Velocity is a book written by Ajaz Ahmed (Founder of AKQA) and Stefan Olander (Vice President of Digital Sport at Nike), who experienced the rapid changes in digital technology and how they had to evolve in their businesses to adapt.
The speed at which we are all having to adapt and change as technology drives our businesses forward breaths new dynamics into the way we need to work.
Here are these 7 new laws added from some interesting and inspiring quotes used during this presentation and that I’ve tried to catch:
- A Smith and Wesson beats four Aces: Velocity doesn’t care of who you are or how good you were yesterday. Evolve immediately, entitlement kills.
Have a passion for innovation as much as making profit.
Change is often seen as a threat, but to an entrepreneur it’s oxygen. By Sir Richard Branson
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results. By Rita Mae Brown
- It’s easier done that said: Get going. Then get better. Just do it, roll your sleeves and do it. Innovation by definition is experimentation.
Do we have a product? by Steve Jobs
- The best advertising isn’t advertising: Make meaningful connections.
- Convenient is the enemy of right: Never have anything to apologise for.
Beware the lollipop of mediocrity. Lick it once and you’ll suck forever. by Brian Wilson of The Beach boys
- Respect the human nature: Digital is the mean, not the end.
Make yourself proud by making people’s life easier, richer and more fun.
- No good joke survives a committee of six: For organisations with structure that sand down all rough edges and dessicate anything juicy, something terrible will happen: NOTHING.
Have the balls to make the calls.
- Have a purpose larger than yourself: put audacious goals. Create something that outlasts you, something that contributes to community.
I decided I wasn’t going down to come down. By Jesse Owens
And here’s the final quote that is perfectly explaining startup life and journey:
If you’re not shitting yourself, you’re not doing something new. No journey worth taking is ever easy.
The book seems to be a must read for everyone, not especially for startup founders. Would love to have insights of people who already read it… Any comments?