The Foundation » Interesting articles

Watch, learn – then act

rballett — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:00:51 +0000

There was a very interesting piece on the importance of timing in business in the FT this week. It reminded us that the best entrepreneurs and innovators in business do not control what happens around them – they just observe their surroundings and then react swiftly to things they judge to be opportunities.

Man vs. Machine

rballett — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 10:43:46 +0000

An interesting article on the BBC Business site this morning on the chicken and egg relationship between technology and ideas in innovation and entrepreneurship. Does technological innovation drive ideas or vice versa?

It reminded me of a second interesting piece on the merits of human versus machine driven solutions, a Rory Sutherland column in Campaign magazine from a few months ago, viewable here (but sadly subscription only). It argues that for all the benefits of rational data driven solutions, humans often respond best to a slightly more vague, heuristic approach.

Management Today Book review: The Wide Lens, by Ron Adner

rballett — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 13:57:11 +0000

One of our Partners, Charlie, has reviewed a new book, The Wide Lens, by Ron Adner, for Management Today. You can read his thoughts on the book and the subject of innovation ecosystems here.

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Invest in your ecosystem

rballett — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 09:47:29 +0000

As Apple’s success continues in the post-Jobs era (to the extent that they now have so much money they’re giving it away to shareholders), an interesting comparison is made in this article between Amazon and Apple in terms of the relationships they are cultivating with their customers.

The message is that focusing solely on product quality is no longer the way to compete. Instead it is the ways which consumers interact with a product (or range of products) over time within the ecosystem which a business creates, and the overall experience they enjoy within it, which will ultimately drive that business’s success and growth.

Steal (or borrow) to make things better

rballett — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:25:17 +0000

A couple of things have caught our eye over the last week which both remind us of the importance of taking ideas from outside influences in order to make what you’re doing better.

Firstly, 10 tips (above) taken from Austin Kleon’s book about creativity, Steal Like An Artist. His philosophy is based on T.S. Elliot’s remix culture, namely getting inspiration from a variety of sources, which we believe is a fundamental step to doing things better in any context.

The same principles are echoed in this article which asserts the importance of ‘borrowing, heavily and without shame’ from what’s working well in the outside world and applying it to your own product or service to improve customer satisfaction.

Food for thought!

Jonathan Ive on innovation: “You know exactly when you’re there”

rballett — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 09:31:54 +0000

An interesting interview from last night’s Evening Standard with Jonathan Ive, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Industrial Design.

He shares some refreshingly straightforward thoughts about innovation and problem solving, which seem just as applicable to business growth challenges as they are to product design.

Well worth a read.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/sir-jonathan-ive-the-iman-cometh-7562170.html

The International Year of Sustainable Energy for All

cmotran — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 09:59:07 +0000

Yesterday marked the launch of The International Year of Sustainable Energy for All by the United Nations’ Secretary-General, HE Ban Ki-moon, at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi. The Secretary-General’s objectives, to be achieved by 2030, are:

1. To ensure universal access to modern energy services

2. To double the rate of improvement of energy efficiency

3. To double the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix

Globally, one person in five lacks access to modern electricity and twice that number, three billion people, rely on wood, coal, charcoal or animal waste for cooking and heating. In developed countries the problem is a substantial waste of energy.

What can business do about this? Well, read here for more:

http://www.businessfightspoverty.org/profiles/blogs/new-wbcsd-publication-business-solutions-to-enable-energy-access

The Guardian’s Green Travel List 2011

cmotran — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 10:40:54 +0000

Going green needn’t restrict your holiday choices. The Guardian presents this year’s 20 most innovative eco-tourism projects, trips and places to stay, selected by an expert panel as well as Guardian readers themselves.

This list is quite UK-centric with only 10 entries outside the UK, however it still provides a nice starting checklist of places to go and things to do that will not only provide for a fun experience but also will be good for the planet and communities directly affected by tourism.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2011/nov/04/green-travel-list-2011

Social innovation in action

cmotran — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:33:29 +0000

I recently came across this interesting example of social innovation in action. Sometimes the simplest ideas for the lowest cost investment have the biggest impact.

http://wimp.com/innovationfinest/…

Is your marketing resonating with customers?

Lisa — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 11:38:50 +0000

While Coca Cola is usually at the top of most brand studies, it comes way down the list when asking people whether brands contribute to their “quality of life”. Those at the top of the recently released ‘Meaningful Brand Index’ are Ikea, Nestle, Danone and Google.

On the other end of the spectrum, most people wouldn’t care if 70% of the brands they interact with ceased to exist. So in our current time of low consumer confidence and cost-cutting, whether your brand is in the top 30%, is yet another thing for marketeers to worry about.

Have a look at the story in FT here.