Sessions at SXSW Interactive 2012 about Startups with audio and write-up

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Saturday 10th March 2012

• Startup Passion Smack-Down

  by John Bradberry

  A surprisingly high percentage of entrepreneurs derail their startups because they fall in love with their idea. Emotional attachment to an idea leads to premature scaling and a number of other dangers. But, passion is a sacred topic among founders, who are often just as passionate about their passion as about their startups. Too often, we entrepreneurs equate rigorous scrutiny of our ideas with “negative thinking.” In this workshop we will transcend the false dichotomy between "positive" and "negative" thinking, and explore how entrepreneurial passion can bring danger along with its obvious benefits. Drawing on the latest psychological and business research, we will show how to scrutinize and strengthen your startup idea in a way that deepens your passion and confidence, and elevates your odds of success.

  • Entrepreneurship
  • Ideas
  • Startups

  At 11:00am to 12:00pm, Saturday 10th March

  In Salon A, Hilton Austin Downtown

  Coverage write-up slide deck audio clip

Sunday 11th March 2012

• Design and the Mobile Startup

  by Alex Rainert, Alexa Andrzejewski, Mike Krieger and Ron Goldin

  In the evolution of a product, ideas are the seed but the execution is key, and what happens between those two stages can make or break a product's success. Designers are trained to think on their feet, be flexible, and not be afraid to start over or make mistakes. Similarly the key tenets of today's startup culture are to be lean, move quickly, and iterate often. In this environment, where risk and competition make innovation critical, companies must leverage design thinking to help define products, often by adapting the design process. In this multidisciplinary panel of technologists, designers, and entrepreneurs, key players in some of today's most successful mobile products will look at the "textbook" creative process in delivering user-centered results and delightful outcomes. Then, we'll talk about examples of what actually happens in the less black-and-white world of startup culture, and discuss what can be done to leverage design in the making of great products.

  • Design
  • Mobile
  • Startups

  At 12:30pm to 1:30pm, Sunday 11th March

  In Salon A, Hilton Austin Downtown

  Coverage slide deck audio clip write-up video