Likeonomics: The Unexpected Truth Behind Earning Trust, Influencing Behavior, and Inspiring Action

Chapter 7

Simplicity

“Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing left to add but when there is nothing left to take away.”

—Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, French aviator, writer, and poet

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

—Leonardo da Vinci

 

In 2001, the world’s best dinner party was about to change forever. What started as one of the most exclusive invite-only gatherings of big thinkers, celebrities, and influential people interested in sharing world-changing ideas had grown year after year to become one of the most respected events in the world. The rules of the event were simple; there was only ever one track of speakers, so that all the attendees would have a shared experience to speak about. The second rule was the one that would become the calling card for the entire event; every talk had to be no more than 18 minutes long.

By now you may have figured out that the event was the TED conference, originally started in 1984 by Richard Saul Wurman. In 2001 the event had grown into an interesting problem…its exclusive closed-door format was actually hindering its mission to encourage the sharing of world-changing ideas. Something had to change.

That same year Wurman was turning 65 years old and ready to pass on the torch to a new curator of the event. Media entrepreneur, WIRED Magazine editor, and TED enthusiast Chris Anderson was the perfect candidate. Anderson purchased the event and took over that year, instituting three important changes that would dramatically ...