No Easy Boxes

March 12, 2009 · Comments

Can You Guess?

What do you know about a brand? What do you know about a company? If I told you that these folks were all social media types from within a big west coast company, and that they were all excited by the trends in personal media making, and in the implications to both the consumer and the enterprise, and if I told you they took me on a tour of their headquarters that ended with a trip to their cool store, where would you guess they work?

What if I said that some of them were working on web-based applications for office productivity, and others were working on the future of podcasting? Something coming to mind? Do you have an idea?

Microsoft. Right!

I was fortunate enough to tour Microsoft’s campuses, including their research facilities (where I saw more patents and cool ideas sitting around than I could imagine in one space), as well as their media production studios (which were just downright incredible and filled with geek goodness), and then I toured the museum and finally the store. I met all kinds of really great folks from the Office Live team, from architecture, from podcasting, and all kinds of other parts of Microsoft. They were passionate, excited, engaged in trying to make great things happen and make products and services that people wanted to use.

So imagine me, a guy who’s had nothing but Macs in his house since 1984, but who has his engineering background in NT 3.51 and NT 4.0 boxes and products, and what I’m thinking about. I met an entire “Social Media Minds” group, and came away thinking that Microsoft really has some neat ideas for the future. ( I wrote about some of this back a year ago.)

As I grow older, while others are putting boxes around their perspectives, and pegging people into certain categories while not others, I’m seeing that there is no box. And I’m pretty damned excited for what that kind of thinking opens up.

Thanks for the tour, Microsoft. I’m grateful for your contributions to the space. Keep opening things up. Keep sharing. Keep trying new things.

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  • Well, I read all the comments and forgot what my point was going to be... suffice it to say I enjoyed your post.
  • Shawn Strzepek
    Wow, is there anyone here who isn't part of the circle jerk?
  • Shawn Strzepek
    Too bad they don't make a product that f----ng works. Oh, and what is there stock at? YEAH SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM!!!
  • Many thanks for the kind words, Chris. Our group (MS SocialMedia Minds) really enjoyed our time with you & the discussions were very engaging. Let me know when you're back in Seattle & we'll take you out for more fun & yummies.

    Thanks Deb! I haven't been called "young" in a while. My kids act like I was born before home computers (wait, I was born b4 home computers =)

    If you want to connect, feel free to tweet me @simchabe.

    Cheers,
    Charl (green sweater/white scarf)
  • I'm not surprised that Microsoft is smart enough to promote their brand through social media. In fact, I would be surprised if they didn't, much like I am that many other big businesses haven't gotten on board yet. As I see it, social media has always been around, well at least the social part of it, for promoting your business. That's what all those networking groups like the Chamber of Commerce have been doing for years. For me, the media part of it has allowed me to promote my real estate appraisal business to thousands more people than I ever could have before, and exposed me to other people that have helped me along the way that I never would have gotten the chance to meet otherwise. I say any company that wants to spread their word, had best join the rest of us before we take all their business for ourselves.
  • Chris, it is gurus like you who are opening things up for people who formerly were putting boxes around their perspectives. When one is open minded, as you said, “There is no box.” For most of the rest of the world, however, I believe there is a box, and it isn’t just a metaphor from the nine-dot creativity exercise developed sixty years ago. Most people operate on a low Amplitude in that they don’t creatively leap high out of the top of box, nor do they insightfully dig deep into issues and challenges through the bottom of the box. As a result, their sine wave of thinking is low in power, intensity, and innovation. In fact, some people are flat lined without even knowing it. High Amplitude Leaders, as I call them, know when to be in the box, and when to be out of it—and they aren’t confined by the box, but use it to achieve their purposes.

    JimBandrowski@StrategicAction.com
    http://www.StrategicAction.com/
    http://BreakthroughLeadership.com/
  • There's only a box if you want to put yourself in one. If you have an open mind, there's no limits on what you can achieve.

    Now when are you coming to visit our office?
  • Chris Brogan
    I always appreciate your well written arcticles! I was raised to always "Think Outside the Box". Your title on this has me twisting my noodle a little bit, as there are No Easy Boxes?, or No Boxes are Easy? How about "No Boxes"!

    (Also, I have missed your follow up to your facebook page... you've been missed!)
  • Yep. There Is NO Box.

    Working outside the box may come with a price... and a prize. The prize is freedom. The price is people don't always "get" what you do!

    Deb: Old people have the self-respect to not be treated as slaves in the workplace. We also don't have the energy to keep up with younger people who are willing to shift between pulling all nighters in college to pulling all-nighters on a 40-hour salary.
  • Chris,

    I know the Director of Product Development for Windows 7 in Richmond. She was my former VP of the Software Development Division at Sony Electronics in San Jose.

    I would like to put you in touch with her as a possible help to you? Drop me an email and I'll provide the contact details.

    I would love to tour Microsoft's video production facilities in Santa Clara, CA.

    Respectfully,

    Nicholas Chase
    www.twitter.com/nachase
  • coomaraswamee
    Hook, line and sinker...did you here MS is actually OUT of the box?
  • Love the idea of the open mind, open box. Why limit yourself to one platform, rather incorporate the best of all worlds.
  • I love people and companies that refuse to play by the rules and be easily labeled and put into a box. Thanks for the perspective.
  • that's brand experience. no matter microsoft or mac (in this case), every brand should bring senses out of the box. just another great article, chris.
  • Don't try to bend the spoon with your mind, as that is impossible; try to understand the truth. There is no spoon (box).

    it really is funny - as children - we are open to anything - then education and 'age' creates lots of boxes for each of us, and only years later as we gain experience, do we learn to be children again and that those boxes we put around everyone in is wrong, and we get much better (free at least) without them. Great article this morning.
  • Deb I applaud you so often people over 50 seem to be left out of the creative loop!! I'm glad that MS is shooting to make better products and taking advantage of all the social media, its such a new and innovative way to personally connect with consumers and let them know you are really trying to make their life better!!
  • Great to see there is investment happening. I am so disappointed in the performance of Vista on one of my computers that it has left a very sour taste of MS in my mouth. I know they have the resources to lead by example. I will keep an eye out for updates in the social media arena and try not to be too biased on the Vista debacle.
  • coomaraswamee
    sounds like blog style grass roots marketing to me
  • Deb
    Chris,
    It's great that Microsoft has all these young minds doing cool things. I do look forward to that future.

    I'm a little (ok a lot) disappointed I didn't see any faces in that picture that were over 50. It's almost like once you hit 50 you are no longer considered relevant. I aim to challenge that!

    @debworks
  • I am thinking MS gets a pass for being smart just because they have waited Yahoo out to the point where it just won't happen until Yahoo is more desperate than they are now.
    It is refreshing to know that there are still creative juices out there and that MS has managed to get them to work there. While MS still makes numerous mistakes in how they are moving forward the basic company is a winner and I think may eventually figure things out.
    On the other hand why should they be much different from the rest of us trying to figure out what is "really" coming next and will become the next "hot" thing on the net.
  • So, are you saying that with age comes wisdom? :-) For me... besides age, the whole social network experience has lead to much the same conclusion. I am "meeting" and learning from so many who come from so many different backgrounds, disciplines, and varied perspectives - and that is a good thing.
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