There are truths about how the world works that creatives don’t like to talk about. We get angry and frustrated when we’re not granted the power we think we deserve, but there are often good reasons the world works ‘against us.’ This talk takes these ideas head on, from how power truly works, to our unavoidable dependence on salesmanship skills, so we can convert them from frustrations into practical behaviors for empowerment and achieving our dreams at work.

1. Five Dangerous Ideas
@berkun
scottberkun.com
info@scottberkun.com

2. 1. Everyone is a designer

8. Thoughtless Acts?, By Jane Fulton Suri

13. “Rats. My client thinks he is a
designer. “
He is a designer, just an
extremely bad one.

14. Designers are
ambassadors for
good ideas
Good designers are the
only mentors
for bad designers

15. 2. You have no power

16. What decisions are completely yours?
Artist / Designer / Advisor / Lackey

22. `

25. If you have little territory,
fortifying it
buys you nothing

27. Whoever uses the most jargon
has the least confidence in
their ideas

28. Power can be:
A. Granted
B. Earned
C. Claimed

29. 3. The generalists are
in charge

31. If there are more than 5 people
in the room, you have less
power than you think

33. In room power
vs.
Out of room power

34. What is the culture’s
appetite for change?
- Margaret Stewart, YouTube

35. Ownership
Accountability
Involvement
How much of yourself will you put
behind your own ideas?

36. 4. We work in sales
(regardless of your job title)

39. Everyone has to
pitch ideas

40. Surprise: these are sales tasks
• Prototyping
• Pitching
• Evangelizing
• Going to meetings run by someone else
• Asking for resources
• Giving presentations
• Growing influence

41. “Talk to people you don’t like”
- Samantha Starmer, REI
Secret: we got into tech, so we can work with
software, instead of all the people we don’t like

42. If people think you are smart
and useful your job title is
irrelevant

43. If people think you are dumb
and useless your job title is
irrelevant

44. 5. Creativity is
Risk

45. Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston

49. Who will:
- Ask the tough question
- Do the extra work
- Be willing to fail, and learn
- Put their reputation on the line
- Commit to a big crazy idea

50. Photo Credits
• Stove: http://fightclubmpm17.wordpress.com/thoughtless-acts-stephanie/
• Various, Thoughtless Acts?, Jane Fulton Suri
• Sales : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Salesman_-beach_-_bikini-
_sun-27Dec2008.jpg
• Maginot Line: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maginot_Line
• Masada night - http://www.flickr.com/photos/18129976@N08/4530206067/
• Bunker: http://www.bunkertours.co.uk/metrich/block_1.JPG
• Masada above - http://www.bible-architecture.info/Masada.htm
• Masada map - http://www.bible-architecture.info/Masada.htm
• museum 1 - http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsifrancis/3256582969/
• Museum 2 - http://www.baunetz.de/talk/crystal/gallerie.php?
group=22&lang=en&temp=crystal&id=9
• Museum - http://architecturerevived.blogspot.com/2008/11/institute-of-
contemporary-art-ica.html

51. Thank you.
Five Dangerous
Ideas
@berkun
scottberkun.com
info@scottberkun.com
• Everyone is a designer
• You have (no) power
• Generalists are in charge
• You are a salesperson
• Creativity is risk

52. Photo Credits
• Wrong way:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nadav/108792921
• Stove: http://fightclubmpm17.wordpress.com/thoughtless-acts-stephanie/
• Various, Thoughtless Acts?, Jane Fulton Suri
• Sales : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Salesman_-beach_-_bikini-
_sun-27Dec2008.jpg
• Maginot Line: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maginot_Line
• SPL 4th floor: http://www.flickr.com/photos/devos/96388620/
• SPL Escalator, http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephenhill/113977751/
• Jargon List: Blue Flavor
• Bunker: http://www.bunkertours.co.uk/metrich/block_1.JPG