Conference Report: 99% Conference
Where: The Times Center, New York
When: April 15-16

“Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration” — Thomas Edison

When I saw that two of my favorite speakers were speaking in one of my favorite cities sponsored by one of my favorite websites and one of my favorite topics, how could I possibly say no?

The 99% website and conference is loosely based community based on the notion that creativity and great ideas are only 1% of the equation and 99% of success in any creative endeavor is based on the execution of that idea. In other words, game changing ideas, innovation and success in any endeavor requires more than thinking about it, it’s about trying something out, seeing if it works and then moving on to iterate, iterate, iterate.

Some themes and takeaways:

1. Excellent creative/technology/innovation requires 100% 1% Creativity (this is the talent that you are blessed with and either have it or you don't), and 99% on execution of the idea. Just having an idea or just being creative is not enough; you also have to be able to make that thing come to life and be real and tangible. (Scott Belsky, Author of Making Ideas Happen)

2. “Innovative people tend to fail more” - Frans Johanssen, Author of Medici Effect. Therefore, You will fail and fail often. That's okay And yes, this will include failure sometimes but it will also be opportunities to learn and be better the next time

3. Find a partner a team to complement your team’s talents this helps to lighten the load, add fresh ideas, and challenge your notions and to complement your skills. Find people who can do the things you can’t do yourself and enable you do make something you couldn’t make yourself.

4. “Pay attention to what grabs you and won’t let go” - Eve Blossom, CEO. Look for what gives you inspiration, something that gives you pause and keeps you up at night with curiosity. Get the root cause of a problem to find an opportunity.

5. Understand your customer, product AND the market and be honest about your product. Find out who is using it? What is the larger market? Where is the market going? Develop a strategy and stick to it, use this as a roadmap and guiding principle and make sure it’s so easy your mother can understand it. (Leslie Koch, President Governors Island)

Creative leadership is awkward, but required in today’s business environment. More than ever before design thinking, service design and user-centered design is becoming a requirement in today’s business climate because of designs inherent holistic approach. Listening to customers can help you solve the problem you didn’t know you had and create an opportunity to create a game-changing idea or just something that makes life a little easier, and a little nicer – but you have to start somewhere.

“Most ideas that change the world start small” - Frans Johanssen, Author of Medici Effect.

“Just do it” – Nike Ad

Aynne Valencia is a Design Leader based in San Francisco. She specializes in creating next-gen products and services that center around social interactions and mobility. She presents on topics related to design, social networks, and pervasive computing. 

She likes tofu.