Dave – My Why

Why Purpose?

To find purpose in your work, start small.

“For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one’s personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one’s surrender to a person other than oneself.”

Viktor Frankl

Personal Motivations

1. Move my career forward in a way that reflects my age and desires: I want to be more of a thought leader and become part of the larger conversation around the future of business.
2. I want to move my strategy work forward and become a highly sought after advisor.
3. I’m genuinely interested in the subject matter.
4. I’ve had a life goal of writing a book for a long time. I want a legacy. I want my kids to see the output of goals.
5. I only want to work with people I like at this phase of my career.
6. I want a trip to Nova Scotia…or multiple….with ex-VIA folks.
7. Groupies

Draft Description:

Industry disruption is at an all-time high (data?), product life cycles have dramatically shrunk (data?), technology changes like smart phones, virtual reality, and large-scale data management are leaving seemingly bulletproof companies by the side of the road. Traditional methods of organizing, managing, measuring and growing companies are no longer working, and these forces of change will only increase in speed and intensity over the next 15-20 years. In that world, what companies will emerge as leaders? What are the game-changing case studies that will be written about in 2030? Will it be small and nimble who wins or large and powerful? Or something in between?

‘What does the company of the future look like?’ is the fundamental question that two former colleagues are on a quest to answer. One is a New York-based strategy and innovation consultant to Fortune 500 companies, the other a successful Silicon Valley entrepreneur, CEO and investor. From the opposite two ends of the spectrum, they are digging in with startups, large companies, investors, nonprofits, hackers, futurists and academics in an attempt to meet in the middle with the road map for business leaders who want to become one of those case study companies. Along the way, they will be capturing stories of successful innovation and cautionary tales, and mixing those stories with illuminating data on where the world is headed; along the way, answering questions like:

• How will companies find and align around purpose and mission?
• How will adaptable organizations ride the wave of change instead of being crushed by it?
• How will markets be organized and how can organizations consistently win as borders keep shifting?
• How can companies weave a compelling narrative and tell it to the world?
• What future best practices are being tested today in innovative companies?
• What will strategic planning look like?
• What core concepts will become important metaphors (e.g. LEAN, Blue Ocean, Chasm)?
• What nascent technologies will create the most disruption?
• What can larger companies learn from startups?
• What has changed since Innovator’s Dilemma and what has stayed the same?
• How will generational changes affect company success?