Innovation: The Who's Where's and How's

I know that for some of you the experience of opening up and using a Google phone is either: 1) fait accompli, for all those of you in advanced mobile markets such as Korea, Japan and to some extend Europe, or 2) who cares, for all of you that just want a phone to work as a phone. So, here is the thing, the last thing a Google phone does (and for that matter the iPhone) is make calls. As I have noted before, calling these "hand-top" devices "phones" is a total misnomer. These devices represent the future in so many ways that it is hard to qualify them. For starters, they are the source of some of the greatest innovations, such as the inventor of a microscope that attaches to the phone camera and can take and send pictures for the purposes of diagnosing diseases all around the World in ten minutes or less. http://www.popsci.com/ Part of innovation management is trying to develop "forevision" and watching my son's unfolding experience was quite revealing...

A few years back I met a writer of novels who had been on that journey for many years. He was young and was fortunate to have the funds to be able to go places to "get inspired". Fast forward a few years and a conversation I had with my brother in law who had the opportunity to meet Bruce Springsteen and talk about his creative process. It turns out, he needs inspiration as well. The creative process requires inspiration, period. And those involved in Innovation management need it as well. I think humans in general require inspiration and the first thing we need to acknowledge is that this is a thing we NEED in order to live to the fullest. I want to share a piece that I received from an inspirational speaker that I had the pleasure of meeting last year during our kick-off. His name is Eric Taylor and is the founder of Selfgrowth .com and empowerment group international. One of the things that I have decided to do is to gravitate to people that can inspire and Eric is one of ...

As I sit here in my hotel room in LA with the patio door ajar, I can feel that famous temperate and sweet weather that has made California a world destination and the creative cauldron that it is. On the occasion of the American Film Market tradeshow taking place here, I am trying to understand the impacts of the digital revolution on this industry. As I have said before I do not feel that the industry leaders are assesing these impacts in a methodical way. OK, so perhaps they are and I just don't see it and they are quietly trying to assess the synergistic impacts (or not) of all the technology-driven trends and facts bearing down on them. One interesting company from Europe doing just that, has created a web-based marketplace for the buying and selling of content (all of it destined to be digital). It is a "simple" B2B portal where you can easily preview any content that wishes to use the service (for a fee of course). It is sort of like an "Amazon" for conten...

Innovation is at times pressing the reset button and starting anew, rejoicing in the new energy that is thrust upon us when exploring with new eyes and minds wide open. Liberating the soul to explore new horizons and possibilities is part of the human condition; It is at the core of what liberty means. Once new conditions are unleashed and unshackled, everything seems possible. I had one of those moments this AM where I could feel this new energy; a sort of rebirth. Like it or not, the events of last night have shaken every social dynamic and construct; it is truly a colossal event full of portent and potential. My day today started at 3:00 am, as I needed to catch a flight to the West coast. After an instantaneous waking I performed a quick check of CNN and quickly discovered the ground shaking events of last night putting the first "black" president in office. I was elated not for reasons that most people would suspect; I was elated because the USA and the world needed to c...