Larry Downes

Larry Downes Speaking Topics

The Emerging Science of Services

After 100 years of product-focused engineering, the rise of a software and information-based economy has spurred the development of a new science—a science of service design, delivery, and optimization. Services science, for obvious reasons, is closely associated with the emerging services-oriented architecture familiar to IT professionals. This talk outlines the basics of the two, and their overlaps and divergences.

Strange Tales of the Supply Chain Revolution

The exploding availability of information in standard formats from the beginning to the end of the supply chain is leading to new opportunities for collaboration, new sources of revenue, and, at the same time, tremendous tension among long-time partners. The driver of this revolution, of course, is the continuing price/performance improvements in core IT, including the introduction of low cost RFID tags. This talk describes the nature of the coming revolution, highlighted with three stories of organizations in very different industries that have either shown early promise or suffered early casualties.

Public Choice and Corporate Responsibility

History has shown over and over that preemptive regulation of emerging technologies does more harm than good, yet corporations and their trade associations often miss the chance to shape government decisions. How can you recognize the potential for your business of the latest technologies—whether stem cells or fuel cells—and work today to form the best public policy solutions to their development and regulation?

Twelve Design Principles for Launching New Ventures

Based on research over three years and over 100 companies, Larry Downes has developed twelve fundamental design rules for developing ventures, both for traditional companies as well as start-ups. The principles are introduced and demonstrated with numerous, current examples from Larry Downes’s on-going consulting work.

The Laws of Disruption

With technology as the driving force for growth in almost every industry, the intersection of business strategy, technology, and law affects nearly everyone. Any organization that has regular interactions with customers in an online environment has an interest in addressing these issues. Larry Downes explains that as Americans spend more of their time living digital lives, organizations will no longer have sole authority over the way their business is run. Organic change, developed in concert with consumers, is more likely to be the future. Downes provides strategies for anticipating customer needs, and staying ahead of changes in regulation. He addresses privacy issues, copyrights, patents, software and more, with case studies from companies like Facebook, Google, and Research in Motion.

Killer Apps: The Social Dimension

Digital technology is having a profound effect not just on the world of commerce but on social interaction as well. Larry Downes talks about the economics of communities and why they will become the true engine of value creation in the increasingly digital world. What are the expectations and abilities of the next generation of customers, managers, and entrepreneurs? How will they compete against the “digital homeless”?

Larry Downes Videos

Larry Downes Speaker Testimonials

I would like to offer my personal thanks for the excellent presentation that you gave to our business leaders and senior managers. I have received positive feedback from many delegates who recognised the points that you made apply as strongly to the Rolls-Royce Customer relationship as to the examples that you gave.

- | Rolls-Royce

He was excellent in his message and a big hit with our audience. Six months after our meeting, we are still hearing from people about his presentation.

- | ACORD

Thanks for the great presentation. I think the sign that your info sank in was the fact people referred back to your presentation all day.

- | eBay