As an entrepreneur it can often feel lonely and like you’re making it up as you go along. It’s easy to forget that there are a lot of other people to learn from all around you. From fellow entrepreneurs to business experts there are a lot of ways to grow your bank of business knowledge.
One of the best jumping off points out there is actually Ted Talks! Ted Talks are great because they’re short, contain a lot of expert advice and can get your wheels turning on how to improve your business.
Here are 7 Ted Talks that every e-commerce entrepreneur should watch.
1. Rory Sutherland – Life Lessons From an Ad Man
“Advertising adds value to a product by changing our perception, rather than the product itself. Rory Sutherland makes the daring assertion that a change in perceived value can be just as satisfying as what we consider ‘real’ value — and his conclusion has interesting consequences for how we look at life.”
2. Sheena Iyengar – How to Make Choosing Easier
“We all want customized experiences and products — but when faced with 700 options, consumers freeze up. With fascinating new research, Sheena Iyengar demonstrates how businesses (and others) can improve the experience of choosing.”
3. Malcolm Gladwell – Choice, Happiness and Spaghetti Sauce
“‘Tipping Point’ author Malcolm Gladwell gets inside the food industry’s pursuit of the perfect spaghetti sauce — and makes a larger argument about the nature of choice and happiness.”
4. Yves Morieux – As Work Gets More complex 6 Rules to Simplify
“Why do people feel so miserable and disengaged at work? Because today’s businesses are increasingly and dizzyingly complex — and traditional pillars of management are obsolete, says Yves Morieux. So, he says, it falls to individual employees to navigate the rabbit’s warren of interdependencies. In this energetic talk, Morieux offers six rules for “smart simplicity.” (Rule one: Understand what your colleagues actually do.)”
5. Natalie Fratto – 3 Ways to Measure Your Adaptability and How to Improve It
“When venture investor Natalie Fratto is determining which start-up founder to support, she doesn’t just look for intelligence or charisma; she looks for adaptability. In this insightful talk, Fratto shares three ways to measure your ‘adaptability quotient’ — and shows why your ability to respond to change really matters.”
6. Martin Reeves – How to Build a Business That Lasts 100 Years
“If you want to build a business that lasts, there may be no better place to look for inspiration than your own immune system. Join strategist Martin Reeves as he shares startling statistics about shrinking corporate life spans and explains how executives can apply six principles from living organisms to build resilient businesses that flourish in the face of change.”
7. Chieh Huang – Confessions of a Recovering Micromanager
“Think about the most tired you’ve ever been at work. It probably wasn’t when you stayed late or came home from a road trip — chances are it was when you had someone looking over your shoulder, watching your each and every move. ‘If we know that micromanagement isn’t really effective, why do we do it?’ asks entrepreneur Chieh Huang. In a funny talk packed with wisdom and humility, Huang shares the cure for micromanagement madness — and how to foster innovation and happiness at work.”