Sessions at SXSW Interactive 2012 of type Solo about Business

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Friday 9th March 2012

• We Made This, and It's Not an Ad

  by Robbie Whiting

  What if agencies and marketers created products and services, not just ads? And what if they made these things for themselves, not just for clients? They do. But tackling things like product design, creating new businesses or building complex real-world experiences requires a creative, technical, managerial and entrepreneurial spirit more associated with Silicon Valley than Madison Avenue. It demands new roles, agile approaches, external partnerships, technologies, investments and compensation models that can drive even the most hardened finance director crazy. And in some cases, it may even require a complete reboot from the ground up. The ability to make something that isn’t an “ad” is no longer optional in modern advertising. But it's certainly not easy, either. So what can we learn from the makers, technologists and agencies already playing in this space? Turns out, a whole heckuva lot.

  • Advertising
  • Business
  • Marketing
  • Product Design
  • Startups

  At 3:30pm to 4:30pm, Friday 9th March

  In Capital Ballroom B, InterContinental Stephen F. Austin

  Coverage slide deck

Saturday 10th March 2012

• Apply the Lessons of Open Source to Any Business

  by Ruth Suehle

  “Open source” was once a way to describe software code and a collaborative model for its development. It's now a business model, an education model, and the future of government. It's changing our lives through its principles: Openness. Transparency. Collaboration. Rapid prototyping.

  It's also the best way to get your ideas heard, make the world a better a place, and still turn a profit. No matter what business you're in, you can take a lesson from open source.

  Do you or your company apply open source principles like collaboration and transparency daily? Many are, and the old habits are cracking. New business methods are taking root. Schools are turning to open source to improve education. Even governments are embracing openness and sharing more.

  Learn how the principles that made open source an innovative software development model can stimulate innovation and make the world a better place--in any part of any business anywhere. Simply put, the future is openness.

  • Business
  • Collaboration
  • Open Source

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

  In Room 9ABC, Austin Convention Center

  Coverage audio clip

Monday 12th March 2012

• Explorations in Corporate Zoology

  by Tim Hwang

  Normally, we think about businesses as a mere collection of people working together. But, organizations also collectively act as a unit, facing the needs of survival and competing with others for resources. To that end, could we think about corporations and organizations as a unique sort of living, breathing species onto itself?

  This talk explores the latest research in the field of “corporate zoology,” which brings evolutionary theory and ecological science to better understand how businesses evolve and interact with one another. We’ll delve into efforts by corporate naturalists to understand how different businesses evolve adaptations over time in the form of departments, professionalization, and the pattern of investment. It will also explore the insights emerging from the assembly of a comprehensive “animal kingdom” classification for businesses.

  It’s going to be Jacques Cousteau meets the Wall Street Journal. Dawkins meets Microsoft. Darwin meets Enron. It’s going to be awesome.

  • Business
  • Collaboration
  • Teamwork

  At 9:30am to 10:30am, Monday 12th March

  In Salon C, Hilton Austin Downtown

  Coverage audio clip

• The End of Business As Usual

  by Brian Solis and Billy Corgan

  My new book, The End of Business as Usual, will set the stage for a passionate and engaged conversation March 2012.

  SXSW is a celebration of culture, art, innovation, and vision. What if the world of business prioritized the same pillars? What if everyday consumers become the cogs in the business machine?

  What better way to celebrate than with a special guest?

  Smashing Pumpkin's Billy Corgan will join me on stage to discuss "No More (Music) Business As Usual." It's an inside look of how Billy Corgan and The Smashing Pumpkins are shaking things up.

  We'll discuss key themes from the new book as it relates to the music industry. The focus will be on changing the methods that artists use to deliver music by re-inventing new systems that can work hand in hand with the art they created. The goal will be to put the art of music back to the forefront by ignoring the continual need of the music industry to standardized systems to promote and sell music in an era of constant change.

  Billy will discuss how social media and technology have played a significant role in his recent releases such as TBK, the launch of the SPRC, and his future release Oceania.

  • Business
  • Social Media

  At 3:30pm to 4:30pm, Monday 12th March

  In Ballroom D, Austin Convention Center

Tuesday 13th March 2012

• Starting Up in China

  by Michael LoJudice

  Launching a business in mainland China can be daunting. American Michael LoJudice, Co-founder and General Manager of Chinese music community site Caoker, provides insights into the ins-and-outs of structuring, launching, and growing a successful business in this complex environment.

  • Business
  • China
  • Entrepreneur
  • Launching
  • Startups

  At 11:00am to 12:00pm, Tuesday 13th March

  In Salon D, AT&T Conference Center