The document discusses how crowdsourcing can be used to generate great ideas but also the challenges involved in evaluating contributions and making decisions in large groups. It notes that while experts are often the first choice, they may not be accessible. Voting systems have limitations and more complex models are needed. The document argues that with the right assumptions and processes in place, crowds can be used effectively without things ending poorly, as organizational structures are shaped by outdated views of transaction costs.

1. HOW CAN WE MAKE IT
SAFE SAFER
TO FIND
GREAT IDEAS
WITH CROWDS?
SHAUN ABRAHAMSON
@SHAUNABE
HTTP://SLIDESHA.RE/
YEZNDS

2. CROWDS CAN DELIVER GREATNESS
LIKE THIS

3. AND THIS

4. AND THIS

5. AND THIS
AND THIS
AND THIS

6. IT DOESN’T
HAVE
TO END
THIS WAY

7. OUR ORGANIZATIONS ARE SHAPED BY (OLD)
ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT TRANSACTION COSTS
Ronald Coase
“Given that production could be
carried on without any organization
that is, firms at all, why and under
what conditions should we expect
firms to emerge?”
About 75 years ago

8. THE LAST TIME WE TEAMED UP
THINGS WENT WELL (BUT WE CAN DO BETTER)
Alex F. Osborn (the O in BBDO)
“When it comes to thinking, let’s
try to act as if we were two
people – at one time, a thinker
upper, a producer of ideas; at
another, a weigher of ideas”
About 65 years ago

11. COMPLEX IDEA
SIMPLE PROCESS

12. 110 YEARS BEFORE OUR ROBOT CAR SEARCH
CHICAGO TIMES-HERALD CONTEST

13. SEARCH PATTERNS

14. LESS COMPLEX IDEA
MUCH MORE COMPLEX PROCESS

15. MANY MORE CHEAP TRANSACTIONS
LET US DO MORE TOGETHER

16. COLLABORATIVE PATTERNS

17. COMPLEX PROCESSES? LARGE
COMMUNITIES? WE’VE SEEN THIS BEFORE
Elinor Ostrom
“Complexity is not the
same as chaos”
About 3 years ago

18. WHEN YOU WORK WITH 1000 PEOPLE
HOW DO YOU SEE WHO IS DOING THE WORK?
Aaron Swartz
“…insiders account for the vast majority of
edits. But it’s the outsiders who provide
nearly all of the content.”
About 6 years ago
Commenting on his analysis of who creates Wikipedia.

19. MORE COMPLEX
EVALUATION OF CONTRIBUTIONS
Sources: klout.com, quirky.com

20. THE EXPERTS. OUR FIRST CHOICE
BUT THEY ARE UNLIKELY TO TAKE OUR CALLS

21. VOTING HOLDS PROMISE
BUT IT HAS LIMITATIONS TOO

22. MORE COMPLEX
DECISION MODELS

23. ITS
COMPLICATED
BUT
IT DOESN’T
HAVE
TO END
THIS WAY

24. HOW CAN WE
MAKE IT
SAFE SAFER
TO FIND
GREAT IDEAS
WITH CROWDS?
@SHAUNABE HTTP://SLIDESHA.RE/YEZNDS