Flickr / Meetup Visionary Speaking June 14 in NYC

Got this email today in case you're interested in a dive into the Web 2.0 pool. For more info go to www.iBreakfast.com. --Tom

Esther Dyson to Keynote Web 2.0 NY SummitIndustry pioneer, visionary and backer of Flickr and Meetup speaks at Web 2.0 NY Summit on Thursday, June 14 at the Fordham Auditorium on 62nd & Columbus in New York City.The Web 2.0 phenomenon is more than a fad - it is a new way of doing business and it is sweeping through the media business. It is also having a dramatic impact on advertising which is why we have dubbed this Madison Ave. 2.0. We think the wave of acquisitions taking place on Madison Ave has everything to do with this - it will be a major topic of discussion(view our blog to read more.)Come to the Web 2.0 NY Summit to learn how this is changing content, marketing and customer interaction. Learn how to develop your company, sell your products, acquire new customers and raise capital.In addition, we will introduce you to Madison Ave 2.0 the new version of our very popular Local Ad World where you will find how the advertising industry is about change dramatically around this world of social use and technology.You will meet speakers and companies like Shelly Palmer (TV Disrupted), Kara Nortman (Interactive Corp.), Shaival Shah (Oddcast), Doug Perlson (TargetSpot), Jenny Mullen (OgilvyOne), Andrew Weinreich (MeetMoi), Connie Connors (HitTail), Wayne Reuvers (LiveTechnology), Andrew Bloom (Spot Runner), Chris O'Brien (MotionBox), David Teten (Circle of Experts) Gregory Galant (RadioTail), Stephen Rosenbaum (Magnify), Collarity.........

Tag (not the fragrance)

If you are not tagging your content for reuse and repurposing, doing so now will enable you to create products from products with little or no incremental expense. Consider the many ways you can cut your content. As examples, consider if an article applies to a job function (e.g. CEO, HR, homemaker, office gossip hound), a specific geography, a task someone needs to perform (e.g. writing, suing, selling), a sub-segment of your market (e.g. inexperienced), an emotion (e.g. stressed out), or a species.

Loser Interface

Engage professional user interface talent in Web design whenever possible, and engage customers. Don’t rely on what you like or what your boss likes. An awkward interface can kill content value no matter how good the information is.

Take a look at the book "Designing the Obvious" written by Robert Hoekman, Jr. Mr. Hoekman dedicates his book to "anyone who has ever used a Web application and resented the experience." I like his attitude. And he speaks to experts and novices (meaning I understood most of it) alike.

Innovate, Don't Luxuriate.

Rosabeth Moss Kanter is one of the most motivating speakers on innovation I have heard. I had the pleasure of hearing her in Boston at a SIPA event earlier this year.

Here is some of the advice I captured, interpreted or mangled: 1) Establish a budget for innovative ideas. It doesn’t need to be large, just enough to at least give an idea a push. 2) Create space and time for innovation, e.g. 15% of your staff’s time could be spent on new projects they choose. 3) Create a process and culture for innovation. You will find new ideas if your staff knows you want them, and they know what to do with them. 4) Consider an “innovation jam” or exposition where employees show off their ideas. 5) Don’t restrict innovation by measuring with the same old metrics. Be innovative about how you measure success as well. Your old metrics may no longer be valid. 6) Don’t consider only huge ideas. No big idea ever started out that way. A lot of small ideas add up. 7) Tap all employees for innovation. One of her clients, a food company, was anxious for market feedback. She reminded them that they have thousands of employees, and every one of them eats. 8) Know your goals. You may not have all the answers when you test a new idea, but you should know what you hope to gain from it.