Here are a few key points from Joi Ito’s TED Talk. Mr. Ito (Director of the MIT Media Lab at the time) is a leading thinker and writer on innovation, global technology policy, and the role of the Internet in transforming society in substantial and positive ways.

A few guiding principles he highlights:

– Deploy or Die. You must get stuff out into the real world for it to really count (or exist). Don’t wait for large institutions to do it for us.

– Pull Over Push. It’s about bottom-up innovation… democratic… chaotic… hard to control. It’s not bad, but it’s very different. Many of the traditional rules don’t work or are outdated.

– Learn How To Learn. Education is what people do to you and learning is what you do to yourself.

– Compass Over Maps. Strategic planning is important, but do not get bogged down over-planning, over-organizing, and over-strategizing. Have a STRONG COMPASS to guide you on your journey.

So I think the good news is that even though the world is extremely complex, what you need to do is very simple. I think it’s about stopping this notion that you need to plan everything, you need to stock everything, and you need to be so prepared, and focus on being connected, always learning, fully aware, and super present.

So I don’t like the word “futurist.” I think we should be now-ists, like we are right now.”  Joi Ito

DISCUSSION QUESTION:  What was your primary takeaway or inspiration from Joi Ito’s TED Talk?

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