2014 marks my 16th year attending the SXSW Interactive, Film and Music conference. Throughout the years, I’ve been part of some historic tech moments. I blogged alongside Scoble in 2006…literally, I elbowed him by accident. I joined the Twitter explosion in 2007. I sat in the front row for Zuckerburg’s keynote in 2008. While memories like these standout, this year’s event was the most holistically thought-provoking. I left re-energized and inspired by new ideas, connections and passions. Enjoy my top takeaways!

1. PRESENTATION
TAGS BY
#SXSW14 DEIRDRE WALSH
FROM GOOGLE TO GAGA:
TOP TAKEAWAYS FROM SXSW 2014
Thursday, March 20, 14

2. Privacy
Speakers like Julian Assange, founder of
Wikileaks, and Edward Snowden, an NSA
whistleblower, gave mind-blowing
presentations about data security and
government surveillance.
People also buzzed about:
- Secret, which allows users to “speak freely”
- Darknet, a new kind of Internet where people
can conceal their online behavior
- BitCoin, which enables anonymous payments
- Ghostery, which notifies users of web page
“trackers”
Thursday, March 20, 14

3. Wearables
and Printables
Hardware gurus pushed sensors, wearable
gadgets, and 3D printers.
Google exec Sundar Pichai announced the
company’s plan to release an Android-
based SDK for wearable devices.
There were demonstrations of everything
from a tweet-powered, 3D printer that
allowed users to create their own Oreo
flavor to smart medicine bottles that will
send a text if you forget to take your pill.
Thursday, March 20, 14

4. Legislation
From digital lobbying to patent reform to the
power of the online “unruly mob,” SXSW
made it clear that entrepreneurs and elected
officials want to cooperate to modernize US
legislation and government.
A new film called “The Internet’s Own Boy”
premiered and shined light on outdated
technology laws.
This film not only celebrates the life of online
visionary Aaron Swartz, but also inspires
heated discussion about access to
information and the Computer Fraud and
Abuse Act.
Thursday, March 20, 14

5. Data
You couldn’t turn a corner this year without
hearing someone talk about “small data” or
“big data.”
Lots of smart marketers showcased how
they’re using information for research,
personalized news delivery, and location-
based incentives.
Brian Wong, the energetic founder of Kiip,
shared his mission to use data to reward
people for everyday moments like running,
completing a task, and listening to music.
Thursday, March 20, 14

6. Experiences
From small app companies to corporate
giants, the most successful organizations
focused on manifesting shared experiences
- not pushing messages.
Hello, bacon-scented alarm clock!
SXSW proved that brands must think
beyond how to serve up a specific
marketing campaign and start focusing on
how to create daily, customized experiences
across connected devices and IRL.
Thursday, March 20, 14

7. Economy
From Uber cars to Airbnb rooms, most
SXSW attendees participated in some form
of the sharing/collaborative economy.
If you aren’t familiar with this latest buzz
phrase, you soon will be.
According to Crowd Companies exec
Jeremiah Owyang, “it’s a powerful
movement in which people are getting
goods and services from each other” rather
than buying from big brands.
Thursday, March 20, 14

8. Work
Yes, people talk about work at SXSW.
Strategist Ayelet Baron and Forbes Blogger
Rawn Shah led a conversation about
modern work which moves us from:
- Work-live to life-work balance
- Function-based to project-based work
- Competing for market share to creating
new markets
The duo also made bold statements, such
as “change management will die because it
will happen too quickly” and “retirement will
be a thing of the past.”
Thursday, March 20, 14

9. Community
Paul Vinelli, who studied the What.CD online
music community, shared the following:
- Backscratching leads to strong
relationships
- Individuals should be accountable for
whom they bring into communities - if you
invite someone in who breaches the
guidelines, both you and the violator should
be penalized.
- Members must maintain a strong ratio of
contribution to consumption - say goodbye
90:9:1!
Thursday, March 20, 14

10. Passion
Nobody exhibited more passion than pop-
star Lady Gaga who stated:
"At the end of the day, nobody's going to
remember what you tweeted when you die.
No one's going to remember your Web
content.
What's going to be remembered is those
magical moments you have helped create.”
Thursday, March 20, 14

11. Did you attend SXSW? If so, what did I miss?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Deirdre Walsh, Sr. Strategist, Jive Software
Thursday, March 20, 14