Coming Attractions

A few posts are at the top of my mind to transfer to text, including follow-up from an intended speech for February that bounced around and off the calendar.  I offered to post a reply to a thread of questions from a prospective attendee, which shifted the focus from topics the organizer had originally requested.  Also, I have tipped my hand on another post on the way:

Bob Brill on twitter

@bfeld i’m likely going to blog soon-ish: i work openly & collaboratively with startups to structure work meeting budget & patent goals 6:29 PM Mar 19th from web in reply to bfeld

@bfeld saw your recent tweets, guess you’ve had bad experience. btw i’m all for best use of resources for biz including if forgoing legal 6:24 PM Mar 19th from web in reply to bfeld

@bfeld rigged question since a good patent filing need *not* cost $100k 6:15 PM Mar 19th from web in reply to bfeld

Reflections on Talks

Thinking about: a) the completed development of the March 24, 2009 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Enterprise Forum of Chicago (MIT EF Chicago) event for which I led the content team; b) a panel on which I have been asked to serve and coordinate; and c) upcoming development of the March 16, 2010 MIT EF Chicago event for which I will again lead the content team, we have shifted our main approach at the start of planning.  We now emphasize our own identification of a distinctive topic or format for the presentation, of course while staying connected to the world.  Looking back at guideposts I outlined for a previous talk, I see our shift relates to how to “Seek out the topics…holding greatest interest to the attendees.”  Rather than ask hosts about interests and preferences of intended attendees, we accept that focus often sharpens most on items looming large in the foreground and: “You can’t ask customers [attendees] what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new” Steve Jobs per tweetburst.

Kudos

Our speakers and content team for the March 24, 2009 MIT EF Chicago event “How to Use Web 2.0 to Promote Your Business” made for a memorable, valuable, and well-attended experience.  My notes I had prepared and used in speaking to our audience that evening follow.

Overview

Our speakers have much to share with us.  We will learn:
What is Web 2.0 and what are social networks?
The Web 2.0 tools that are useful in promoting business.
Predictions and plans for participation and use of Web 2.0 in business.

Content Team

Event Leader: Bob Brill
Promotional Materials: Richard Cross and Tim Courtney
Audio/Visual: Jack Quill and Avery Cohen
Event Mentor: Ted Wallhaus
2nd Mentor: Rachel Kaberon

Speakers

Panelist Jason Fried is a founder of 37signals.com.  Since 2003, 37signals has been primarily a developer and provider of business and personal productivity web applications. 37signals was responsible for launching the open source web application framework software Ruby on Rails. The products have gained popularity using what has come to be known as a freemium business model.

Panelist Harper Reed is CTO for Threadless.com.  Threadless is a community-centered online apparel store run by skinnyCorp. Members of the Threadless community submit t-shirt designs online; the designs are then put to a public vote. A small percentage of submitted designs are selected for printing and sold through an online store. Creators of the winning designs receive a prize of cash and store credit. (You can read Harper’s blog at nata2.org.)

Moderator Howard Tullman is: President and CEO of Flashpoint, The Academy of Media Arts and Sciences; Chairman and CEO of Experiencia. Howard is an education and information technology entrepreneur.  He believes that educational institutions can be run effectively and profitably.  (You can read about Howard’s adventures in education, his other entrepreneurial excursions, and his art collection on tullman.blogspot.com and/or at http://tullman.com.)

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MIT EF Chicago Event Page from March 24, 2009

Click the following link.

Pictures Added March 28, 2009

Pictures from our March 24, 2009 MIT EF Chicago event courtesy of Howard Tullman.

Video Added April 1, 2009

Video from our March 24, 2009 MIT EF Chicago event courtesy of Howard Tullman.

Text Copyright © 2009 Bob Brill

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