Smashing Conf: Why We Do What We Do

by September 9, 2013

In his talk at Smashing Conf in Freiburg Germany 2013 Dan Rubin talked about the impact of motivation on our work. Here's my notes from his talk Why We Do What We Do:

  • Motivation is not just why we get out of bed everyday. What motivates people: money, career, passion, expectations.
  • Our motives influence how and why we solve problems. The decisions we make are all influenced by our motivations.
  • Sometimes we all have to pay the rent. In these cases, money can be a motivator. But jobs taken just for the money rarely work out. Even if the project goes well, we don't end up fulfilled.
  • If we do things only for money, nothing else has been considered. Money is a generic motivator.
  • Working on anything we don't believe in is much harder than something we can connect to. Its worth fighting for projects you care about.
  • Most creative people are following their heart but what does it really mean? How do know what we are passionate about?
  • Try all the things you are passionate about -the best way to learn is to explore. Side projects are a great way to explore.
  • Business priorities are usually profit first, customers and product quality second. But some of the most successful companies in the World ignore this approach. Apple and Disney are two companies that have been very successful this way.
  • Make great things and the profits will follow is a way to follow your passion.
  • Challenge your path or it will challenge you. The downside of passion is that it can take us down the wrong path. Keep challenging what you are doing.
  • Understand yourself first. Know where you are going and why. Personal journeys and personality tests can help you.
  • Look at what you've enjoyed the most in your life so far and more ways to do those things.
  • Find a mentor (someone who has made a similar leap) to help you along the way -someone you can trust (because you know they know). Taking any kind of risk alone is hard. Asking for help is not a weakness.