This document discusses serendipity and how it can be fostered. It contains quotes from several people discussing topics like maintaining a beginner's mindset, putting yourself out there, networking with weak ties, and avoiding over-focus. The key ideas are that serendipity favors an enthusiastic and optimistic approach with an openness to new experiences, making connections outside one's normal circles, and avoiding narrow focus in order to see more opportunities.

1. photo: http://instagram.com/p/WsWuzpvhuz/
THOUGHTS ON THE NEW SERENDIPITY @SXSW2013
@nguyenduong
Serendipity happens at SXSW, even among the likeminded.
Put yourself into unfamiliar panels, discussions, situations.
participation planning director @SaatchiLA
Serendipity is about finding what you aren’t looking for.
With so many new technologies and behaviors, are we changing conditions for Serendipity?
Conversations around Serendipity: Beginner’s mind. Putting yourself out there. The networked mind. Be careful of over-focusing.

2. “As we gain wisdom, how do we retain
a beginner’s mind?”
@colinraney design and location
director, IDEO
“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities. In the experts mind there are few.” - Shunryu Suzuk
Approach everything as if you were a grom. A beginner. Everything is new and exciting. Even wiping-out was fun as a kid. You’re having fun no matter the situation. Many
possibilities when you’re a beginner. When you’re an expert, you see few.
Serendipity loves enthusiasm, creativity and optimism. Like you were as a grom. A beginner.
“As you grow older, your memory goes down, but your pattern recognition goes up.” - @joi

3. “It’s important to commit to
something and go build it.
That will attract others.”
@kevinrose
founder of @digg
You create your own luck by committing to an idea and putting yourself out there.
Breakfast NY: saw the emerging popularity of Instagram and committed to an idea that allowed users to experience it in an analog way.
Made By Many: saw a gap in Instagram and created a new way to experience photos and for storytelling.
These agencies created their own serendipity when they committed to their idea and shared it w/the SXSW community.

4. “Teach your kids to ALWAYS talk to strangers.”
@jpbarlow
co-founder of eff.org
“Our acquaintances, not our friends are our greatest source of new ideas and information. The internet lets us
exploit the power of these kinds of distant connections with marvelous efficiency.” - Malcolm Gladwell, The New
Yorker
Serendipity lives at the edges of the network. Expand, explore outside your comfort zone. Look for that person who

5. Opportunities are created through relationships. And often times we find new connections and inspiration through our weak ties. From people unlike us. Some really big thinking years ago on “The Strength of Weak
Ties” by a sociologist, Mark Granovetter.
How do we find new perspective through our weak ties?
Large organizations lose their creativity because they homogenize instead of hybridizing.
Agencies hiring people outside of adland. Publishers hiring from adland.
Google designing their work places to prepare for serendipity. No one in their 1.1MM sq ft complex will more than a 2.5min walkd from any other. “You can schedule innovation. We want to create opportunities for
people to have ideas and be able to turn to others right there and say, ‘What do you think of this?” - David Radcliff, civil engineer overseeing the development of the GooglePlex
There’s a lot of serendipity that happens at co-working spaces. Coworking spaces provides solopreneurs a place where collaboration and community are highly valued, where you bring in all different types of brains
and networks.
“Fortune prefers the networked mind.”
@jpbarlow
co-founder of eff.org

6. “You lose peripheral
vision when you focus.”
@joi
director MIT Media Lab
“and you lose creativity when you focus.” - @joi
In order to increase the chance of serendipitous events, it’s important to get as many influences as possible. When creativity and innovation is
needed, bring in different skill-sets, experiences together for productive collaboration.

7. beginner’s mind.
put yourself out there.
network with weak ties.
don’t over-focus.
Beginner’s mind: to borrow from W+K, walk in stupid.
Put yourself out there: scratch that curiosity itch and commit to your ideas
Network w/weak ties: don’t be afraid to talk to strangers
Don’t over-focus: remember to smell the roses and look up and around you sometimes

8. thank you.
@nguyenduong
participation planning director @SaatchiLA