Presentation for the George Washington World Executive MBA Program. Explores the challenges of getting from successful crowdstorms to early stage products, services and organizations. Introduces Urban.Us network as a way a way to get more ideas into action in the context of urban challenges.

1. Crowdstorming,
Startups &
Urban Challenges
Shaun Abrahamson | shaun@urban.us| @shaunabe

2. A FEW YEARS AGO,
CREATING WITH CROWDS
WAS

3. CROWDS EVEN FAILED IN TV EPISODES

4. IN THEORY, ONLINE CROWDS SHOULD BE GREAT.
Ronald Coase
“Given that production could be
carried on without any
organization that is, firms at all,
why and under what conditions
should we expect firms to
emerge?”
About 75 years ago

5. FROM CP+B TO V&S

6. CROWDS PRODUCE
@#%!
AWESOME
CARS

7. WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?
What
Changed?

8. WHOLE NEW WAY TO WRITE A BRIEF

9. FAME + FORTUNE

10. EXPERIENCE + GOOD

12. Alex F. Osborn (the O in BBDO)
“when it comes to thinking, let’s
try to act as if we were two
people – at one time, a (1)
thinker upper, a producer of
ideas; at another, a (2)weigher
of ideas”
About 65 years ago

13. EMERGING UNIVERSE OF PATTERNS.

14. EMERGING UNIVERSE OF PATTERNS.

15. BUT MOST PROCESSES LOOK LIKE THIS...
Submit
Idea
Evaluate
Idea
?

16. SO CROWDSTORM II
WILL BE ABOUT...
Submit
Idea
Evaluate
Idea
?

17. Urban.Us
Startups Solving Urban Challenges
http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielepesaresi/

19. The Global Shift to Urban Living

20. Cities Need to Do More with Less
Reduce Traffic
Congestion
Reduce Energy
Use in Buildings
Increasing Citizen
Participation in
Decision-Making
Mobility
+ Number of cars will double by 2020
Safety
Ensure Public rates in cities are about double that or suburbs
+ Crime
Provide Clean
Safety
Available Water
Sustainability
Generate Economic
Opportunities
+ Cities generate 80% of greenhouse gases
Resilience
+ 75% of urban settlements at risk from rising sea levels
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinboke/

21. Different Approaches to Smart Cities
Top Down
Bottom Up
IBM Rio City Command Center
Waze Citizen “Command Center”
IBM’s Rio Command Center

22. Startups Can Do This. But They Need Help.

23. Why Now? The Ecosystem is Ready.

24. Urban.Us Network Feed
Shaun Abrahamson | My Info | Sign Out
Main
Events
People
Library
Shaun
Please take a look at the @architizer team’s request for feedback on their new
solution search features. Details are here.
Karin
We’ve just posted a new case study from our work with Boston Bikes on
CoUrbanize.com/cases.
Marc
Thanks for your help with the @architezer questions. We’re looking for feedback from
procurement and UX folks.
Shaun
Don’t forget the Google Hangout tomorrow at 2pm PST on data scientist recruiting
with Prof Tony Jebara.

25. Startup Pipeline for Urban.Us Testing
Enables smarter driving. DOE winner.
Techstars NYC. Series AA. [signed]
Largest community connecting architects
to building suppliers. NYC. Series AA.
[verbal commit]
Secure RFID residential key system.
Berlin. Series AA. [signed]
Civico. Crowdsourced local data provider.
Bogota. Series AA. [in discussions]
Mobility infrastructure status tracking.
Miami. [verbal commit]

26. Status [October 25 2013]
+ Gigaom Urban Startup Research [draft submitted]
+ Pilot Participants [4/5 committed]
+ Ongoing “First 100” Advisor Outreach [~20 committed]
+ “First 5” Cities Outreach [Q4 2013]
+ Fundraising [Q1 2014]
+ “Startups for Cities” Event [Q2 2014]
+ Startup Recruiting Announcement [Q2 2014]
+ v1 Platform [Q3 2014]

27. Crowdstorming,
Startups &
Urban Challenges
Shaun Abrahamson | shaun@urban.us| @shaunabe