Improv & Entrepreneurship by Devon Wright of Turnstyle Solutions (TechTO June 2015)

@MrDevonWright [email protected] 1.647.965.3386

Improv and Entrepreneurship

By Devon Wright


Bit About me

Raised in Whitby, Ontario.

Went to Western, worked in a big bank for 3 years, worked

at a start up for 6 months, started Turnstyle.

Singer Songwriter for Natural Animal

Love Cats, Coffee Time, and Improv.


Bit About Turnstyle

LBM Play - Mission is to change the way people connect

with their world.

Founded in June 2012 - started with $50K from a buddy

Curently 25 staff, raised $2.6M, 2000 locations and

growing

Plan to grow to 10,000 locations, 50 employees by end of

2015.


Improv vs. Acting

Improv is like a startup – trying to find product/market fit.

Acting is like a big business – trying to reproduce an

established product.

You are never all one, all another. Great entertainment

takes elements of both when appropriate.

Equal to Startup vs. Big Business


Laws of Improv

Set WHO, WHAT, WHERE.

Be creative – you have no props.

‘Yes And’ everything… Listen and include input from

EVERYONE on your team.

Listen to the audience.

Have Fun.


The Who, Where, What

The players in your company need clear titles (WHO).

Sets who is accountable for what.

e.g. CEO vs CTO vs Manager of Marketing

The players need an arena to operate (WHERE).

Gives focus.

e.g. Online vs. Offline vs.

The players in your company need a mission (WHAT).

Gives purpose.

e.g. to change the way people connect with the world

around them.


Be Creative – you have no props

In improv, you have no props.

In startups, you have no money.

It is the most empowering thing in the world. You can have

WHATEVER you want! Just do it!

The audience (the market) rewards this handsomly if you

own it!


YES AND…

Everyone is important. Listen and include input from

EVERYONE on your team.

Yes:

Don’t get attached to your ideas just because they’re

yours.

Be selfless, accepting and TRUSTING.

And:

Contribute, be decisive and be confident in your choices.

Live with your decisions. You can change directions, but

your past decisions will always remain.

The most important principle in life…


Listen to the Audience

In start up land, the market is the audience.

Laughter (reaction) is to the audience what money is to the

market:

Audience reacting – do more of that.

Marketing paying – do more of that.

It isn’t good until the market pays. LISTEN TO THE

AUDIENCE.


Have Fun

The audience wants to see you having fun. The market

rewards this handsomly.

People want to join companies that are fun.

Even if you fail, you will have succeeded.


Contact:

Devon [email protected]

1.647.965.3386http://getturnstyle.com

mailto:[email protected]

http://getturnstyle.com/

Improv & Entrepreneurship by Devon Wright of Turnstyle Solutions (TechTO June 2015)

Technology