Kicking Off the 2023 Product at Heart Conference: A Nod to the Power of Poetry
Sometimes, the most memorable ideas are born in the most unexpected moments. For us, that moment took place at THE Conference in Malmö, Sweden, back in 2015. My co-organizer, Arne Kittler, and I sat quietly in the audience, our anticipation building as we waited for the proceedings to begin.
Out of nowhere, a follow light carved its way through the auditorium and cast a spotlight onto a balcony. There stood Derek Sivers, preparing to perform a piece he had penned titled "How to Like People." The room fell silent as he began. His words resonated with us - they were powerful, poignant, and impactful. What an extraordinary way to open a conference!
Derek Sivers on a balcony opening The Conference back in 2015
Fast forward to 2023, when Arne and I were brainstorming ideas for the opening remarks for our Product at Heart Conference. That unforgettable moment in Malmö sprung to mind. Why not begin our event with a spoken word performance?
With high hopes, we reached out to Derek Sivers and our friend and curator of the Malmö conference, Martin Thörnkvist. To our delight, they were receptive to our proposal and lent us their full support.
We knew we had to find the right person to give this poem a fresh voice. And that person was Sarah Plochl. Sarah didn't just recite the poem; she gave it her twist, pouring emotion and meaning into every word. The audience was spellbound as she performed live on stage that day.
We are now happily sharing the video of Sarah's performance without further ado. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did and that it leaves you feeling inspired and eager for the productive and engaging conversations to come.
And in case you were wondering about the opening track before Sarah‘s performance: It was The Night from the latest album by Ladytron. When we first heard it earlier this year, we immediately knew this would be used for our intro sequence accompanied by a giant, spinning mirror ball.
BTW, you will find Sarah's version at the end of this post and Derek's original version here.
How to Like People
How to Like People
Assume it's their last day on Earth. Everyone talks about living like it's your last day on
Earth. Instead, appreciate someone; live like it's their last day on Earth. Really listen to them,
learn from them. This might be your last chance.
How to Like People
Be who you'd be when alone. You could live in a crowd, pleasing only others, but that's
unsustainable. You could live in solitude, pleasing only yourself, but that's unsustainable.
Instead, when in a crowd, be the same person you'd be when alone.
How to Like People
Always make new friends. You're always changing, hopefully for the better. But old friends
want you to stay as they knew you, as you were before. When making new friends, be your
new ideal self, even if only for a few hours. New friends will encourage your new self. Let go
of people that don't welcome and encourage your change. So you could say that coming
here to this conference is not just a way of making new friends, but really replacing your old
ones.
How to Like People
Avoid harming the relationship. For long-term relationship success, this is a better
strategy than seeking the positive. Because friendships that take years to develop can be
ruined by a single action.
How to Like People
Act calm and kind, regardless of how you really feel.
How to Like People
Don't try to change them, unless they asked you to. Stop trying to change people who
don't think they have a problem.
How to Like People
Find wisdom in your opponents. Really engage those who think opposite of you. You
already know the ideas on your side of the argument.
How to Like People
Purge the vampires. Get rid of people that drain you, that don't make you feel good about
yourself. They will make you hate all people.
Sarah Plochl performing the 2023 version of “How to like people” at Product at Heart