Safe to say that these are extremely turbulent times. The mixture of wars, financial crisis and meta-crisis, election cycles, and a looming global recession have combined to form enough angst and fear that it makes emo seem like Elmo. And it is in these times that one could easly just pull the covers over your head and go back to bed. But in doing so, you’d miss some amazing opportunities.
They say that necessity is the mother of invention, but I think that the “oh crap” moments are far more inspiring and lead to better, more useful innovations.
- Oh crap! There’s more information about everything available in ways I cannot even begin to count. How do I get to the good stuff?
- Oh crap! To compete, I’ve got to get more out of the bright people working for me. How do can I take their creative efforts and merge them into our core business?
- Oh crap! I thought I knew how to start a company but between all of this web 2.0 mumbo-jumbo, VC scare tactics, and the financial crisis, I’m just not sure anymore. What can I do?
It is a real “ah ha” moment that can break you out of the paralysis that an “oh crap” world so easily create. These moments come from seemingly unrelated conversations and random thoughts. These moments come from things like Defrag.
Eric describes Defrag as:
Defrag is the first conference focused solely on the tools and technologies that are leveraging the “social” aspect of software to accelerate the “aha” moment. Defrag is not a version number. Rather it’s a gathering place for the growing community of implementers, users, builders and thinkers that are working on the next wave of software innovation.
What Eric is really doing at Defrag is to build a crucible into which is poured a combination of very smart people, innovative vendors, and curious attendees. Turn up the intellectual heat through meaningful keynotes, panels, and Q&A and “ah ha” moments are forged. These are moments not to be missed.
Having seen what Dick is cooking up at Sxipper and having just built my chi.mp site, bethu.mp, I am really excited to see what other fascinating stuff is waiting for all of us at Defrag 2008. Come join the fun and have an “ah ha” moment or two in the midst of this “oh crap” world.