Live from Denver: The Medici Effect

Interesting presentation this morning from opening keynote speaker and best-selling author Frans Johansson (The Medici Effect). We only caught the last portion of Johansson's talk, "The Medici Effect: Groundbreaking Innovation at the Intersection of Disciplines and Cultures," but we liked what we heard.

Among Johansson's points:

• "Diverse teams outperform homogeneous teams quickly." Johansson said that if you work in another industry or come from another culture, you will perform better faster.
• "Try as many ideas as you can." To illustrate this, Johansson shared the well-known fact that Google employees are allowed to spend 20% of their time (the equivalent of one day a week) on any idea they want as long as it relates to Google. "Many of them go nowhere, but if it does take hold, Google funds it."
• "We adjust our behavior based on the risk around it." He said that if you are driving somewhere and the find road wet and slippery, you slow down. But when the road is dry, you speed up again. "Your risk is the same because you adjust your behavior toward it."

Johansson's point was that diversity of any kind will help you find unexpected connections, thus improving your marketing and business development prospects. The talk was very well-received and many attendees picked up a copy of his book after the presentation.

Ed