LA App Strategy Workshop Keynote - The Big Picture of Entrepreneurship with Cheezburger's Ben Huh

B E N H U H C E O & F O U N D E R C H E E Z B U R G E R ( @ B E N H U H )

M Y M A T R I X M O M E N T. N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0 .

Build Sell

– T H E M AT R I X

“You take the blue pill, the story ends. You wake up in your bed and believe

whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in wonderland,

and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.”

I N T O T H E B E L LY O F T H E B E A S T

I N T O T H E B E L LY O F T H E B E A S T

W H Y I T O O K T H E R E D P I L L :

C H E E Z B U R G E R B E L I E V E S :

Platforms

Your Friends

Expression

Media

Viral

Clickbait

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What everyone signs up for:

E V E RY S TA RT U P M U S T D E L I V E RE V E RY S TA RT U P M U S T D E L I V E R

What you actually do:

3 Y E A R S T O B U I L D :

A home for you and your friends’ sense of humor.

W H AT W E L E A R N E D

Clarity

Simplicity

Listening

Ambition

Minimalism

Strategy

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2 0 1 3

H O W D I D I T G E T S O F U C K I N G C O M P L I C AT E D ?

T H E G R E AT E S T L I E E V E R T O L D

T O E N T R E P R E N E U R S

T H E G R E AT E S T L I E E V E R T O L D

T O E N T R E P R E N E U R S

2 0 1 4

T H E R E C O V E R Y P L A N

• Build a great team

• Get coaching

• Bring back the joy

I F I ’ M U N H A P P Y, H O W C A N I D E L I V E R

O N O U R M I S S I O N ?

1 . L I V E T O L E A R N

One day, a Buddhist saint left his cave to gather firewood. When he returned, he found his cave taken over by demons. He tried forcefully to get them out of his cave, but the demons are unfazed.

The saint lets out a deep breath of surrender, knowing now that these demons will not be manipulated into leaving. He looks into the eyes of each demon and says “It looks like we’re going to be here together. I open myself to whatever you have to teach me.”

In that moment all but one demon disappears.

One last huge and fierce demon remains. So he lets go even further. “Eat me if you wish.” He places his head in the demon’s mouth, and at that moment the last demon bows and dissolves into space.

2 . G I V E I N T O M Y F E A R S

- Adapted from Aura Glaser, Tricycle Magazine

– W A R R E N B E N N I S , O N B E C O M I N G A L E A D E R

“Leadership emerged after some rite of passage, often a stressful one.

[This] crucible is an essential element of becoming a leader…

Leaders emerge from their crucibles stronger and unbroken.”

3 . F I N D J O Y I N M Y S T R E N G T H S

• I like being Internet famous.

• I’m happy being creative.

• I’m a seller of ideas.

T H I S I S M Y H A P P Y P L A C E

2 0 1 5

R E A L I T Y S T I L L E X I S T S

• The business needs haven’t changed.

• We still need to deliver.

• I want to deliver.

2 1 S T C E N T U RY G O L D R U S H

1 8 0 0 ’ S C H I N E S E - A M E R I C A N G O L D M I N E R S I N C A L I F O R N I A

We’re participating in the

W O R S T L I K E LY S C E N A R I O O F S TA R T U P E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P

• Alive

• More experienced

• More employable

I can’t tell if what I am doing is important or unimportant.

Perhaps that’s the wrong question.

T H E R E I S N O S P O O N

T H E R E A R E O N LY C AT S

Thank you.

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