Ways I've Tried to Change the World and Failed

Ways I've Tried to Change the World

and Failed

My Name is

Steven Skoczenand I am trying to change the world.

So I’ve tried.

It turns changing the world is really hard.

So I fail at it a lot.

Here’s my mistakes.

Pick one you’re going to skip.

Let’s get started.

UCSD

Use tech to give patients a voice.

failed because

Scale matters.

ebDB

Single repository for all the world's ethnobotanical data.

Second System Syndrome is Real.

failed because

Olorien

Open-source scientific journal software.

Sometimes there is no general case.

failed because

Cornell University

Environmental Engineering degree.

Expensive doesn’t mean valuable.

failed because

Cornell University

Environmental Engineering degree.

Sunk cost fallacy is real.

failed because

EPA P3 Research

Small-scale solar-thermal power.

Physics always wins.

failed because

SixLinks

Information and actions for all the world's biggest environmental issues.

If you can't make money at it, stop. It's a bad idea.

failed because

SixLinks

Information and actions for all the world's biggest environmental issues.

Burnout is real. Never work >60 hrs/wk on anything.

failed because

SixLinks

Information and actions for all the world's biggest environmental issues.

Meet your audience where they are, not where you want them to be.

failed because

GoodCloud

Software for Small Non-profits.

Don't innovate everything. Only solve one problem.

failed because

GoodCloud

Software for Small Non-profits.

A business must be good at everything.

failed because

GoodCloud

Software for Small Non-profits.

Marketing is more important than product.

failed because

Wieden+Kennedy

The world's most powerful ad agency.Nike, Coke, Old Spice, everything.

You can only move big things with help.

failed because

Coffeehous.es

Intellectual discourse among far-away friends.

Good ideas are worthless.

failed because

Science for Humans

Communicating scientific research through short, animated videos.

A man cannot serve two masters. Or, you have finite time.

failed because

That brings us to now.

BuddyUp

Ink and Feet

These feel like they’ll be successes.

Just like the others did.

You never know.

The things that failure slowly teaches.

Intention

Doesn’t count.

Empathy

Is the most important personal skill you can develop.

Fear

Is the best compass you will ever own.

Change

The world isn’t static. Neither are you. Change.

Sacrifice

Nothing is free.

Ego

Do you care enough about your thing to improve yourself?

You will fail.

Learn how to fall, and how get up.

That’s what I know.

Which thing are you going to skip?

One more thing.

You can change the world.

–Margaret Atwood

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever does.”

–Steve Jobs

“Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you, and you can change it, you can influence

it, you can build your own things that other people can use.”

Tomorrow hasn’t been written.

Write it.

Thanks for listening.

[email protected]