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#INBOUND17: Brian Halligan
HubSpot co-founder Brian Halligan talks about the key differences between startup and scale-up mode and the importance of culture in his keynote at #INBOUND17.
Of course I was excited to see HubSpot founders Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah speak at #INBOUND17. Last year's talk was inspiring and informative. This year, they decided to split their keynote, each focusing on their strengths (but with enough thematic overlaps and joint references that they still felt like related talks). I was also glad to see the return of the Brian & Dharmesh puppets on-screen. :)
As I said in a previous blog post: I hadn't originally planned to grow my company, but now that is absolutely part of my plan. I don't ever plan to become big like HubSpot, but I was still thrilled to hear lessons on startup mentality vs. scale-up mentality, and the important things to absorb or remove from each. His journey from starting HubSpot, through its exponential growth, and general commentaries on companies and marketing in general was engaging and on-point.
My favorite quote wasn't able to fit fully into a tweet, but I've found it:
"Netflix didn't disrupt Blockbuster; their late fees did that. Apple didn't disrupt the music industry; buying the whole album did. Then Uber, they didn't disrupt the taxi industry; waiting outside in the rain did."
#INBOUND17: Adam Grant
Adam Grant of the Wharton School of Business discusses creating space for new ideas at #INBOUND17.
Organizational psychologist and Wharton professor Adam Grant knows a thing or two about the many roadblocks to original, creative thoughts that tend to lurk within established organizations. He's aiming to change that culture, helping mavericks and organizations work together to create and innovate without falling back on the tried-and-true.
How can original thinkers present their new ideas in a way that resonates with decision-makers and convinces them to cast their doubts aside? How can managers encourage their teams to think creatively, without squashing ideas that are untested? Adam's literally an expert on all of this; he broke things down to their most basic levels, and demystified the ways in which we can all - bold thinkers and brand stalwarts alike - move forward with excitement.
#INBOUND17: Jen Rubio
Away founder Jen Rubio talks about creating a culture, not just a product, at #INBOUND17.
The INBOUND Studio is an intimate setting for live-streamed interviews with speakers at #INBOUND17. My ticket level didn't allow access to those sessions, but I had the good fortune of attending a few anyway, due to a combination of tenacity and tweeting.
I admit that I didn't know much about Warby Parker alum Jen Rubio and her startup, Away - I'm not a huge traveler, though I had seen her awesome suitcases (with embedded chargers!) advertised on social media. I loved hearing what she had to say about creating Away as an overall travel brand, beyond just selling suitcases. She and her team truly love travel, and want to contribute in a meaningful way to that culture and dialogue.
Best quote:
"If you're not emotionally connecting, you're not building a brand, you're just selling a product"