George Nemeth blogs about the metaphor of changing bike and car gears with respect to the economy.
It's a compelling metaphor suggesting that automatic driving in any economy fails on the flawed assumption that "more of the same" will cause our gears to automatically shift. We need to be more intentional about our gear shifting when we want to accelerate our velocity. Thanks G.
What would it mean for your business to shift gears right now? And then of course there are the questions beyond gears, given the context that acceleration in the wrong lane or road is irrelevant to getting anywhere new. So, what's the old lane and road you're on?
Jack/Zen
A zen perspective on how we think about the future
Jack Ricchiuto is a nationally acclaimed designer and author of 9 books. His website is DesigningLife.com
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John Gerzema with Young and Rubicam talks with Inc. Magazine about the
future consumers, specifically through the lens of this past
recession.
Among the trends, almost three-quarters of consumers claim that shared
values with supplier companies weighs in significantly in their
purchase decisions. Also, there is a measurable shift to engagement in
self-sufficiency, cooperation and bartering. Kindness turns out to be
one the biggest loyalty winners in this emerging market of consumer
trends. What does this mean for the way consumer product and service
companies sell, service, and design their offerings? Will tomatoes
come with tomato seeds, and garden tools with a website where you can
barter other tools?
future consumers, specifically through the lens of this past
recession.
Among the trends, almost three-quarters of consumers claim that shared
values with supplier companies weighs in significantly in their
purchase decisions. Also, there is a measurable shift to engagement in
self-sufficiency, cooperation and bartering. Kindness turns out to be
one the biggest loyalty winners in this emerging market of consumer
trends. What does this mean for the way consumer product and service
companies sell, service, and design their offerings? Will tomatoes
come with tomato seeds, and garden tools with a website where you can
barter other tools?
Tea party
One of the trends cometing across the political skies is the tea party. Part of the brilliance of any campaign or movement is in the language and any reference to any kind of "party" after the past few years will be a winner. And as for tea parties, it's a phrase rich in allusions to royalty and rebels. Again, irresistible in an ethos of economic low self-esteem and impatient longing to get back to the status quo.
Without great language, even the most profound potential movements have no power to ignite the roots of grass. As for the substance of this recent movement's ideologies, it is a complicated web of rights issues, tilting in favor of people with money who don't want it government decreased or managed. So what will cause this movement to become a movement of ideologue broadcast or pragmatic dialogue?
Without great language, even the most profound potential movements have no power to ignite the roots of grass. As for the substance of this recent movement's ideologies, it is a complicated web of rights issues, tilting in favor of people with money who don't want it government decreased or managed. So what will cause this movement to become a movement of ideologue broadcast or pragmatic dialogue?
SoBi
SoBi, the Social Bicycle System this fall is launching its new bike
sharing service in the City (NY). It operates from smart phones and
gives people the benefit of bikes on demand, making cities even more
bikable.
What else besides bikes and cars could have public sharing
possibilities in public spaces? What applications might be possible in
organizations, think: things that help people live better and easier?
sharing service in the City (NY). It operates from smart phones and
gives people the benefit of bikes on demand, making cities even more
bikable.
What else besides bikes and cars could have public sharing
possibilities in public spaces? What applications might be possible in
organizations, think: things that help people live better and easier?
Women tech entrepreneurs
The Wall Street Journal reports that "Only about 11% of U.S. firms
with venture-capital backing in 2009 had current or former female CEOs
or female founders, according to data from Dow Jones VentureSource.
The prestigious start-up incubator Y Combinator has had just 14 female
founders among the 208 firms it has funded."
Women entrepreneurs are of two minds about the fix. One camp is
forming new intentional networks and events for women, while the other
camp resists any segregative strategies. The TED conferences are now
moving in the direction of women focused conferences, to raise
awareness and build influence and mindshare in that space.From a network engagement perspective, it raises the question of how
women and men can collabroate in new ways to build more intentional
connections for women entrepreneurs in tech? While we're at it, how
can tech university faculty and alumni mentoring programs further this effort along?And fundamentally, what should we expect that women distinctively bring to the tech startup table?
Post script: read Allyson Kapin's excellent suggestions on how to engage more women in tech startups
with venture-capital backing in 2009 had current or former female CEOs
or female founders, according to data from Dow Jones VentureSource.
The prestigious start-up incubator Y Combinator has had just 14 female
founders among the 208 firms it has funded."
Women entrepreneurs are of two minds about the fix. One camp is
forming new intentional networks and events for women, while the other
camp resists any segregative strategies. The TED conferences are now
moving in the direction of women focused conferences, to raise
awareness and build influence and mindshare in that space.From a network engagement perspective, it raises the question of how
women and men can collabroate in new ways to build more intentional
connections for women entrepreneurs in tech? While we're at it, how
can tech university faculty and alumni mentoring programs further this effort along?And fundamentally, what should we expect that women distinctively bring to the tech startup table?
Post script: read Allyson Kapin's excellent suggestions on how to engage more women in tech startups
Culture of innovation
The Idea Champions blog suggests 50 ways to create an innovation
culture.
Among my favorites... > Make new mistakes
> Engage people in projects that fascinate them
> Focus more on idea benefits than features
> Turn users into thought and experiment partners I would add, from the research I did on my first book (Collaborative
Creativity 1996) things like: stop using meetings as the prime venue
for great new ideas, start using critique as a power tool for sparking
new ideas, and expose everyone to more different arts than they ever
have been in their life. So, what might be some radically new ways to get people taking observations to ideas and ideas to action in your organization and community?
culture.
Among my favorites... > Make new mistakes
> Engage people in projects that fascinate them
> Focus more on idea benefits than features
> Turn users into thought and experiment partners I would add, from the research I did on my first book (Collaborative
Creativity 1996) things like: stop using meetings as the prime venue
for great new ideas, start using critique as a power tool for sparking
new ideas, and expose everyone to more different arts than they ever
have been in their life. So, what might be some radically new ways to get people taking observations to ideas and ideas to action in your organization and community?
Peer review, next
Scholarly research continues to require extensive and usually slow
peer review. Well, that was in the days of paper mail. These days, more scholars are engaging online peer reviews which turn out to be
faster, better, cheaper, easier. Diatribe becomes dialogue. More
diverse voices can weigh in from broader dimensions of knowledge
networks.
What if we transferred into peer reviews for policy makes and
legislators at all levels of government? What if experts from wider
networks could review potential policies and legislation? Could it
even juice the whole potential field of citizen journalism and civic
literacies?
peer review. Well, that was in the days of paper mail. These days, more scholars are engaging online peer reviews which turn out to be
faster, better, cheaper, easier. Diatribe becomes dialogue. More
diverse voices can weigh in from broader dimensions of knowledge
networks.
What if we transferred into peer reviews for policy makes and
legislators at all levels of government? What if experts from wider
networks could review potential policies and legislation? Could it
even juice the whole potential field of citizen journalism and civic
literacies?
Coffee bars, unplugged
Brooklyn's Cafe Grumpy has joined the emerging trend from more suburban style coffee houses to urban coffee bars. The design intention that replaces big tables and chairs with counters and stools is to create a space where interaction and conversation are more dominant than isolation in tables and laptops.
I love the trend, and say this as someone who likes the amphibious life of iPad and face talk. Is there a place for both in the coffee shop markets? And while we're at it, what other public spaces could benefit from the intention to replace isolation with conversation?
I love the trend, and say this as someone who likes the amphibious life of iPad and face talk. Is there a place for both in the coffee shop markets? And while we're at it, what other public spaces could benefit from the intention to replace isolation with conversation?
The magic of prototypes
Colin Raney leads the Business Design Community within IDEO, one the global leaders in innovation and design. He specializes in designing new ventures for clients based on new technologies or unique insights.
In his Fast Company Magazine article, Business in Beta / IDEO's Axioms for Starting Disruptive New Businesses, Colin outlines several popular examples of how businesses are most innovative when they experiment on small scales. In this world, money and resource constraints and quick learning cycles are magical. And the power is doing things that empower and engage users as co-designers.
How can we apply this to venues like education, farmers markets, civic engagement and governance? Where would small experiments have great power?
Innovation
On his blog, Hutch Carpenter cites 25 brilliant different ways to think about
innovation.
One of my favorites: Barry Bassnett: Creativity is what happens when imagination has focus;
innovation is what happens when creativity has a bottom line;
enterprise is what happens when innovation meets ability,
entrepreneurship is what happens when all the aforementioned are put
on the same cart and passion becomes the fuel. So, is it possible for established companies and institutions to
become innovative, and if so, how would their understanding of
innovation fuel their passion for it?
innovation.
One of my favorites: Barry Bassnett: Creativity is what happens when imagination has focus;
innovation is what happens when creativity has a bottom line;
enterprise is what happens when innovation meets ability,
entrepreneurship is what happens when all the aforementioned are put
on the same cart and passion becomes the fuel. So, is it possible for established companies and institutions to
become innovative, and if so, how would their understanding of
innovation fuel their passion for it?
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