Randy Fredlund's Posts
Live From New York - It's the World Innovation Forum !
I've made two attempts now at creating a blog about what is happening at the World Innovation Forum in NYC. Unfortunately, they seemed more like book reports than a blog. I sat through a number of interesting presentations by "pioneers in the field of innovation." Thought provoking, for sure. And I started out trying to let you know just what had transpired, but factual accounts just don't cut it. There has to be some soul, some feeling, some link to human experience. So in the hopes that the third time is a link, here are a few thoughts provoked.
Off the plane and approaching the land of innovation, aka NYC
Hackers are your friends. If you are in the business of creating products for users, who better to show you how they wish your products worked than the users themselves? And according to Eric von Hippel, there is no shortage of users who are quite willing to do just that. All you need do is understand what modifications they make in bending the use of your products to their specific needs. Better yet, enable your product to be a platform, and enable the users with tools that allow modifications. Then track what they do and incorporate the best into your next generation.
Dyslexia can be a virtue. Daniel Pink quoted research that showed that the only correlation among peer-designated "Stars of Business" was dyslexia. The condition seems to foster big picture vision rather than drilling down on details, perhaps because the creative and non-linear portions of the brain have been required to work overtime to compensate for shortcomings of more linear thoughts.
"You will be competing with free," says Chris Anderson. He goes on to say that "...the trend lines that determine the cost of doing business online all point the same way: to zero." Hmmm...I wonder if he's ever studied the photographic industry. But he doesn't recommend that businesses give up in the face of this onslaught, but rather alter their tactics.
An impressive entrance at the AXA Conference Center
Don't sell elevators. Provide vertical transportation services. Design systems, not components, and the efficiency gains will pay for anything that initially appears to be added cost. And what is the system all others must emulate? Nature, says Amory Lovins. And the application of good system design principles will allow energy cost burdened economies to flourish once more.
I'll miss my SUV. At least until I pass the first gas station.
Off the plane and approaching the land of innovation, aka NYC
Hackers are your friends. If you are in the business of creating products for users, who better to show you how they wish your products worked than the users themselves? And according to Eric von Hippel, there is no shortage of users who are quite willing to do just that. All you need do is understand what modifications they make in bending the use of your products to their specific needs. Better yet, enable your product to be a platform, and enable the users with tools that allow modifications. Then track what they do and incorporate the best into your next generation.
Dyslexia can be a virtue. Daniel Pink quoted research that showed that the only correlation among peer-designated "Stars of Business" was dyslexia. The condition seems to foster big picture vision rather than drilling down on details, perhaps because the creative and non-linear portions of the brain have been required to work overtime to compensate for shortcomings of more linear thoughts.
"You will be competing with free," says Chris Anderson. He goes on to say that "...the trend lines that determine the cost of doing business online all point the same way: to zero." Hmmm...I wonder if he's ever studied the photographic industry. But he doesn't recommend that businesses give up in the face of this onslaught, but rather alter their tactics.
An impressive entrance at the AXA Conference Center
Don't sell elevators. Provide vertical transportation services. Design systems, not components, and the efficiency gains will pay for anything that initially appears to be added cost. And what is the system all others must emulate? Nature, says Amory Lovins. And the application of good system design principles will allow energy cost burdened economies to flourish once more.
I'll miss my SUV. At least until I pass the first gas station.
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