Fwd: Pixar Pitch: a note from Gathering discussion
Kathi Fletcher
Kathi
From: Kathi Fletcher <kathi.f...@shuttleworthfoundation.org>
Date: Wed, Nov 13, 2013 at 12:53 PM
Subject: Re: Pixar Pitch: a note from Gathering discussion
To: Arthur Attwell <art...@paperight.com>
Cc: allhands <allh...@shuttleworthfoundation.org>
Once upon a time, textbooks were hard to create, expensive to buy, and out of date within a short time.
Every day, college students paid $150 for an algebra book containing information that is hundreds of years old. High school students learned from ten year old Biology textbooks, authors struggled to make everything look good and cursed while they tried to edit math. Nobody could use the content in the textbooks to create interactive flashcards or quizzes.
One day we created a textbook editor that is easy to use and saves books to github (a place for freely storing books and software). We made sure the hard stuff like editing mathematics, formatting the books, and delivering them to students is actually easy. And we made sure that definitions, homework problems, etc, are easy to reuse.
Because of that, authors can collaborate to build a textbook and deliver it to their students online, on mobile devices or in print. They can make updates immediately, and can share the textbook with others for translation and adaptation. Software developers can create interactive flashcards and study tools that use the content from the textbooks.
Because of that, textbooks can be a pleasure to create, cheap or free to buy, always up to date, and part of a much more interactive and engaging experience.
Until finally we have transformed textbooks into true engines of learning.
Hi allAt the Gathering I mentioned the Pixar pitch, a framework for an elevator pitch.Once upon a time, ...Every day, ...One day ...Because of that, ...Because of that, ...Until finally...Here's a description and example from Daniel Pink's book To Sell is Human:"This six-sentence format is both appealing and supple. It allows pitchers to take advantage of the well-documented persuasive force of stories— but within a framework that forces conciseness and discipline. Imagine you’re a nonprofit organization that’s created a home HIV test and you’re looking for funders. Your Pixar pitch could go something like this:Once upon a time there was a health crisis haunting many parts of Africa. Every day, thousands of people would die of AIDS and HIV-related illness, often because they didn’t know they carried the virus. One day we developed an inexpensive home HIV kit that allowed people to test themselves with a simple saliva swab. Because of that, more people got tested. Because of that, those with the infection sought treatment and took measures to avoid infecting others. Until finally this menacing disease slowed its spread and more people lived longer lives.It’s even possible to summarize this book with a Pixar pitch: Once upon a time only some people were in sales. Every day, they sold stuff, we did stuff, and everyone was happy. One day everything changed: All of us ended up in sales— and sales changed from a world of caveat emptor to caveat venditor. Because of that, we had to learn the new ABCs— attunement, buoyancy, and clarity. Because of that, we had to learn some new skills— to pitch, to improvise, and to serve. Until finally we realized that selling isn’t some grim accommodation to a brutal marketplace culture. It’s part of who we are— and therefore something we can do better by being more human."Pink, Daniel H (2013-02-07). To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth About Persuading, Convincing, and Influencing Others (pp. 172-173). Canongate Books Ltd. Kindle Edition.
Kathi Fletcher
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Kathi Fletcher