The Crazy Ones at Virginia Tech

Embrace your inner visionary and make things happen.

Transcript

1. The Crazy Ones Embrace your inner visionary to launch a project, start a business, change the world. Alex Obenauer // obenauer@vt.edu
2. Inspiration & Vision How do we carry on such a legacy?
3. VT Bus Tracker
4. Ideate, Simplify, Execute All three are necessary.
5. Every idea is worth pursuing. Some of the world’s biggest successes grew out of entirely different ideas.
6. Solve real problems. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t be afraid of failure.
7. “Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” Apple’s “Think Different” campaign
8. Talk. Talk to people. Talk to a lot of different people. Listen to people’s problems, bounce ideas off of them.
9. It’s a game of luck Striking critical success is 100% luck.
10. You can increase your luck Luck = Creating things x Networking (talking)
11. Take a stand. Do you know the enemy?
12. Stick to your guns. Your project should have a vision or goal, and you should stick to it.
13. Innovate. You have a great idea. You really love it. Then you find out someone else already made it. Don’t give it up! Very few ideas are completely new. Find a way to innovate. Maximize on the idea. Give in to your original passion for the idea.
14. Apple’s Calendar App
15. Apple’s Calendar App TouchBase Calendar
16. Discover your M.V.P. Then build it. Focusing on an M.V.P. allows you to launch earlier, get real feedback sooner, and build momentum.
17. “The hard part is to figure out the fewest possible features that could possibly accomplish your company’s goals.” Eric Ries, creator of the Lean Startup methodology
18. Play to your strengths. Know and use your strengths. Trying to work to your weaknesses will cause you to waste tons of time and effort with a bad result.
19. Inject personality in to what you do. What you create needs personality in it for people to connect with it on an emotional level.
23. Convertbot $1.99 Convert It! $0.99
25. Don’t forget the Lagniappe Always include something extra. Never settle for sufficient. Aim for the “wow.”
26. Launch early Update frequently
27. Invest in yourself. Bootstrap. You probably don’t need external funding.
28. What problems do you face day to day? Idea generation tip #1: Scratch your own itch.
29. What would you do with these tools? Idea generation tip #2: Introduce new technologies.
31. Solve real problems. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t be afraid of failure.
32. What would you do with these constraints? Idea generation tip #3: Introduce new constraints.
34. Find your vision and make it happen.
35. Find your vision and make it happen. Alex Obenauer // obenauer@vt.edu