sides
This is part of my notes from the Beautiful Day Conference.
This was the best session of the conference. I thought the others were great until Guy spoke, then they were all crap. Okay, they weren’t but you get what I’m saying? You can read a bio of Guy Kawasaki, subscribe to his blog, or buy one of his 8 books but his talk would have the most effect on me.
The Art of Innovation…or a Layman’s Perspective on How to Change the World.
1. Make Meaning - how will your organization or product make the world a better place - not just make money.
2. Make Mantra
Mission statements are to long and unmemorable. Make a 2-3 word statement that describes why you exist, repeat it often and everywhere.
3. Jump the Next Curve
If you really want to innovate, don’t look for just 10% improvement, look 10X improvement - even if it means radically changing what you already have.
4. Roll the DICEE
Whatever you offer or create, make sure it is:
Deep - lots of functionality, different uses, meaningful (Life Groups - leadership development, outreach, community, care)
Intelligent - thought through it, not archaic or there just because we’ve always done it or just there to be there
Complete - it’s wholistic, it doesn’t segment
Elegant - it’s nice, something to champion
Emotive - it brings out emotion in people, they connect their heart to it
5. Don’t worry, be crappy
If you wait until it’s perfect you’ll never launch it. Launch it then fix it/tweak it, update it, change it, modify it, evaluate it and jump the curve with it.
6. Don’t be afraid to polarize people.
7. Let a 1,000 flowers blossom
In other words, roll with it, stay positive. Your idea/product won’t be used the way you think. Thank God for that and learn from those who are using and make it better for them. They’ll be your evangelists.
8. Churn, Baby, Churn
Never stop evaluating by listening to your end user, don’t stay static, keep ploughing
9. Niche Thyself
Offer a unique service at a high value.
10. 10/20/30 Rule
When you have to “pitch” something, sell your vision - use 10 slides max, talk for 20 minutes max, use a 30 pt font or higher then shut up and listen to others.
11. Don’t let Bozos grind you down
You will have naysayers and basement people that will have all the reasons why something shouldn’t work or couldn’t work. Smile and do it anyway.
GE’s Take:
I don’t even know where to start. There are so many ministry parallels. Make Mantra, Jump the Curve, 10/20/30 Rule. I actually immediately implemented the 10/20/30 rule in my sermons. No, I don’t have 20 minute sermons BUT I do use only 10 slides or less. I speak for less than half the worship time (30 to 40 minutes).
Niche Thyself is another - we are an edgy, raw, authentic congregation that is going to bless our community - adopt schools, hold rallies for kids with a biker bar. That’s who we are, we see value in it and we’re not apologizing for it.
I’m actually going to take this talk to my Downtown Lunch Club guys for them to tackle.
Tags: Beautiful Day Conference, Guy Kawasaki
6 responses so far ↓
1 jlo // Jun 11, 2008 at 8:38 pm
I have a problem with #1. There are a lot of things that can be done to make the world a better place but may not be something God authorizes us to do.
For example, look at John 5:2-9.
“Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda,[a] having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.[b] 5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”
7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” 9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked”
As we see stated above, a “multitude of sick” lay in the pool yet only one man was recorded as being healed. Could others have been healed, of course, but you would think it would mention it since the Pharisees were going after Jesus b/c of this one man’s healing on the Sabbath. Jesus later stats in v19 “Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.”
Healing all the other sick would have made the world a better place, but Jesus didn’t have authority to do it b/c he didn’t see God giving him authorization to do so.
I just think we have to be careful what we do. There are a lot of good things we can do that can make the world a better place, but it counts as nothing if it is not what God wanted us to do. Unless the Lord builds the house, we labor in vain. We just have to be careful of our motives in doing things.
2 jlo // Jun 11, 2008 at 8:41 pm
I know the above was a layman’s perspective and you don’t mention the make meaning as an interesting point.
3 MarkE // Jun 11, 2008 at 11:54 pm
jlo:
I see it a bit differently. My reading of Jesus is that he pretty much showed compassion on all that came across his path, as he was about doing what he came to do: preach the good news of the kingdom. His mission may not have been to heal everyone with an illness, but as he went about his business, he healed all that came across his path. He was compassionate, like his father.
I don’t think we need to wait for God’s authority, he already told us to be compassionate people.
Following his direction and example, we too should be compassionate to all who come across our path. I would even argue that we need to intentionally take the path that will lead to the needy.
4 jlo // Jun 12, 2008 at 8:29 am
I understand what you are saying Mark, but that doesn’t answer the question of why didn’t Jesus heal the multitude that were at the pool?
Could one not say he was being un-compassionate by only healing one man at the pool and not the others?
I am only saying that Jesus said he only does what he sees his father doing (what God authorizes him to do). Since there were a multitude of people at the pool, healing all of them would be compassionate, Jesus only healed one man, he states the same day He only does what He sees His Father doing, then one can conclude He did not see God healing the other people, hence Jesus didn’t have authority to heal them either.
I am not saying we aren’t to be compassionate, we just need to make sure our compassion lines up with Gods.
5 Grant // Jun 12, 2008 at 10:57 am
To be fair to Guy - he normally gives this talk to corporate executives or startup companies or venture capitalists who primary goal is to make money - not meaning.
So that is his first principle to them. In his talk, he said to us this one should be the easiest to grasp and wrestle with because of Christ and His incarnation.
Jlo - I have a hard time seeing Jesus against any kind of compassionate act.
Jesus had ALL authority in heaven and earth from God - see John 13. So he did have the authority to do so - he just chose to only heal that one.
Why? Great question…maybe he was the only one that really wanted it or the only one who could handle it or God wasn’t quite finished with the others…whatever.
But Jesus has an annoying habit of answering the why questions with WHO answers - himself. He just didn’t.
But Jesus had the authority. He was fully God as well as fully man.
6 MarkE // Jun 12, 2008 at 12:26 pm
I’m with both of you, jlo and grant. I am just being very careful here. I think the idea of being “called” or “authorized” is too often used to justify being uncharitable. People say this to me all the time: “You have a heart for the homeless.” I don’t think they mean that they don’t have a heart for the homeless, rather, I suspect they think that God has called me and not them. I am no more called to the homeless than they are.
The other day I was over in the hood on 16th street in NLR helping some guy. That neighborhood is full of poor people. Why did I not help everybody? Because this particular guy and I crossed paths and I had compassion for him. It’s not possible or feasible for one man to help everybody, but it is very possible for me to help the one that is across my path.
That is how I see Jesus operating. He fed the 5000 because they were hungry, he had compassion on them, and they were with him. Why did he not feed all the hungry across the world? Because he wasn’t with them and it is not feasible (or at least that is not how it works).
He healed the one because that is who he had the encounter with, just like I did with the one man in a neighborhood full of other poor men. It says many times in the gospels that as he went, he healed all that were brought to him. No, he didn’t heal all that were not brought to him. Does this make any sense?
This takes nothing away from your excellent point that Jesus did and said what the Father told him to. We need to do the same. He told us (and if we listen, he is telling us) to be compassionate people. We need to obey this command and learn how to do it.
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