1. The Pirate’s Dilemma: How to Compete in a World of Piracy

From struggling musicians to CEOs, The Pirate’s Dilemma is a problem people are facing in increasing numbers. As piracy continues to change the way we use information and do business, how should we respond? Do we fight pirates in the courts, or compete with them in the marketplace? In this talk, Matt Mason answers this question by taking the audience on a journey into a world of piracy unlike anything they will have seen before. While it’s always been true that pirates destroy old systems, throughout history they have also replaced them with better ones. From establishing Hollywood to bringing rock ‘n’ roll to Europe to helping the fashion business create new trends, Mason makes the case that piracy, copying and the re-broadcasting of other people’s ideas is often how great innovations happen, and those who compete with pirates gain the upper hand and reap huge rewards by doing so. Using some fascinating stories, memorable case studies and a touch of game theory, Mason lays out a blueprint that shows:

• When it’s best to compete with piracy, and when it’s better to fight it.
• How companies can survive in a world where pirates make the rules.
• Why competing with pirates can generate incredible results.

2. The Three Habits of Highly Effective Pirates

Illegal pirates, legitimate companies, and law-abiding citizens are now all operating in the same space, working out how to share and control information in new ways. From downloading to remix culture, all of us are learning to use and interpret information differently, and finding out it doesn’t work in quite the same way as the physical things we traded in the Industrial Age. In this compelling talk, Mason argues that when pirates are in a market place long-term, what they’ve actually done is created a new space - a new business model. The Pirate’s Dilemma is not just about how we compete against pirates, and how we treat them, it’s also about how we can become better by recognizing the pirate within ourselves. Using a variety of case studies from inside the music business, blogging, the pharmaceutical industry and the graffiti movement among others, Mason illustrates how companies can compete like pirates by:

• Creating gaps outside of the market.
• Creating new ways to broadcast their brands and message.
• Harnessing the power of their captive audience to rebroadcast that message.

3. We Invented the Remix: Using Cut-n-Paste Culture to Create Innovation

The remix has revolutionized everything from the video game industry to the sneaker business to the way Boeing designed the 787 Dreamliner. A tool used to create amazing innovations, it has become an industry standard in many businesses and organizations, but the remix is often misunderstood and misapplied. To show how to use the process effectively in business, Mason takes audiences on a whirlwind tour of the history of the remix, from it’s beginnings in the reggae, disco and hip-hop scenes, through its evolution into an idea that changed the film industry, redefined a soda company and reinvented the way some of today’s most successful companies and consumers communicate and collaborate. Mason explains how we can all:

• Use the thought process behind the remix to drive innovation
• Create outstanding collaborative open-source platforms using four key ideas
• Encourage growth and develop stronger ideas by letting others copy and remix them.

To book Matt as a speaker please contact:

Wesley Neff at The Leigh Bureau 1.908 253.0843 wesn [at] leighbureau.com