New ideas? A dime a dozen. It's about making ideas happen!
Monday, November 2, 2009 at 7:35AM 
Late last year, I was working with one of our former clients, the XAgency, here in DC. During one of our strategy sessions I asked them if there was a company or organization out there I could reference that would help me understand what is that they were trying to do. They told me to check out these guys called Behance and that they were doing some phenomenal work similar to what they were going for. So I did. I immediately fell in love with their whole premise. The world doesn't need more ideas. What we need is to make ideas happen.
I was sold hook, line and sinker.
So this past April when I found out they were holding an event called the 99% conference. . . I was there! On the second afternoon of the conference I was able meet Scott in an informal setting, along with a handful of other conference attendees and we engaged in a very cool discussion on creativity, challenges, productivity and solutions. A really awesome session.
After that I wanted to get a more direct conversation with Scott and find out more about Behance.
Check it out. . .
1. Hey Scott, for our readers, tell them a little bit about Behance. What is the company about, what is your focus, and what's your vision for the organization?
I have always found the creative process a bit frustrating. Amazing stuff happens in the minds of creative people, but so few of these ideas actually materialize...
Our team is obsessed with organizing the creative world. Why? Because we think that great ideas are MORE LIKELY to happen when creative people and teams are more efficient.
So, in 2005, we started developing tools and methods that help organize the creative world! The Action Method (actionmethod.com) was designed to "push" creative people to take more action on their ideas. The Behance Network (behance.net) was developed to efficiently showcase and organize the work of creative professionals, for the purposes of mass exposure and career development.
And our most recent project, The99Percent.com, is a HUGE resource on execution and leadership insights for creative people and teams.
2. Why did you decide to start the company?
Quite simply: I am extremely passionate about the cause (and potential) of organizing the creative world. I think life would be more interesting (and society more fulfilled) if more great ideas were made to happen!
In many ways, Behance is an effort to professionalize and empower creative people to lead their ideas to fruition.
3. What are some of the biggest challenges that Behance has faced over the years? What have been some of your own personal challenges?
It is VERY VERY challenging to launch a creative, sustainable business. And we have decided to stay independent (no big VC funders or agencies investing in the company). As a result, we have had to build the company product by product. But this has tied us more tightly with the community that we serve. We have no regrets, despite how much perspiration was required to get Behance off the ground.
Personally, I have learned more about my own capacity. While I do believe that hard work is the greatest differentiator (especially among entrepreneurs), I have also had to develop a rhythm to my work flow. It is a challenge to grow a team quickly - and pursue every opportunity - while also taking care of your own health and well-being!
4. As you look at your organization's body of work what is it that Behance is bringing to the table that you're simply not going to get from any other company?
In contrast to the many cool and creative sites and products out there for creative people, Behance is NOT focused on inspiration. We believe that creative people don't need more ideas, they need better execution.
So, every Behance product and service is designed to BOOST organization, professionalism, and execution. Our emphasis on efficiency is very rare in the creative community. Behance Network and Action Method users know that we are here to support their creative pursuits.
5. Now this past April you organized, along with Coolhunting, the first annual 99% conference. This is where you and I met. I love the whole idea of it being based on Thomas Edison's quote of "genius is 1% inspiration 99% perspiration." Talk more about how the whole idea for the conference came about and lessons learned from it.
The origin of the conference is pretty simple: There are SO SO MANY conferences and books about inspiration and creativity. However, there are no conferences about the EXECUTION of ideas, the "99%" that Edison refers to in his quote.
We named our conference "The 99%" because it covers everything but the 1% (the inspiration part) that you get everywhere else.
Last year's conference sold out! It was an amazing, motivated audience that all had a sense of conviction about them - brilliant creative minds that wanted to make it happen. Next year's conference is planned for April 15-16 in NYC (still some tickets left!). We have some great things planned for it...
6. Right now we are in a huge transition period. Significant changes in the economy, shifts in our culture, along with the rapid ascent of technology in the market, has made the perfect storm for new ideas to dramatically impact the market. What are a few key ideas that you would recommend entrepreneurs and organizations leverage and utilize to successfully navigate today's climate?
You are right, this is an amazing time for creative minds! Here are a few things that we should all keep in mind...
- Identify your underutilized skills and talents that you've always wanted to pursue. Then do it. Now is a great time to take the risk. Whether it is a side gig or an attempt at a bold career change, an uncertain economy just reduces the "opportunity cost" of staying with the status quo.
- Recognize that, by pursuing a bold creative idea, you will either succeed or get a great experiential education. To me, this is a win-win situation.
- Don't go it alone. There is a simple fact in the creative world: Ideas don't happen in isolation. Identify the right partners for your creative pursuits. In my upcoming book (aptly titled MAKING IDEAS HAPPEN, being published in April 2010), I talk about the "doers, dreamers, and incrementalists," the three types of people in the creative community. You need to recognize your strengths and weaknesses and then find collaborators that balance them out.
- Don't underestimate the importance of organization. I like to say that Creativity x Organization = Impact. As creatives we tend to obsess over the creativity part of the equation and forget to spend time organizing our schedule, our tasks, and the way we present ourselves to the world.
Scott is a very cool dude, and if you get a chance, Google him and his Behance crew; they're doing some wicked stuff.
Reader Comments (8)
I'm loving his advice on #6....totally aligned with where i'm @ right now. Love the encouragement to take RISKS now (in the nothing-to-lose-in-this-f'd-up-economy-so-might-as-well-throw-shit-at-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks sense). I def think that the "success stories" of the next decade are going to be the ones creating, risking, collaborating, TRYING some stuff.
Here's a line from one of my favorite people (poet/humanitarian, Dreaming Bear)
"99.9% of fulfilling your highest possible purpose & potential is SHOWING UP and having the confidence to simply be your most sincere self"
~ from "Awakening The Sleeping Giants of Greatness"
To answer these questions, a team of researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York spent time observing radical innovation projects such as IBM's silicon-germanium devices, GE's digital X-ray, GM's hybrid vehicles, and DuPont's biodegradable plastics. Their key finding? Most of the ideas behind these projects came from "happy accidents" rather than some ongoing process to generate ideas.