This is the presentation I gave at the MIT Sloan school.

1. Digital City Mechanics
A system for creating jobs...

2. Presentation outline
• My entrepreneurial journey [who]
• A system to create Jobs [what]
• Digital City Mechanics [how]
• Q & A [why]
• [time permitting] details [more]

3. My Entrepreneurial Journey
• 30+ years – leading to today
• Timing is everything
• I’m a change agent
• Past, Present and Future coming together

4. Lessons of the ‘80’s
• First to market – wins
• Bootstrap whenever possible
• Work at home – get more done
• Look at features from the user’s perspective
• Hub of the wheel – friends to all – leadership
• Create a developer-based culture
• Strategically utilized “chutzpah”

5. Lessons of the 90’s
• Use my own money
• Zig while others Zag
• Content + Technology
• 50%+ of everything is NOT in the U.S.
• Design for broadband now, be ahead of the curve
• The Human face in software

6. Lessons from the 00’s
• Global, on-line, real-time culture
• Widget economy – open platforms
• Connect across multiple domains/silos
• Bring social to software – people power
• Connect the on-line world to the real world
• We are all Immigrants
• Open is the new Black

7. Lessons from the ’10s
• Individuals, not companies
• Jobs are the #1 issue
• Closed vs Open
• Digital Divide is about feeling comfortable using
computers, NOT free laptops and net access
• Its what you do WITH the bandwidth that counts
• Slow down, let the rest of the world catch up

8. Digitale Citta projecto in Trieste
• Utilizzato a banda larga di Telecom Italia
• Ha lavorato con il Sindaco Illy
• Integrated, rich media UI design

9. Built on AJAX - 6 years before
AJAX
Focused on family
computing

10. Profile pages, Multiple personae

11. QTVR Shopping, Seniors
interfaces
Embedded
Apps

12. Real-time Video cams - in Clubs

14. We Cannot Create Jobs Fast
Enough...
• Job training is geared toward “old Job” Models
• Workforce training and Economic Development
dollars are wasted
• Not clear how many freelancers exist
• Hi-tech industry doesn’t care about jobs for
“normal” people

15. What is a Job? Its Changing...
• No longer 40 hours a week, into an office
• Virtual work habits & workgroups
• Online tools, apps & web services
• Computers & handheld devices based
• Freelance nation
• Project-based economy

16. Hi-Tech Jobs for "normal people?"
• As high as 60% do not have hi-tech skills
• As high as 25% unemployed in some regions
• 25% of workforce are freelancers
• Creating Jobs is the #1 issue in society today

17. The real Digital Divide
• Feeling comfortable using computers as a tool
to make a living, to get work done
• Not free laptops, net access and MS Office

18. Digital Economy Ecosystem architectu

19. Hybrid of Technology and
Sociology
• Don’t just offer the tools to the people
• Make sure they USE them!
• Show normal people the BENEFIT and VALUE
from on-line technology – they can make a living,
not just waste time!
• Break down boundaries between silos

20. A New Model for Creating Jobs
• Jobs require comfort online & with PCs
• On-demand skills & tasks
• Virtual workgroups - online tools
• Project based, peer network, social-based
• Involves producing LOTS of online multimedia
• Games, simulations, visualizations, videos, mashups, remixes
• Interactive multimedia + data = app economy

21. Sustainable model
• Altruistic and For-profit hybrid
• 1/3 Gov/Foundation funding
• 1/3 Sponsored Projects (work-for-hire)
• 1/3 Platform revenues
• New kinds of Jobs generated and supported

22. Open
Platform
• Software Infrastructure
• Built-in training curriculum
• Real-time Video Help
• Community Activity streams
• Online marketplace, Job board
• Community Timeline
• Community Media Channels

23. Culture merchants

24. New Workforce Training
• Haves help the have nots
• Retrain workforce for
tomorrow’s jobs
• $20k per job instead of $60k
• Experts -> semi-skilled -> interns in one project

25. A system that enables ecosystems
Works on multiple levels simultaneously
• Meta
• Entrepreneurial
• Community – Groups – Projects
• Individuals

26. Lots of Multimedia production
work
• Interactive Encyclopedias
• Knowledge bases
• Business Directory
• Apps, games, simulations, videos

27. Picking up where
Broadband Infrastructure leaves off
• Existing broadband infrastructure - stops there
• Gigabit networking
• Stable connection
• Entrepreneurial culture
• “ Sense of expectation"
• Citizen dashboards - Software infrastructure
• Emphasize interactive multimedia and video
• Community engagement programs

28. Community Engagement is our
Value-Added Differentiation
• Free training and Paid Internship programs
• Local business directories and on-line marketplace
• Community workshops
• Local community "bureaus"
• Free tech support for community organizations
• Multimedia content projects and newsletters
• People’s video help bureaus
• On-line viral marketing campaigns by locals for brands
• Encourage startups, independent workers, entrepreneurs

29. Digital economy ecosystems must
include and intermingle three
worlds
• Silicon Valley Tech Industry
• College educated - Under-employed
• Students/Interns/Un-employed

30. The Elitist technology industry
• Comfortable in their success
• Don’t care about jobs for normal people
• Only focused on VC funded, home runs
• Intellectually stimulating

31. Under-employed, college
educated
• Never had a chance to put their skills – to use
• Need motivation – to care to look for better job
• No time for intellectualizing – just stay alive
• Short term focused

32. Students / Interns / Un-employed
• Need a job
• Need motivation to care – at all – about anything
• What’s Intellectualizing?
• “ Shouldn’ t there be digital jobs – for us –
too?”

33. An integrated system
New methodology – uses on-line tools and points
Points Video
Workshop Help
sEducation Desk
Internship
s On-line skills
Focus on intangible skills needed for freelance workers

34. An integrated system
All projects sponsored Interns placed into Learn by doing
by local brands on-going projects
Biz Video
Directorys
Projects Education
Games Sites
Visualizations
Trainers training Trainers

35. An integrated system Tech
Build trust in the
Citizens cluster around Support
neighborhoods
Projects and Events
Marketplac Orgs
e
Community
Projects Education Engagement
Live
- “Content” channels flow - Citizens support new events
- Provide free tech support to
ways of learning community orgs
- Trickle down effect - Support individual freelancers

36. An integrated system Channels
Aggregate:
All activity leverages - Content Social
free open on-line - People Help desk
platform - Services Marketplace Media
Biz Directory
Community
Projects Education Engagement
Platform

37. An integrated system
Entrepreneurial - Jobs
Community
Projects Education Engagement
Platform

38. New kinds ONLINE Customize
of online DIRECTORY &
marketing MARKETPLAC a city or
E
CORPORATE
SPONSORSHI
region
HYPER-LOCAL
PS
RELATIONSHIP
S
More
efficient
use of
workforce
training PROGRAMS PROJECTS SERVICES
dollars

39. BU S IN E S S
Corporate Sponsorships
• Socially conscious spend their marketing
budgets = creating local jobs
• Help build local cyber savvy workforce
• Train workers in online job skills

40. BU S IN E S S
Hyper-Local Relationships
• Authentic connection to vendors and customers
• Convince global brands to spend
money locally
• Timely, local, viral campaigns

41. BU S IN E S S
Online Marketplace & Biz
Directory
• Local businesses of all types – in our own online
local biz directory
• Goods and Services sold
• Provide delivery and fulfillment
• Webmercials for all listings and items
• Transaction and reputation services
• Craig’s list + Angie’s list + Etsy

42. Digital Economy Ecosystems
• Entrepreneurial culture
• Online job market
• Not just for companies, but individuals
• Support Independent workers, freelancers
• Collaboration, Communication, Commerce

44. Tech Development
Tec h Design
Des ign
Platform, Plug-Ins
Development Games, V e s
G m sVideos
a e, id o
Pa om P gin
lf , l - s
tr u
Interactive Content Interfaces, T m le
I ef e, Templates
n r cs e p t
ta as
I eate o tn
n rc C ne t
t iv
I.P.
TAM P Jam aica C LE VE LA K ans as
A ND C ity

45. DCM puts the deals together
• Build syndicate of local investors and stakeholders
• Create local subsidiary, own 51% of entity
– 49% = local investors, execs and staff
• Create accompanying 501c3
• Identify local industry to sponsor MM projects
• Global brands sponsor viral campaigns - gain access
to authentic hyper-local vendors and customers
– via our Biz Directory
• Setup and operate Bureaus and on-line Mktplace
– offer community free services
• Customize Citizen Dashboard to the City or Region

46. Digital City Mechanics
• Working towards this for 20 years
– (Odaiba, MediaBar, Trieste, SuperBowl XXXII, NOW.com, Blogging, Open Social Networking)
• Helped build an industry before
– (MacroMind Macromedia)
• Social networking platform
– (PeopleAggregator)
• Open standards
– (RSS, OpenID, OAuth)
• Let’s do it in KC!

47. Looking for….
• Angel investors
• Pilot projects around the world:
– introductions
– connections
– alliance formation
• Bootstrapping consulting gigs (let me help YOU!)