6 messages from Doers & Dreamers to inspire people to make an impact

Digitlab’s CEO, Mike Saunders, is the only South African selected to contribute to the global business book Doers & Dreamers.

Saunders is also one of the experts who will be featured in the BizTrends2024 Report, sharing his The Future of Humancentric Digital & Data research on how people will want to engage with technology, the touchpoints of engagement and business opportunities in digital data, especially in Africa.

150 global contributors

Both the dreamers and the doers, the book features interviews and articles by founders and leaders in inspiring companies and organisations such as Airbnb, Asana, Toms Shoes, Nvidia, Craigslist, Techstars, WordPress, Basecamp, etc.

Saunders, who sets the tone as the opening chapter, brings his unique perspective to this international collection that includes 150 contributors, including Seth Godin, Tim Ferriss, David Aaker, Dr Travis Bradberry, and Nir Eyal as well as Christine Spiten, co-founder of Blueye Robotics, Matt Mullenweg, founder of WordPress, and Brian Chesky, co-founder of Airbnb.

“It’s an honour to be included in such a prestigious group of business leaders; I hope this book goes a long way to inspiring people to chase their dreams and make an impact,” says Saunders.

Explaining the importance of this project, he says that as we are challenged by some of the toughest economic challenges we have ever faced, we need to find ways to make an impact now more than ever.

“We all have our part to play if we want our situation to change.” For him, this means putting pen to paper – “And hopefully inspiring people to make a significant impact,” says Saunders.

6 messages from Doers & Dreamers

Here are some of the many thought-provoking messages in Doers & Dreamers:

1. 1. Creativity has an existential crisis – Marketing expert Martin Lindstrom suggests solutions to creativity’s existential crisis, including skipping Zoom meetings, blocking his calendar, and answering fewer emails. 

       

   2. Many entrepreneurs start after near-death experiences – Gareth I Jones, a serial entrepreneur, shares his knowledge and experience about why many successful start-ups have emerged from near-death experiences. 

       

   3. Why marketing should be like a parade in Brazil – Vitor Pecanha draws inspiration from Rio de Janeiro’s carnival parades to explain why the future of marketing should be like colourful parades, not movies. 

       

   4. How generative AI can be used for social impact – Shiran Mlamdovsky Somech, an AI impact leader, has utilised AI technology to “resurrect” five Israeli women who were killed by their partners. This remarkable female creator exemplifies how AI can bring about positive changes in the world. 

       

   5. The popcorn brain generation – Entrepreneurs like Tim Ferriss often have a “popcorn brain” with a constant flow of new ideas. But this can be mentally taxing. How can we manage it? 

       

   6. The future is all about carrot leadership – Chester Elton explains why the ‘stick’ approach in leadership should be a thing of the past.

“Doers & Dreamers is not a one-topic publication but a good friend who can help turn your dreams into reality,” says Saunders.

The book contains articles about the idea phase, the development, the commercialisation and the growth.

“Without your actions, innovation is just an idea with a promise. Without you, visions remain useless words on a piece of paper. Without you, there is no growth – for your business, your economy, or your country,” expands Saunders.

JumpStory publishes Doers & Dreamers as an eBook and hard copy. All proceeds are donated to the Danish Red Cross.