SXSW Interactive attendees pose with “Squirls” as part of the beta app launch.
One of the things I love about SXSW Interactive is the way every session is designed to push the boundaries. Sure, the big players are here with their established platforms, apps and products – sentinels of the way things are. But echoing through the halls and the streets of downtown Austin are the voices of many who are challenging the way we thing about everything.
In and around the amazing event venues created by the Samsungs, Mashables, Mazdas and McDonalds are the startups: Squirrel, QuickTapSurvey, Meerkat, Stre.am, Roi Koi, and many, many others. Each of these upstarts are building on the solutions delivered by the last wave of technological innovation, changing the way we read, respond, engage, and recruit. Even a more established player like Biz Stone, the creative genius behind Twitter, is still evolving. The recent launch of Super (short for “superlative”) is an even more nuance approach to online social interaction that trades on the value of the natural empathy we feel for others. Each innovation expands our thinking about the capacity for digital resources to enhance our lives because each moves from a different perspective.
Along with the increased number of startups on the streets this year, I’ve also noticed three things that contribute to the shift in frame of mind that charting a new way forward will require: International perspectives, gender equity and the arrival of a new generation.
International Perspectives. There is a stronger international presence at SXSW Interactive this year. SXSW has been a global phenomenon for years, but I seem to be encountering more people from various places around the world. I met several members of the global communications team from IKEA comprised of representatives from Norway, Sweden and outposts around the globe. As I’ve walked from session to session I’ve seen and heard people from England, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, China, Japan, Korea, and Brazil at the least. Even today’s Interactive keynote had an international flair, featuring Princess Reema Bint Bandar Al Saud from Saudi Arabia and her work to empower women in her home country by creating spaces in the work force, extending breast cancer awareness and general self-care. The digital economy shrinks the world and forces everybody to interact and engage with ideas informed by global cultural perspectives. As we continue to do this it will change how we think and, therefore, how we approach life and the products and systems that we create.
Gender Equity. I haven’t seen the statistics, but just looking around the past two days I can say with some certainty that there are more women attending SXSW Interactive than men. As more women rise into positions of leadership in the fields of technology and marketing, they bring a unique perspective that has already changed corporate culture for the better and improved the quality of the products and services i the marketplace. Several sessions have spoken to the ongoing wage inequity between men and women, particularly in the tech industry. Alongside this concern, sessions have focused on the refreshing perspective women bring to leadership, workplace culture, ideation, adaptation and adoption. The increasing influence of women in the arenas that shape our modern digital lifestyle will improve the quality and direction of the products and services that are produced.
The Millennials. The majority of SXSW attendees are also in that 18-35 range that is often dubbed, “The Millennial Generation.” There certainly are people whose hair contains a bit of grey (like mine), but the vast majority of those in the sessions and on the streets fall into this category. These digital natives bring an entirely different way of approaching the challenges we are confronted with in the digital information age. They tackle challenges collaboratively, have a deep desire to learn, are mission driven, are highly creative and love working in open/transparent environments. Seeing as this demographic is forecast to make up 75% of the North American workforce by 2020, they are already and will continue to re-write the playbook of how we work and how we live together in the coming age. The Millennial mindset is already baked into many of the websites, apps, products and services we use and enjoy. Technologies like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat are all built on a Millennial ethos, which is part of the reason why sometimes Builders, Boomers and Gen X simply “don’t get it.” Millennials are already operating from a unique perspective and there is great value to what they bring to the table.
These unique perspectives are already making an impact on the world and are essential, contributing forces to chart the way forward in our culture. We do not yet know the impact that these new ways of thinking will have, but SXSW Interactive remains an exciting space to host engaging conversations that are creating the next iteration of the world in which we live.