Startups Decoded - Live
The Innovation Debate:
SXSW — How Do We Recreate the Collision That Mattered?
SXSW is still one of the few places where music, culture, tech, and brands collide in the same space. That matters. You can feel what’s next.
But it’s also become over-curated. Brands bring activations. Panels promise disruption. Everyone says “community.”
Innovation didn’t disappear; it got professionalized.
So the question is simple: If innovation is now professionalized, where do real creative collisions come from?
Founders feel it. Agency leaders feel it too.
SXSW isn’t broken. It’s a mirror.
Host: Andy Walsh – Founder, Startups Decoded
Guest: Jill Smith – CEO, IRIS - Americas
Format
• 50-minute live podcast recording
• 60-minute workshop in an intimate room
IRIS will bring senior executives into the room.
This is a rare chance to sit inside a small creative collective and unpack innovation with one of the world’s leading independent agencies.
Do you lead marketing in a startup?
We want founders or CMOs. This is your space to pressure-test and rebuild collision intentionally.
Small room. Real people.
Coffee and pastries provided.
Access is limited to 10 people. Apply to join.
The Workshop
1) Speed vs. Substance (“The Time Tax”)
Brands want fast. Founders need craft. We’ll unpack:
• When speed sharpens creativity — and when it erodes it
• How activation pressure impacts long-term equity
• Where “fast” becomes expensive
Decision: Headline high — or lasting influence?
2) Growth Hacks vs. Long-Term Moats
SXSW often becomes a 4-day growth hack. Place creates energy. Curation sustains it. We’ll explore:
• Turning live moments into long-term relationships
• Where founders and agencies collide
• One friction-free way to convert presence into 12 months of relevance