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Punching Above Our Weight: Working Together, Competing Globally

Boris Mann
March 23, 2015

Punching Above Our Weight: Working Together, Competing Globally

WeAreYQQ Evening Presentation on community & capacity building.

Boris Mann

March 23, 2015
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  1. Boris Mann, @bmann HUMAN • http://ishuman.co • @IsHumanCo Punching Above

    Our Weight: Working Together, Competing Globally WeAreYQQ Evening Presentation March 23, 2015 Boris Mann • @bmann
  2. Boris Mann, @bmann HUMAN • http://ishuman.co • @IsHumanCo About Boris

    • Grew up on Bowen Island • Sailed around the Pacific on a tall ship • Carnivore & Infovore
  3. Boris Mann, @bmann HUMAN • http://ishuman.co • @IsHumanCo The basic

    difference between complex problems and complicated problems comes down to whether a problem is solvable or not. Is there a stable outcome? Is there an end state? Can research and expertise provide us with answers? Is the situation predictable? Answer yes to these questions and you have a complicated problem. Answer no and you have a complex one. It comes down to the difference between building a community and building a building. ” Complex vs. Complicated “ – Chris Corrigan
  4. Boris Mann, @bmann HUMAN • http://ishuman.co • @IsHumanCo Building a

    community is complex • What experiments are you doing as a community to see what works and what doesn’t? • How are you measuring success? • What are “community wide” concerns vs. interest groups?
  5. If you want to go fast, go alone. If you

    want to go far, go together. ” “
  6. Boris Mann, @bmann HUMAN • http://ishuman.co • @IsHumanCo Building Blocks

    • Building blocks add capacity over time, and become more valuable • Some examples: • An email list • A monthly meetup • An annual festival or conference
  7. Boris Mann, @bmann HUMAN • http://ishuman.co • @IsHumanCo Lighting (&

    Passing!) the Torch • Individuals that step up and get involved only have so much energy to give per event, or over time. • How do you leave room for new people to step up and add energy? • How do you organize and gather your learnings and manage your building blocks so they can be passed on?
  8. Boris Mann, @bmann HUMAN • http://ishuman.co • @IsHumanCo Rule of

    Three • When creating anything new, look for co- conspirators. • Can you find two other people excited about the concept?
  9. Boris Mann, @bmann HUMAN • http://ishuman.co • @IsHumanCo Welcome Wagon

    • How do people find out about your community? • Regular events where people can connect • Post things online where people can find it by searching • Consider centralizing some resources
  10. Boris Mann, @bmann HUMAN • http://ishuman.co • @IsHumanCo I am

    not an economist! • I feel under-informed a lot of the time when I think about the host of issues I know nothing about • I ask “why” a lot • I am good at dealing with complex problems
  11. Boris Mann, @bmann HUMAN • http://ishuman.co • @IsHumanCo Human Resources

    • Canada is often talked about as a country that relies on natural resources • I think our bigger asset is Human Resources • great school system that continues to produce educated young people • people want to move here: lots of immigration from all over the world, especially here to the West Coast
  12. Boris Mann, @bmann HUMAN • http://ishuman.co • @IsHumanCo Hypothesis 1:

    All businesses are technology businesses • The printing press was once considered new-fangled technology • Is email technology? Is a website? • Which parts of technology are you experimenting with in growing your business? • Is there an email marketing group? An advertising online group? An optimizing your business with tech tools gorup?
  13. Boris Mann, @bmann HUMAN • http://ishuman.co • @IsHumanCo Hypothesis 2:

    Digital businesses can be built here • You’ve got power, Internet, and computers. And smart people. • Digital businesses can scale beyond their geographic area from day 1. • You won’t build the next Facebook. • Not just “startups”. Selling on Etsy or Shopify. Building a web services business.
  14. Boris Mann, @bmann HUMAN • http://ishuman.co • @IsHumanCo Online •

    Competing globally == being global • Global == online • There are no barriers • How does a geographic community work together to raise their profile online?
  15. Boris Mann, @bmann HUMAN • http://ishuman.co • @IsHumanCo Demand Generation

    • You may have heard of IndieGoGo or KickStarter • Get demand and have it fund your growth • Sell first, build second
  16. Boris Mann, @bmann HUMAN • http://ishuman.co • @IsHumanCo Ask for

    help • Local mentoring • “I’m looking for someone that knows X…” – scaling word of mouth • Tell your story in a way that it can be shared • Always have an “ask”: customers, advisors, investors
  17. Boris Mann, @bmann HUMAN • http://ishuman.co • @IsHumanCo Growing Together

    • Learning • gather demand and get targeted training • Support • peer-to-peer, centralized resources • Marketing / Growth • a business development trip to another city, shared costs of a conference trip • Group Buying / Shared Access • quantity discounts and access to bigger / better stuff
  18. Boris Mann, @bmann HUMAN • http://ishuman.co • @IsHumanCo Try Stuff!

    • This is a complex system, there is no right answer • Decide what you want to improve, try little (but consistent) experiments & measure them, learn what works and what doesn’t, and re-invest in what works • Value the energy of people. Lots of ways to get engaged, to get help, and to step up.