Earlier this month, we (along with thousands of other tech entusiasts) descended upon Austin, Texas for SXSW. Representing Kashoo and all things small business accounting software, Kasey and Chris met countless interesting people, sampled some delicious food, and even managed to come back with a few takeaways that we think will get any small business owner pumped to go out there and get theirs… Be the Company You Want to Keep One of Kasey’s favourite sessions was Age of Damage: Be the Company You Want to keep, led by David Jones. Essentially, David talked about how the cost of doing well is doing good… Do the right thing and stand for something other than profit. Know that once you’ve experienced what seems like the worst thing ever (be it a social gaff or a late tax payment), you find yourself fearing less. Perfection isn’t expected, honesty is. So in business, when you’ve made a mistake, let your customers know not only what happened, but how you’re fixing it. Embrace Your Inner Nerd Kasey also hung out with the NASA Social crew for a day, learning about the new James Webb Space Telescope. There’s a lot to be said for getting to check out technologies, but there’s more to be said for getting to meet the scientists, engineers, and business minds behind great technology. The latter is what drives you think think bigger and bolder. If these people can make a telescope that unfolds itself in space, we can certainly build awesome accounting software for the small business owners of the world (and perhaps, beyond?). How cool is this telescope?!?! Join the Conversation! SXSW is all about random conversations blossoming into something intense and awesome. Too often, we go into conversations situations with an “I need to get ________ out of this” mentality. Agendas are great, but sometimes going in with no expectations means you’ll get blown away by something fantastic: a new business connection, a new piece of advise, or even just a friend who you’ll meet up with next time you’re in the same city. BONUS TAKEAWAY! If you didn’t get down to Austin, all of the keynotes are online! Check them out here.
