TEDx in Livermore

TED conferences are famous by now for their liveliness, their current material, and their networking.  When the TED group decided to put the show on-line, it was predicted that they'd soon fail.  NOPE.  When the TED group decided to franchise "independently organized TED events" as TEDx's, it was predicted that they'd soon fail.  NOPE.

These are great events. They are run under strict guidelines, analogous to the "main events".  This one will be no exception.  First of all, a timely topic:  CREATING OUR FUTURE: INNOVATE and EDUCATE.  America is facing an uncertain future, worse in many respects than almost anytime in the past 150 years (yes, the Civil War was worse, and so probably were the early days of the Republic and the nervousness around the War of 1812).

The issues now?  Well, balance of payments, economic uncertainty, loss of mainline jobs, lack of 'new jobs' to replace those being displaced, terrorism threats, bankrupt cities and states (and maybe a nation?)  -- we could build a long list if we were so inclined.  So this meeting will focus on initiatives and innovations small and large, that as I've listened to the rehearsals (when is the last time you attended a conference and the presenters even knew each other, let alone rehearsed together?), will get attention.

I'm flattered that I've been invited to speak -- this is a hot speaker list, so it is a real privilege for InnovaScapes Institute to have a role.   My talk will build from the recent conferences -- the Milken gig,   the I4J summit, the Silicon Valley Forum, and the Caltech National Academy talk, and oh yes, COFES

I expect to focus on RESILIENCY as a key factor for INNOVATION.  It is true that VCs look for the qualities of the person (energy, enthusiasm, passion, and perseverance); then the quality of the idea (how big is it, how important, what market need does it fill, and can it scale); and then the team (do they share goals, can they work together, is there a track record of execution).   Funding, and evidence of market sales, are key as well.  And of course a million intangibles.

And we often hear about INNOVATION and CREATIVITY as fundamental in all of this.  But when those words are invoked, they usually are code for "a breakthrough idea or product or service".  What I will try to demonstrate is that these are also fundamental for the much more emotional parts of a start-up which is the fact that most businesses have the idea morph four times (the "pivot") before finding a winning hand.  Teams fracture in such turmoil; no one "Knows" what to do, so who keeps or gets the leadership role; the 'gotchas' are everywhere and creativity is the only out -- creativity in just about every aspect of the business.

How do you do this, and maintain sanity, if not control?  Come and hear the talk!