This document summarizes key lessons and trends from SXSW 2009 discussed by various speakers. It discusses topics like the importance of customer service and putting the customer first; using data to improve customer experience; designing for diverse groups and independent tasks; building trust through community engagement; focusing on relationships over time; learning from Obama's campaign techniques; embracing free content models and new revenue streams; the future of journalism with collaboration between professionals and amateurs; mobile technology as the next revolution; open APIs and data mashups; embracing failure and agility within large companies; and making organizational culture a priority.

1. SXSW 2009
Erwin Blom
erwinblom.nl
•Lessons
•Trends
•Opinions
Monday, March 23, 2009

2. Our Business?
Customer
Service Tony Shieh / Zappos
•Happy customers make happy buyers
•Happy buyers means word of mouth
•Word of mouth is marketing
•Service costs are marketing costs
•What is best for the customer is best for
the company
Monday, March 23, 2009

3. Customer =
King Charlene Li / ex Forrester
•Turn your structure upside down
•Mine data for a better experience
•Social networks will be like air
•Open networks will be the new norm.
So consider how you will open your
business.
Monday, March 23, 2009

4. Designing For Derek Powazek
The Knowledge
Of The Crowd
•Diversity / Large diverse groups
•Independence / Small simple tasks
•Decentralization / Design for selfishness
•Aggregation
Monday, March 23, 2009

5. Making
Whuffy. It’s All
About Trust
•Listen
•Be part of the community you work for
•Create amazing experiences
•Embrace the chaos Tara Hunt
•Find your higher purpose
•The more Whuffy you give the more
you get
Monday, March 23, 2009

6. Build
Relationships,
One At A Time
•Internet is about relationships
•Relationships take time
•Build them, one at a time
•Persons are the new microbrands
Guy Kawasaki
Monday, March 23, 2009

7. Wat Can
Startups Learn
From Obama?
•Have an opponent! Against status quo.
•Think like a movement
•Be open & authentic
•Measure!
•Fail harder!
•All politics is local
Monday, March 23, 2009

8. Free is the
future
•Production is cheap
•Distribution is almost free Chris Anderson
•Everything must have a free version
•Money is in ads, premium, exclusives,
etcetera
•New businesses understand, the old
have to adapt
Monday, March 23, 2009

9. The end of the
newspaper? The
end of
journalism? Steven Johnson
•Newspapers fade away
•What will happen to journalism?
•There is a future ... but ...
•Profs and amateurs need to collaborate
Monday, March 23, 2009

10. Mobile is the
next revolution
•80% iPhone at SXSW
•Facebook connect makes mobile social
•Mobile is local
•iPhone 3.0 ...
Monday, March 23, 2009

11. Kick ass
mashups with
punkrock api’s
•Data wants to be free
•Data wants to be combined
•Api’s are a new way of distribution
•Open up, but in control
Monday, March 23, 2009

12. Entrepeurs In
The Belly Of
The Beast
•Keep it small. 10 week projects.
•People are chaotic. That’s good!
•Make way, leave room
•Understand the company culture
•Failing is good. He who doesn’t fail
doesn’t try!
Monday, March 23, 2009

13. Essential?
Culture! Tony Shieh / Zappos
•Our culture is important
•Every person has to breath the culture
•Brand and culture are the same
•Be transparent
•‘Create fun and be a little weirdness’
Monday, March 23, 2009

14. Erwin Blom
The Crowds
erwinblom@thecrowds.nl
thecrowds.nl /erwinblom.nl
Monday, March 23, 2009