find big ideas with large groups [introduction]

HOW CAN WE MAKE IT SAFE SAFER TO FIND GREAT IDEAS WITH CROWDS? SHAUN ABRAHAMSON @SHAUNABE HTTP://SLIDESHA.RE/YEZNDS

CROWDS CAN DELIVER GREATNESS�LIKE THIS

AND THIS

AND THIS

AND THIS AND THIS AND THIS

IT DOESN’T �HAVE �TO END�THIS WAY

OUR ORGANIZATIONS ARE SHAPED BY (OLD) ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT TRANSACTION COSTS

Ronald Coase “Given that production could be carried on without any organization that is, firms at all, why and under what conditions should we expect firms to emerge?” About 75 years ago

THE LAST TIME WE TEAMED UP�THINGS WENT WELL (BUT WE CAN DO BETTER)

Alex F. Osborn (the O in BBDO) “When it comes to thinking, let’s try to act as if we were two people – at one time, a thinker upper, a producer of ideas; at another, a weigher of ideas” About 65 years ago    

COMPLEX IDEA�SIMPLE PROCESS

110 YEARS BEFORE OUR ROBOT CAR SEARCH�CHICAGO TIMES-HERALD CONTEST

SEARCH PATTERNS�

LESS COMPLEX IDEA�MUCH MORE COMPLEX PROCESS

MANY MORE CHEAP TRANSACTIONS�LET US DO MORE TOGETHER

COLLABORATIVE PATTERNS�

COMPLEX PROCESSES? LARGE COMMUNITIES? WE’VE SEEN THIS BEFORE

Elinor Ostrom “Complexity is not the same as chaos” About 3 years ago

WHEN YOU WORK WITH 1000 PEOPLE�HOW DO YOU SEE WHO IS DOING THE WORK?

Aaron Swartz “…insiders account for the vast majority of edits. But it’s the outsiders who provide nearly all of the content.” About 6 years ago

Commenting on his analysis of who creates Wikipedia.

MORE COMPLEX�EVALUATION OF CONTRIBUTIONS

Sources: klout.com, quirky.com

THE EXPERTS. OUR FIRST CHOICE�BUT THEY ARE UNLIKELY TO TAKE OUR CALLS

VOTING HOLDS PROMISE�BUT IT HAS LIMITATIONS TOO�

MORE COMPLEX �DECISION MODELS

ITS �COMPLICATED�BUT�IT DOESN’T � HAVE � TO END� THIS WAY

HOW CAN WE MAKE IT SAFE SAFER TO FIND GREAT IDEAS WITH CROWDS?

@SHAUNABE HTTP://SLIDESHA.RE/YEZNDS