie (I’m still an engineer)
2. Seemed to need more help
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
209. They liked me, but
couldn’t work out
the best spot...
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
212. They thought I
might help them
think more clearly.
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
214. They offered me a
low paid accessory
designer role
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
219. 4 seasons a year
70 odd products a season
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
220. 4 seasons a year
70 odd products a season
This was fast design
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
223. 5. The Feedback Loop
(Probably the single most under-
appreciated part o almost every business)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
226. you could work things out
pretty quickly...
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
231. Maybe they were worried it
would expose a weakness
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
232. Or the fantasy just seemed
nicer than the reality
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
236. While designing soft
accessories, I was
getting to know the
equipment guys
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
239. I was now a
Product Manager
(brand, business & product)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
242. At that point, the division
was a factory for
square school bags
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
247. seemed a
disconnect with...
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
251. Get back to
selling the dream
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
252. Which was when we hit
our next stumbling block...
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
254. “If I had listened to my
customers, I would have
given them a faster horse”
-Henry Ford
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
255. The aim becomes
to give customers
what they will value,
rather than
what they ask for.
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
261. Yet when I’d go on boat
trips through Indo
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
265. So we had to put new
ideas in front of them,
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
266. & see what connected.
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
290. Take on a more global role
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
292. But it would let us get
more volume behind
our ideas
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
298. & we even got new titles
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
299. & we even got new titles
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
300. But in the surf game...
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
301. Bags & Equipment
are not exactly the
lead categories
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
302. Boardshorts
are what get the love
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
306. Boardshorts
are often the only
visible product
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
308. So I was asked to
help out...
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
314. Once again, they
had been building
what the retailers
were asking for,
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
315. rather than what the
customers had not yet
realised they wanted
(a much harder sell)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
317. They say the look is
what matters
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
320. So instead of just
building
brighter basic boardies
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
321. We decided to tackle
3 key targets
we thought our
brand could hit...
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
322. 1. The Core surfer
2. The aspiring surfer
3. The fashion forward surfer
(who we were totally missing)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
323. 1. The Core surfer
2. The Aspiring surfer
3. The fashion forward surfer
(who we were totally missing)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
324. 1. The Core surfer
2. The Aspiring surfer
3. The Fashion surfer
(who we were totally missing)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
325. High Price,
1. The Core Surfer High Performance
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
326. 2. The Aspiring Surfer Fit, Details
& Features
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
327. 3. The Fashion Surfer Connect to
creative cats
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
328. So here’s a favourite
lesson of mine...
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
335. Core Average Public
surfers consumer Pool
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
336. Or if you ain’t the big guy, look to
redefine the performance axis
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
337. I love this conceptual
map...
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
338. The way it makes you
consider the most
relevant performance axis,
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
340. And consider if there is
a chance to redefine
the performance axis
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
342. So I’d got to play with
all these areas
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
348. But it was feeling
a little hollow
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
351. 8. Work on Thinking,
not on things
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
352. The world is not only
changing...
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
355. The things you learn
here will me mostly
outdated by the time
you graduate
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
357. You’ll have
learned to learn
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
358. “it is not the strongest
species that survive,
nor the most intelligent, but
the ones who are most
responsive to change”
-Charles Darwin
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
361. & started some
businesses with
2 other partners
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
364. It’s kind of a
business incubator
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
367. build value
from good ideas
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
375. These businesses
span 3 areas that we
believe we have
insights in...
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
376. 1. Healthcare & Industrial products
2. Web Space
3. Step-Up brands
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
377. We try to build these
businesses:
Lean
Agile
& Flexible
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
378. Because we have
realised a
fundamental truth...
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
379. 9. The great ideas are
usually only obvious in
hindsight
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
380. For all your planning,
theories & efforts...
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
382. Then the little thing you
never expected much of...
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
383. brings
home
the
www.smileyland.com
bacon.
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
384. My favourite
example of this...
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
387. We all know it has
changed the worlds of
Product, Marketing,
Business & Brand
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
388. And we all knew it was
always going to right...?
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
393. SEARCH IS COOKED!
Passed over by the best
VC firms in the game
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
398. Great ideas are not obvious
(except in hindsight)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
399. Great ideas are not obvious
(except in hindsight)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
400. So we try not to
predict too much
(except in hindsight)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
401. Instead,
we build something
cheaply...
(except in hindsight)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
402. get it to market...
(except in hindsight)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
403. ...and then start
our real learning.
(except in hindsight)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
405. But learning to execute well
is a whole other game.
(except in hindsight)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
406. So we’re now in this fast
learning phase
(except in hindsight)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
410. And we record or best
insights on a crazy
document we call the TOE
(except in hindsight)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
413. The final thought I want to
leave you with today...
(except in hindsight)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
414. Is more of a vibe
than a theory
(except in hindsight)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
415. It’s guided by a thought that
Seth Godin enunciated well
(except in hindsight)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
416. That when someone hires
you or your company...
(except in hindsight)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
417. ...it’s more about
where you are going
rather than
where you have been
(except in hindsight)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
418. They want to feel that
your bus is going
somewhere great,
(except in hindsight)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
419. and that they have the
chance to come along
for the ride...
(except in hindsight)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
421. it’s all about
understating that...
(except in hindsight)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
423. Put yourself in areas that
you can get excited
about
(except in hindsight)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
424. And then get excited
(that means work hard)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
425. And then get excited
(that means work really hard)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
426. Bud Caddell
showed it well
(except in hindsight)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
427. when he adapted
Good To Great’s
Hedgehog
(except in hindsight)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
428. to be relevant for the
individual...
(except in hindsight)
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
433. People will know you’re
on a great bus, going
somewhere fast.
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
437. 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
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
438. Or view the whole presentation at:
http://www.slideshare.net/afallshaw
Wednesday, 3 March 2010