The 9 principles you need
In 2015 I came (at SXSW) across the 9 principles of the after-internet-age, developed bij Joi Ito. And now 10 years later, these principles stills seem to ring true. Here’s a re-take on the article I wrote back then.
Inspiration for innovation
Subject to continuous change, you as a company/brand must keep your head above water. Armed with a pronounced opinion, Joi Ito – successful American/Japanese internet entrepreneur and former head of MIT's MediaLab – established nine principles for this purpose. With these, Ito shares his vision on the role of the internet in our society. For us as entrepreneurs and branding experts – and many with us – these nine mutually reinforcing principles form a great source of inspiration. From which you and your brand can also draw inspiration. We'll take you through the highlights:
Change as the only constant factor
Changes. They come at you and your brand at breakneck speed, and before you know it, they flash past you. As a brand, you gain strength by dealing with changes and the inevitable associated setbacks in an agile way. Remember: every person – and every brand – has their ups and downs. We are now often inclined to see our brand's reputation as a soap bubble that bursts as soon as we make a ‘misstep. Turn it around and approach an unexpected setback as THE opportunity to strengthen your reputation. In every setback lies a chance to win your customer's sympathy. #resilienceoverstrength.
Your customer's sympathy is important for your brand and needs time to grow. View your brand as a system consisting of different components. All components you address – including the small, daily activities – contribute step by step to your brand's reputation. From a visible expression like your business premises or website to how the helpdesk responds to a question or how the invoice is prepared. We sometimes lose sight of that awareness, while all those details certainly deserve our attention.
A changed world simultaneously means that your trusted routine disappears. Directing yourself via a fixed route to a fixed endpoint is passé. Set course in the right direction, armed with a compass and your backpack of experience and knowledge. Of course, it's good to have a goal in mind, but the path there requires the necessary flexibility. #compassovermaps
Keep moving to stay in shape
The continuous stream of changes may feel like towering waves that overwhelm you. Nobody has the complete overview while in the middle of the waves. But look at that same wave through the eyes of a surfer and innovation as the surfboard. Use the surfboard as a hold, keep your head above water, and with the right balance, even master the waves with it...
Innovation comes with certain requirements. Keep investing. Maintain your surfboard. Keep filling that backpack with knowledge and experience. Ito states that it is more valuable to learn independently, in the middle of the waves, than to listen to an instructor from the sideline. #learningovereducation
It's probably not the first time you've heard that. But apply it to how you deal with your customer: do you use a 'pull' or 'push' method there? Your customer also has the need to learn independently, experience for themselves, and be able to make their own choices. The art is therefore to draw your customer to you. Be relevant, inspire, collaborate, win that sympathy. There are many ways to think of positively stimulating the customer. #pulloverpush
Exploring, shifting, and then stepping over boundaries
With every change that falls at our feet and every lesson we learn, we contribute to our brand. Like you and I, every brand must go through its puberty ("but remember, never grow up"). That means seeking edges and daring to take risks. As a brand, you only become a true source of inspiration when you dare to put on your brave shoes and thereby – responsibly – color outside the lines. #disobedienceovercompliance
How would you translate Joi's 9 principles for your organization?
Achieving and maintaining success is a constant search for both human and brand. As a brand, you cannot afford to stand still. Also ready for movement? I’m happy to share my knowledge and experience and can guide you in dealing with change and innovation.
Want to know more about Joi Ito and the 9 principles? Then read WHIPLASH by Joi Ito where he has bundled his knowledge and expertise about the 9 principles.
All the principles in a neat list:
Emergence over Authority
Pull over Push
Compasses over Maps
Risk over Safety
Disobedience over Compliance
Practice over Theory
Diversity over Ability
Resilience over Strength
Systems over Objects