Vizionaries in Berlin

Have you attended a conference lately that radically shaped how you seek creative solutions?

This week I was blessed to attend such an event – a supremely cool conference in the heart of Berlin. It was hosted by Zalando SE in the awe-inspiring Kraftwerk building, a former power station.

Everything was done right. Called "Vizions by Zalando," this impressive, first-time gathering on Platform Strategy attracted people from all across the tech industry including artists, scientists, engineers, marketers, fashionistas, startups and major tech giants. It seemed other guests felt like I did: giddy to hear wisdom, commune with other digital technology enthusiasts, and expand their minds.

I was ready to get schooled from any direction – marketing and communications, social impact of tech, commodity of fashion, trendsetting, online communities, creative leadership – the possibilities were limitless. I was immediately struck by the gigantic space and atmospheric lighting. Not to mention bold signage, creeping plants, ample coffee and healthy snacks!

I dropped into numerous panels at both the main stage and the smaller meeting rooms. It was an all-you-can-absorb affair. It was hard to choose among the ongoing, dynamic talks by experts from diverse fields (music, art, ecommerce, finance, education, and more.)

The first panel I attended was about getting to know the "liquid customer," where I was especially impressed by the vivacious outspokenness of Vanessa Belleau, on the far left.

Some of the themes and key words that struck me were: radical honesty, human touch, tribes, partnership between equals of vendors and consumers (rather than one directional loyalty), love for a brand vs brand awareness.

Other gems: people change daily, so learn to personalize the experience, not the product. Look for common themes among users, since it is tough to pin down liquidity of consumers.

Approaching the main stage felt like science-fiction, really almost a religious experience. There was a concert-like vibe, where you could hear booming voices from levels above, and see rays of fog and lights. Extra screens made the speakers more visible, and seem approachable, despite their fame.

The main stage covered big-picture topics: the future of connectivity and cities, transforming retail, new business models for mobility,  and global finance.

I was pleased to see a good gender balance of both attendees and speakers. It was inspiring to hear so many innovative and capable women sharing their industry knowledge and insights. Some heavy hitters included Cindy Gallop and Natalie Brzezinski and Vivienne Ming.

Back in the smaller conference room for a "Deep Dive," Jürgen Galler's talk: "Experts and Growth Spurts: Building High-Tech Companies" impressed me. He presented ground rules notable for their graciousness and positivity, which I loosely recap here:

• Be smart about hiring: bring in so-called 'tech magnets' who attract trusted talent
• Include engineers in the hiring process
• People who work in sales need to understand technology
• Consider hiring computer scientists as product managers
• Build what the market truly needs
• Avoid perfection; focus on function and speed
• Release frequently and demo internally
• Share market success with your tech team
• Be proud of your engineers and thank them
• Keep a positive leadership despite any setbacks

Some selected conference pearls of wisdom from speaker Alexander Graf:

1. Screens will be obsolete in the future
2. Teams that build for separate platforms do not compete with one another
3. Utilize tools to test things out
4. Provide ACCESS: the more service you sell, the less product overhead costs, and the more you can market that service to other companies

I nearly skipped a FinTech panel thinking it might be out of reach, but glad I stayed to learn this:

1. A platform needs: at its core interaction, reduction of friction points, and customization
2. Convert your product into a tailored service
3. You cannot have a modern business without AI and Blockchain
4. Big tech companies gravitate to the middle market, so look to the edges for new opportunities

And finally, a dirty little secret from eBay's VP of engineering, Japjit Tulsi: "AI is only as smart as the data you give it."

If you get a chance to go next year in Berlin, I guarantee that Vizions is worth your time.