This is the first webinar of a series looking to introduce small businesses and consultants to new and emerging technologies and ways of fully utilizing them. This fascinating trend of outsourcing tasks to a crowd is changing how businesses operate and innovate. We will present the background and value of crowdsourcing, and also provide actionable recommendations on how business managers and consultants can harness the power of the crowd. This is a not-to-be missed event for those looking to cut costs and improve efficiencies in marketing, operations and innovation within their own business or for their clients.

1. Wednesday, July 14, 2010
10:00 AM – 10:30 AM EDT
Presented by Kyle Hawke
Twitter: #whinotsmb

2. Crowdsourcing, defined in three words: “Ask the What is
Audience” it?
Crowdsource
2

3. Motivation should drive the crowdsourcing Why do
process and incentive structure. it?
Businesses Providers
[1]
3
[1] “How to Manage Outside Innovation”, MIT Sloan Management Review, Boudreau, Lakhani; Summer 2009

4. Use different people to populate the crowd Who’s in
depending on what you are trying to accomplish. this
crowd?
4

5. There are more opportunities for crowdsourcing When to
beyond R&D, Creative, and Technology. consider
it?
R&D Creative
 New product ideas  Graphic design
 Product features  Advertising
 Social challenges  Stock images
Technology
 Software dev. / test
 Data cleansing
Business
 Science problems
5
Photos from Flickr: Tiago Daniel, Dey, MedienGuerilla

6. Setup your own infrastructure for long-term How to
efforts; use a platform for immediate results. start!
Do It Yourself Use a Platform
or
Tasks
Design
Marketing
6

7. When starting, beware of the best practices and How to
issues associated with crowdsourcing. start!
Best Practices
Translates to greater
 Modular motivation
Keeps crowd motivated,
feedback shapes end product
Let go! You might learn
control something new
7

8. When starting, beware of the best practices and How to
issues associated with crowdsourcing. start!
Issues
Fair compensation; avoid
exploits winner-take-all models
Use the crowd as an
identity extension of core team
Use the crowd to identify
 Too many the best ideas for you
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9. Crowdsourcing is a progressive and cost effective way to get
work done. If you have questions or comments, let’s talk.
What is it? “Ask the Audience,” not “Phone a Friend”
Businesses: Fresh Perspectives, Low Cost
Why do it?
Providers: Love, Money, Glory
Who’s in Employees, Partners, or Public depending
this crowd? on the problem
When to
R&D, Design, Technology, and Business
consider it?
Kyle Hawke
How to Co-Founder, Whinot
Do It Yourself or Use a Platform
start! kyle@whinot.com
@kyle_at_whinot
9 #whinotsmb