How To
Are inventions at risk to cyber attacks?
New inventions are the source of the exciting changes we see in technology, media, transportation, and pretty much every aspect of our lives. Could the process of turning an idea into a real life-changing invention be at risk to cyber attacks? According to Mark Anderson, the publisher of Strategic
Just imagine what you can do
Do you take the time to just imagine. Yes, John Lennon had it right about imagination, and you can too. Imagination It is the first step in any creative process. Without imagination, it would be sad to think where our world would be. Just consider the man who imagined bending a piece of metal in a f
How cutting edge technology makes the familiar better
I’m amused by the different answers I get when I ask people what certain terms mean to them. One example is “cutting edge” technology which is a term often used interchangeably with “state of the art” technology. So what does it mean to me? Let me take an extreme position (which I’m sure will elici
Does Brainstorming Deserve its Bad Rap?
In the last few years, brainstorming has been shot down, put down, and dismissed. Why? Has the brainstorming process lived past its usefulness? Since 1941, when Alex Osborn changed the culture of advertising with innovative, nonjudgmental thought-generating, brainstorming has been a major part of th
Are customers a source of ideas for innovation?
Of course, innovation should be customer focused. At a minimum, most companies will conduct a focus group, survey, or other market research periodically to gauge customers needs and wants. This data is provided to innovation teams, as one of many inputs, to help them frame the ideas that will lead t
Small Business Ideas That Went Big
Everyone has to start somewhere and this is often true with a small business. Starting off with small business ideas doesn’t have to stay small, however. There are many that can grow into giants. In today’s world of small business, we can take inspiration from those who took a little idea and turned
Rogue Rage: Four Questions to Transform Anger into Innovation Opportunity
Every person and organization says they want to change, to innovate, to grow. In a fast-paced business environment, standing still might as well be moving backward. But what happens when every idea, every innovation, is met with apathy, defensiveness, or outright hostility from the corporate antibod
A Moment of Inspiration
A wonderful piece on Inc.com highlights how a moment of inspiration — extracting a cork from a wine bottle — resulted in The Innovation Story of the Year — a new way to safely extract babies stuck in the birth canal. Also reported in the New York Times last month, the story of Argentine car mechanic