Contribute to a 2009 World Economic Forum session on social...

I'll be attending the World Economic Forum in Davos next week -- look for posts here as I gather up blasts of insight from the gathering.

I'm running a session on January 29th at Davos that will analyze how social computing will transform corporations and markets. Discussion leaders will be: Michael Arrington, TechCrunch, Jimmy Wales of Wikipedia, Robert Scoble of Fast Company TV, Reid Hoffman of LinkedIn, Matt Cohler of Benchmark Capital (late of Facebook), and others.

We're going to be working to answer the questions listed below.

If you have any special insight on these questions, comment back to this post. During the session, I will quote you with attribution, when appropriate. If you've got any real-world examples, they would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for contributing.

Here are the questions:

- How can enterprises (companies with $1B in revenue or greater) use social to gain an advantage?
- What are the greatest risks of social to an enterprise? How can these risks be mitigated?
- How can social be used to improve leadership and decision making in the organization?
- How can social be used to drive product development and innovation?
- How can social be used to improve investor relations?
- How can social be used to improve recruitment and human resources management?
- How can social be used to improve customer/client relations?
- For the average large company, what should its social profile look like by the end of 2009? End of 2010? End of 2011?
- How can you rally top management to support social? How should the social effort be organized internally? Who should own it? Who should lead it?

Thanks!!

Obama and Tech

How can Obama stimulate the tech economy?

1) Get the general economy back on its feet. Tech spending correlates closely with GDP growth.

2) Take government action that increases competition in tech markets. Nixon charged IBM with anti-trust -- ushering in the independent software and plug-compatible hardware businesses. Reagan presided over the breakup of AT&T -- setting the stage for massive innovation in telecommunications.

3) Create (or enlarge) some federal government project that will spin off innovative technology. In the 1950s, the building of NORAD spawned the minicomputer business. The Apollo space program of the 1960s fertilized Silicon Valley with people and transistors -- ultimately enabling the PC business. And the Arpanet and Milnet of the 1970's and 1980's lay the groundwork for the Internet and the Web.

4) Reduce regulatory friction. Reform or eliminate Sarbanes Oxley. Sox has increased cost and bureaucracy for small tech companies. Get the accounting profession to reconsider its rules around stock options accounting -- non-expensed options were a big part of tech's golden years. Streamline required reporting so small companies can do it cheaply and quickly.

5) Resist lobbying and keep tech open and available to the public. In other words, protect net neutrality. Start-ups need open systems to thrive.

6) Don't construct barriers around the U.S. -- incent American businesses to reach out and be included in as many innovation networks as possible -- wherever they may be. Innovation is no longer confined behind the four walls of a company or the borders of a country -- future technology innovation will be driven by open networks, not skunk works.

7) Use your own belief in social and technology as a model for all CEOs and U.S. leaders. Don't let the bastards take your Blackberry away -- it's a powerful symbol.

Obama must return America to a time which spawned HP, Microsoft, Intel, Dell, Wang, DEC, Apple, Compaq, Cisco, Sun, and many, many other great companies. The new president should build an environment in which the new Steve Jobs and the new Bill Gates and the new Ken Olsen can easily and quickly start companies and not be instantly absorbed or destroyed by the big guys or bogged down by regulation. What's the goal? In eight years: 1,000 tech start-ups and 100 tech IPOs.

If you've got other ideas for Obama, I'd love to hear from you.