Aaron Dignan: How To Think Like a Startup from 99U on Vimeo.

We all know about the nimble startup that outflanks the big guys. But how can larger institutions take advantage of the same cultural phenomena as their smaller, newer counterparts? In this presentation, Undercurrent founding partner Aaron Dignan juxtaposes the characteristics that make businesses (and some aspects of nature) last for the long haul.
The most successful companies of the digital age display characteristics of what Dignan calls a “complex adaptive system.” They are networks instead of hierarchies, they process information rather than manage it, and they adapt rather than sustain. By thinking like a complex adaptive system, Dignan says, “you will be able to handle complexity and scale and you’ll be able to adapt in a way that your competition won’t.”

Susan Gregg Koger: Being a Rookie Is an Asset from 99U on Vimeo.

When she co-founded the online clothing retailer ModCloth, Susan Gregg Koger had never worked in retail and had no connections with the fashion industry. She had no experience that helped her write a business plan or how to source inventory for her site. But being a “rookie” turned out to be asset as she built her company without the constraints of tradition or routine. Since founding the company in college, Koger and her team have innovated in the online retail world with unconventional tactics like asking her customers to select what dresses to stock, and using user photos on product pages.
“Approaching a problem from a rookie point of view enables you to innovate just because you don’t how its usually done,” she says.