Velocity: The Seven New Laws for a World Gone Digital

by Ajaz Ahmed, Stefan Olander, Sir Richard Branson (Introduction)

Overview

A highly perceptive manifesto for entrepreneurs, leaders, and managers from the vice president of digital sport at Nike and the founder of legendary innovation agency AKQA. With an exclusive introduction by Sir Richard Branson

How can you win when the only certainty is change? Highly accessible, lively, and inspiring, Velocity draws upon the authors' unique perspectives and experiences to present seven timeless new laws for businesses and individuals in a world that is dominated by rapid change and digital technology. Written as a fascinating and enjoyable conversation between the authors—Stefan Olander, vice president of digital sport at Nike and Ajaz Ahmed, founder and chairman at AKQA—Velocity's up-to-date examples illustrate key lessons, together with insights, ideas, and inspiration that individuals and businesses should adopt to thrive. Velocity shares the vision and values required to succeed with the untold backstories to influential and iconic innovation. Fast paced, useful, provocative, and highly motivating, Velocity will arm you with actionable ideas to define your future.

Features:

—4 Velocity principles: Speed, Direction, Acceleration, and Discipline

—7 Laws, including "A Smith & Wesson beats four aces," "It's easier done than said," "Convenient is the enemy of right," and "No good joke survives a committee of six."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780091947569
Publisher:	Random House UK
Publication date:	05/05/2012
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Ajaz Ahmed is the founder and chairman of AKQA, the world's largest independent innovation agency. AKQA has a legendary reputation for innovation and has won more "Agency of the Year" awards and recognition for its creativity than any other comparable company in history. Clients include Nike, Volkswagen, Virgin, Audi, Xbox, and Heineken. Stefan Olander is the vice-president of digital sport at Nike and one of the world's leading digital innovators. Stefan has led many of Nike's most cutting-edge initiatives, including the revolutionary Nike+ experience developed in partnership with Apple. Nike employs more than 30,000 people across the globe and is one of the world's most valuable brands. He lives in Portland. Sir Richard Branson is best known for his Virgin Group of more than 400 companies.

Table of Contents

Introduction Sir Richard Branson ix

The Velocity Principles xi

The Seven Laws of Velocity 1

I A Smith & Wesson beats four aces 4

II It's easier done than said 46

III The best advertising isn't advertising 76

IV Convenient is the enemy of right 118

V Respect human nature 146

VI No good joke survives a committee of six 184

VII Have a purpose larger than yourself 210

The Velocity Index 243

Acknowledgements 245

About the authors 247

Index 249

Editorial Reviews

"Compelling...apply its laws to your business to swing it back from slavish adherence to process and towards creative innovation and intuition."  —The Agency Review 

"There's no waste, no flowery prose - only an intelligent flow of insights, advice, stories and illumination ... I defy you to read it without a highlighter pen in your hand."  —Contagious magazine

From the Publisher