What do guys like Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Steve Jobs, and Jeff Bezos have in common? Yes they are insanely wealthy, and yes they were young when they made their millions, and ok yes a few of them started their companies in their garage; but besides all that, what I want to focus on is the fact that they are true innovators that changed they way things were done in their fields.
While rummaging around Barnes and Nobles, I came across an article in The Harvard Business Review about innovation in business. Â I felt guilty spending $16 on a magazine, so I opted for a $5 foam something or other from Starbucks instead and sat down to read the article.
The following couple of days I was telling anyone who would listen about “The Innovator’s DNA.” I usually avoid titles with the word business in them, but this article struck a chord. “The Innovator’s DNA” discusses what sets apart innovative companies like eBay and Amazon. They may be big corporations now, but they all started with an idea, no matter how small. eBay started because its founder wanted to help his fiancee find rare Pez dispensers, you know, the plastic toy that releases candy from its head. Google, known for its innovative products, completely changed the way we search for information. Their work ethic, offices, algorithms, advertising, products etc. etc. continue to influence and dominate the search landscape. (Admittedly, Google makes my nerdy heart flutter, so I may be a bit biased).
The review studied the habits of 25 innovative entrepreneurs, as well as thousands of other executives and individuals involved in such companies. As it turns out, there are certain “discovery skills” that innovators use to get ahead. The good news is that these skills are most often learned. In other words, you aren’t born with the gene to create an empire. It’s also fascinating because they aren’t limited to entrepreneurs. Anyone interested in living outside of the box can use them to get ahead.
Associating
Innovators are open minded and can relate various ideas from various fields in order to be successful. A rather famous example is Steve Jobs, who dropped out of college and took a course in calligraphy. A career in calligraphy is not a traditional career choice, however years later while designing the first Macintosh computer, Steve Jobs was able to use his calligraphy skills. He introduced various typefaces and fonts that were later copied by Microsoft and used today on all computers.
Questioning
Innovators ask questions, simple as that. They ask the easy questions and the hard ones. They challenge assumptions and don’t believe that things need to be done a certain way. Maybe that’s why Sergey Brin enters business meetings on rollerblades. Why not? By asking lots of questions you get down to what people want and the ways to make your products and information better and more useful.
Observing
Innovators learn from what is around them. Even Shakespeare borrowed themes and storylines from the great writers before him. New technology builds upon the technology before it and the media is constantly changing. By studying those around you, the successes as well as the mistakes, you gain insight for your future endeavors.
Experimenting
Innovators aren’t afraid to experiment. With experimentation you risk failure, but they are willing to risk some failure to attain their goal. As an innovator, you need to learn from your mistakes and go forward with your successes. After being fired from Apple, Steve Jobs started Pixar, and as luck would have it, he returned to Apple when they bought his other company NeXT.
Networking
Innovators network because they can learn from others. Not only do they need to test out their ideas, but they also gain a greater perspective from others, inside and outside their field.
Image via: Yodel Anecdotal
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The Strange and Creepy World of Social Media
by Elena on February 19, 2010
These sites have changed the way we market products and ideas, as well as the social interaction of our society, but let’s leave that for the psychologists and sociologists to tackle. What I’m interested in exploring is what happens when you give free reign to millions of tech savvy users with varying interests and different definitions of what they consider fun?
What about the juicy stuff, you know, the creepy, stalker, addictive part of knowing every details about the people you follow? Not everyone is poking friendly pokes and tweeting informative tweets. Don’t get me wrong. I obviously love social media, what with this blog and all, but I still find it utterly fascinating, and a little frightening, the level it can be taken to.
Chat Roulette
Let’s take a look at the social network phenomenon of the week, Chat Roulette. For those unfamiliar, with the program, it is a one-on-one text, webcam, microphone-based, chat service where you can talk to people all over the world. There is a catch of course, or maybe it’s the hook. The site is literally a social game of roulette because you never know who you are going to get. By participating you open yourself to brutal honesty from complete strangers who have the option of pressing the next button when they are tired of looking at you. After you hit that button, you can be talking to a person dressed up as a ninja one minute or someone looking to practice their English the next. Most of the time however you will probably be nexted quickly, or disturbed enough to push the next button yourself. Sam Anderson’s article, The Human Shuffle written for New York Magazine, provides an entertaining look into his experience with Chat Roulette. If you want to get a better idea about this site, this is the article to read. He describes his first experience with Chat Roulette as taking him back to grade-school filled with feelings of social inadequacy (with all that nexting). Anderson also goes into detail about some of the conversations he had, as well as the odd magnetic feeling you get driving you back to the site.
Imagine you sign on only to find this guy…
Despite the site’s terms of service (Chatroulette does not tolerate broadcasting obscene, offending, pornographic material and we will have to block users who violate these rules from using our service) ask anyone who has tried Chat Roulette and they will tell you otherwise. Lots of creepers are on it with the sole intention of getting people to expose themselves or frankly just exposing themselves to you. This brings up worries about child pornography and many other issues that get exacerbated once they enter such social network spaces. This is one more site parents have to be worried about their kids stumbling upon.
Google Latitude
Google Latitude is a feature on Google Maps that allows you find the approximate location of your Gmail friends. When you look at the map you can see your friend’s avatar hovering around their location. It seems friendly enough, allowing your friends to see your whereabouts with the Google Latitude software. It is brilliant really, Google really thinks of everything. The question is, do we really need to pinpoint the locations of our friends and family?
Google is aware of the dangers of location data, which is why they enacted privacy settings into their program. First and foremost you are in charge of who you accept as a friend and you chose the people who can see your whereabouts. You can also hide your location. For many this provides a sense of security. As internet users we have become less anxious about sharing private information about ourselves, but the rule of thumb is that we need to have control about what we share. As for Google Latitude, it’s not like your friends are going to track you down. Plus, there is nothing creepy about knowing who is ‘in the area’ and ‘dropping by’ because you saw their little avatar floating around nearby. Hmm. This brings me to…
Foursquare
I first found out about Foursquare from the Frugal Traveler at the New York Times. The reason Foursquare is relevant to a frugal travel post, is that the site encourages people to explore a neighborhood and “check in” to local restaurants, cafes, museums, etc. The more you frequent a location, the more chances you get to receive prizes and discounts, depending on the location. You even get badges if you unlock new places and the more badges you get, the closer you are to becoming mayor or an explorer. Users can make recommendations and keep others updated on what is hot in their area. Overall the site seems like a great idea for those looking to explore their city, but there is a really big BUT here. Sure it seems harmless BUT what is the consequence of people knowing your every move on such sites like Foursquare and Twitter? Glad you asked…
Please Rob Me
The guys on Please Rob Me sure have a sense of humor. What with listing all those empty homes out there haha. Making us all aware that if we tell everyone where we are at all times, we inadvertently alert them when we aren’t home haha. It’s just too funny… isn’t it? haha… As it turns out, letting everyone know our every move through various social networks, is not only annoying, but also brings up security issues, stalking, theft, etc. Some people full of hubris and irrational fear believe that “it will happen to me,” while others brush it off thinking “that would never happen to me?” Most people fall humbly in between, aware of the risks but not willing to let it rule them. Of course the guys at Please Rob Me didn’t create their site to facilitate burglary, but rather to raise awareness, ever so bluntly, about these privacy issues. They certainly got their point across. So don’t go putting your friend’s personal address on Foursquare in order to get extra points or an online badge.
This last site isn’t creepy or scary in any way. Disappointed? Don’t worry, it’s still peculiar. If you ever wanted to know what people really think about you, brutal honesty, without knowing who or where the opinion comes from, sign up for failin.gs! Why anyone would open themselves up to such candid remarks is beyond me, but some people just want honesty, or the taste of suffering. Failin.gs’ users ask, “What’s wrong with me?” and people can leave anonymous tips answering that very question. Since it is anonymous, it allows for brutal honesty without consequence. If you find any of your friends on failin.gs asking:
“What’s wrong with me?”
You can always anonymously tip them.
“You’re on this site.”
[Disclaimer - Social media networks are not inherently creepy or strange, however the debate of the new ways we interact with people have raised many questions about privacy. It is a choice to participate in such programs and post as much information as we want about ourselves, and there is nothing inherently wrong in doing so. But to everything there is a balance and examining the creepy side is just a bit more interesting.]
Image via: Balakov
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