Clik here to view.
Everything is ripe for innovation
The titles of this post might seem a little simplistic, and to a certain degree it is because it isn’t that easy. But, let’s consider the following story: Ten years ago, Diane Brown found herself in a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ed Catmull on how Pixar’s continued success is enabled by it’s culture of candor
A key for unleashing innovation in any type of organization is the willingness to let employees try stuff without feeling that they will be punished if they fail. Creativity is only unleashed when...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The first draft of anything is shit
In Mexico we say “Es otro pedo!” to express when something is awesome or so challenging that it blows your mind. So when I’m talking to other entrepreneurs or simply brainstorming through ideas, an...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How do you teach an old industry new tricks?
A good mantra for teaching an old industry new tricks is: make the common uncommon. Basically, redefine the industry. Make it more cool, more interesting, more fun to delight customers who’ve grown...
View ArticleClik here to view.
As our decision making skills decline with age, how does it affect our...
Much like corporations become slow and stagnant, our own skills decline as we age; unless we do something about it. Nowhere is this more apparent than in decision making… Our ability to make good...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Interactions, not individuals, drive breakthroughs
A key skill all innovators have is the ability to network with the objective of developing ideas, finding collaborators, bouncing ideas off others and overall just building their ideas. Rather than...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Structured serendipity: How Great Ideas Emerge
Almost always great new ideas don’t emerge from within a single person or function, but at the intersection of functions or people that have never met before. As a business leader, you can engineer...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How to cultivate the Generalist within
As a rule of thumb, your business needs more generalists than specialists if it wants to innovate. Don’t get me wrong, specialists are valuable. But Generalists are the innovators, the ones who are...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How do you know which rules are worth breaking?
Want to spark innovation? Kill some stupid rules. That was one the messages I communicated to a worldwide audience last week while doing a webinar about why it’s ok to break rules if it makes things...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How to think
We’re one week away from 2015, people will make their resolutions and try to keep them for a whole year; which usually doesn’t work out as planned. One resolution, an ongoing effort actually, that we...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Two reasons why you should let people steal your ideas
Yes, let them steal them. Crazy? Not so. I’ve written before about how I freely give up ideas with complete disregard for what other people or businesses will do with them. Why? Two reasons: I come up...
View ArticleClik here to view.
True innovators create and set new standards
Happy New Year! Last week I vacationed in Mexico City, where I ringed in the new year. It’s the first time I’ve spent considerable time there, it’s a huge city and covering it in a week is impossible....
View ArticleHow do you generate your best ideas?
We all want to have that crazy idea that changes everything for the better. Though ideas are a dime a dozen, in the big scheme of things ideas aren’t that important; there is no innovation without...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Time Management: The Unsung Hero Behind Innovative Ideas
Our businesses are the products of the choices we make every day. Whether we choose to spend an hour with a client, an hour on paperwork or an hour cleaning up the office, each option has an impact....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Your ability to recover from failure fast is just a important as your ability...
What do all creative cultures have in common? The common answer is that in order to figure out which ideas will work, people move fast to implement those ideas. I’d argue that more important than that...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Live life at the intersection of interesting if you want to push...
There a many traits that separate innovators from non-innovators, one of them is the ability to perceive differently. Put simply, perception separates the innovator from the imitator. Thus, innovations...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Does the Internet Inspire Or Stifle Creativity?
Here’s an interesting question, does the internet threaten creativity or nurture it?, It depends on how you look at it. When we think about the internet, we think of many things: websites, blogs,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What’s the difference between crap and good enough?
What’s good and what’s crap? Why do celebrate crap? This is the topic of this week’s podcast, and a discussion on our journey through embracing crap making and coming out better for it. I saying I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Think your business has what it takes to innovate? Ask yourself this question
You have an idea, potentially a great one, you tell your boss and colleagues about it and they all think it’s crazy. So, no go. Not even a chance to explore the subtleties; just no. Sound familiar?...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Every assumption is an innovation opportunity
We all make assumptions, we go along without thinking about what we do and much less why we do it; this is an opportunity for innovators. Here’s an example of how you can begin identifying assumptions...
View Article