SXSWpodden

#1 - 2018 - Debunking SXSW: Blockchain, House of Scandinavia and deconstructing dildos

Thu Mar 08 2018

South by SouthwestFestivalEventsSpeakersNetworkingCareer ReflectionsControversies

Description

This episode provides a comprehensive summary of the South by Southwest festival. The hosts and guests discuss personal experiences, highlight exciting events and speakers, offer tips for attending the festival, and share insights on networking and career reflections. Controversies surrounding Lena Dunham's presence and anticipation for Melinda Gates' appearance are also discussed.

Insights

South by Southwest offers a diverse range of topics and experiences

From blockchain to trap yoga to the future of weed and cannabis, the festival covers a wide range of subjects that cater to various interests.

Keynotes are preferred over panels

Panels are usually worse than keynotes, and a good sign is when the panel outlines what they're going to do and how they're going to do it.

Attending South by Southwest can lead to personal reflection and career changes

The festival provides a reflection snapshot in time that can lead to new thoughts and changes in career or personal life.

Networking with diverse individuals is encouraged

Power mingling and interacting with interesting people outside of one's professional comfort zone is seen as a valuable goal at South by Southwest.

Controversies surround Lena Dunham's presence

Lena Dunham's attendance at the event is met with mixed feelings due to her controversial statements.

Melinda Gates is highly anticipated

Melinda Gates' appearance at the festival generates excitement among attendees.

Summary

Transcript

Introduction

00:06 - 06:51

This podcast is a Swedish perspective on the South by Southwest festival.
The host, Paulina Modepa, will be attending the festival for the third time.
The guests on this episode are Ture Fiatoft and Siri.
Ture used to work at Spotify and is taking a few months off to find inspiration and figure out his next steps.
Siri works with Digital Brand Management and is attending South by Southwest for the first time.
They discuss personal crises that can arise at the festival due to its overwhelming nature.
They mention Elon Musk's keynote from a previous year and how it made them feel small in comparison to his achievements.

Highlights of South by Southwest

06:27 - 19:48

The topic of today's episode is South by Southwest, what to see, what to do, and the hottest topics of discussion.
They mention Westworld being built up in Austin as an exciting attraction at the festival.
There will be a Scandinavian house in Austin run by SAS airlines, offering direct flights from Copenhagen, Oslo, and Stockholm.
There are rumors about keynotes being held on the planes during these flights.
Crown Prince of Denmark will be attending South by Southwest due to his interest in tech and innovation.
Westworld's South by Sunday event aims to recreate the immersive experience of the show
Blockchain is a hot topic at this year's South by Southwest festival
There are only two sessions on GDPR, despite its significance in Europe
Keynote speakers at South by Southwest include Arnold Schwarzenegger and Melinda Gates
Psychotherapist Esther Perel is an exciting speaker who applies her expertise to relationships and dynamics in companies
Femtech, focusing on women's health, is gaining recognition in the health tech industry
A deconstructing dildo workshop explores how devices are built and offers insights for building your own
Trapstar Yoga mixes Power Yoga with Trap Music
Program covers a wide range of topics from blockchain to trap yoga to the future of weed and cannabis
Entrepreneurship focused on weed business models and consumption
Doberman hosting workshops related to design, interface, and time well spent
United Robots, a Swedish company, will be hosting a panel on robotic journalism at the event
The intelligent future track offers many interesting sessions and workshops, including one on citizen science space farming kit called Astroplant
Waymo, a spinoff company of Google, will have a session on real-world trials with self-driving cars
Uber will have a session on designing for a self-driving future
There is a session called 'The Emotional Life of Your Autonomous Car' which explores emotional interactions with vehicles
'Break or remake your brand with Uber' is a session featuring Zoma St. John who ran branding at Uber during challenging times

Tips for Attending South by Southwest

19:28 - 25:57

Attending sessions far away from professional life can provide more knowledge and inspiration
Five tips for attending the festival: do not succumb to FOMO, embrace randomness, leave immediately if a session is crappy, have backup plans, panels are usually worse than keynotes
Panels are usually worse than keynotes.
A good sign is when the panel outlines what they're going to do and how they're going to do it.
Leave your professional comfort zone and explore new interests.
Power mingle by interacting with interesting people and being social.
Being in a hyper-social setting at South By encourages interaction with strangers.
The speaker identifies as an introverted extrovert, getting energy from interacting with people.
Attending South By energizes the speaker but also leads to questioning life choices upon returning home.
South By provides a reflection snapshot in time that can lead to new thoughts and changes in career or personal life.
South By Southwest is like Burning Man for professionals, but easier to get employer sponsorship for.
Networking with people outside of the Swedish group is a personal goal for the speaker at South By.

Guests and Controversies

25:41 - 32:40

Lena Dunham's presence at the event is met with mixed feelings
Lena Dunham's presence at South by Southwest is causing mixed feelings.
The speaker has an ambivalent relationship with Lena Dunham due to her controversial statements.
Melinda Gates is the most anticipated guest at the event.
The podcast wraps up with excitement for Melinda Gates' appearance.