Brian Wetjen

The 2010 Big Omaha conference is now wrapped. Once again we had an impressive lineup of speakers and an incredible outpouring of ideas. I extend a gigantic, “THANK YOU” to Jeff Slobotski and Dusty Davidson for putting together such a well-run event and bringing this to Omaha. Way to go, guys.

My experience at Big Omaha this year was a little different than last. Last year, we had no idea what to expect and were completely blown away. High caliber presenters and all right here in our hometown. I was on a high for a good long time, and the ideas presented stuck with me.

This year, I felt that things were very similar to last year. That’s definitely not a bad thing. What it made me think about and feel, though, were quite different this time around. I have fewer notes. I talked to more people. I listened more, and I refined thoughts, ideas, and to-do items in my personal and professional inventory. So instead of this being the, “Wow I have some amazing ideas” reaction, it’s a, “Keep running with it because this ain’t bullshit” reaction.

And that’s THE BIG THING: All these big and new ideas and ways of doing things that the speakers talked about and the ideas and plans I have of my own – they aren’t a load of crap. They are real. They work. They have potential.

I heard a lot of people at the conference saying things like, “Wow – that WOULD be great to do at my company, but it would never work because of [insert excuse here.]” And to that, I reiterate, “Why not?” I know – maybe you aren’t in charge and you can’t simply dictate the way things happen. But you can make a difference. Lead by example. Show people what is possible. And if you can’t take the do-everything-at-once approach, then break it down into smaller and smaller pieces until you have something that is so simple and digestible that it’s easy to insert into The Way Things Are. Then you’re one step closer.

Jason Fried made that point when talking about how they approach software development cycles. If a task can’t be done in two weeks, they break it down to something that can be done in two weeks. That’s such a great way to approach a task. Huge, monumental things can seem overwhelming and make it harder to start or finish. A simple, defined project is much less daunting. Every insurmountable achievement is made up of a bunch of tiny things that are a lot easier. The accomplishment is in finishing something and doing it well.

Okay – so I can rant on things all day. What’s this post about? Well, people who haven’t gone to Big Omaha ask, “What’s the conference about?” Even the description on the Big Omaha site doesn’t really make it clear. Here’s what I say, though: It’s about ideas. The ideas you have that you want to do something with. Ideas are powerful.

And that’s HUGE.

So many great things start with a simple idea, and it takes huge effort to make an idea happen. Maybe not even huge effort, but huge determination. Huge follow-through. Huge focus. It’s EASY to come up with an idea. It’s HARD to do something about it. And that’s where Big Omaha comes in. We heard stories from people who took and idea and made it happen. We also heard about some of the challenges, inspirations, failures, and other things that happened along the way.

Plan on attending Big Omaha next year. Watch for recaps and other posts online about this year’s conference. Start working on the ideas you have and seek inspiration. The speakers from this and last year’s Big Omaha conference should help you get going. But the key thing is, do something about it. The ball is in your court and you have the power to make things happen.