Here we highlight selected innovation related articles from around the world on a daily basis. These articles related to innovation and funding for innovative companies, and best practices for innovation based economic development.
Tristan Walker, founder and CEO of Walker and Company Brands, recalls advice that filmmaker Tyler Perry once shared: that the challenges people encounter are actually “blessings.” Walker said realizing that lesson can be liberating for entrepreneurs and calming in the face of adversity.
Marc Andreessen Cofounder, Andreessen Horowitz; inventor of Mosaic, the first popular web browser
FAST COMPANY: HOW LONG DO YOU THINK IT TAKES FOR A TRULY SIGNIFICANT TECHNOLOGY TO TAKE HOLD?
Andreessen: The really big ones are generational. People are strange. On a micro level, everybody likes a new product, a new TV show, new software, a new smartphone. At that micro level, people love change. At the macro level, we hate change. Big, new ideas that challenge preconceptions make people really angry. So it's young people growing up in the developing world who are going to be the vanguard of something like bitcoin (Andreessen Horowitz has invested some $50 million in bitcoin-related startups). A young person who's 16 in a country like Argentina or Mexico, with a shambles of a government and a shambles of a financial system and a terrible currency, who finds out on their smartphone that they can have a currency like bitcoin that lets them transfer money freely and not have it be stolen or inflated away? They're going to love it, adopt it, and use it. There's an inevitability to these changes, a generational shift
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In July 1776, our founding fathers joined together and signed this country’s Declaration of Independence, declaring every American citizen’s access to certain inalienable rights. The document was adopted by the Continental Congress on the fourth.
The spirit of that message and the rights to which we’re all entitled seem particularly embodied by entrepreneurship. While the landscape of America has changed in ways those men could never have imagined, they still had at their core the same principles that mark the entrepreneur of today.
If you think about it, America’s first startup was, well, the United States of America. So it’s not surprising that the country’s first President, George Washington, knew a thing or two about how to make outlandish visions a reality — seeing as he was the founder of perhaps the most impressive “startup” in modern history. What could be more daunting than turning the then-conventional idea of top-down government on its head and suggesting that it be run bottom-up, for and by the people?
No pockets? No problem.
As we break out the bathing suits and outdoor wear this summer, you may find yourself wondering where to put your smartphone. Thanks to creative tech accessories, your mobile device can safely (and stylishly) tag along with you during your summer adventures.
Image: http://mashable.com/
Crowdfunding campaigns can be a great tool to gauge the actual demand for your product. This tool is especially helpful for startups with cool, innovative products, as it sidesteps many of the challenges of determining whether a product will succeed in the market place. If your campaign is successful and people buy your product in advance, you can be reasonably certain that your product has a chance in the marketplace.
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Time is too precious to waste trying to close a deal with the wrong investors at the wrong time. Luckily, not all investors are looking for the same thing, so it pays to know what type of investors are most interested in what your startup brings to the table.
The key is understanding how potential investors see you, and especially how they view the maturity stage of your startup. For example, if you have a proven product, real revenue, a big potential market, and are ready to scale up the business, every investor will be interested. On the other hand, if you are a new entrepreneur, still in the idea stage, professional investors will only tell you to come back later when you have traction (customers and revenue).
When you picture a successful tech CEO, what comes to mind? Probably a white man, maybe one wearing a hoodie.
Technology is a caucasian male-dominated industry, that's why getting more diversity in tech has never been more of a priority. In fact, in the last month, a handful of the most well-known tech companies have released data that illustrates this trend, with male employees far outnumbering females, and in the U.S., a white majority rules.
When John Hancock signed the Declaration of Independence back in 1776, the term “technology” probably encompassed what was then bourgeoning stream engine technology and the quill used to sign the parchment. Nearly 350 years later though, as Americans gear up for the celebration of this day, technology is an integral part of their and the world society in general. As the homes and streets from New York to Los Angeles are painted red, white and blue, why should techology not follow suit and take part in the celebrations?
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By far one of the most interesting books on innovation of the last few years is “Ten Types of Innovation: the discipline of building breakthroughs” by Keeley. At the time of publishing he was director of the firm Doblin, however the firm has recently been acquired by Deloite. The Ten Types of Innovation explain different forms of innovation, bundles in three categories. Because we believe this book should be present on everyone’s desk, we have created an overview of the essence of the book in an infographic.
Image: http://www.openinnovation.eu/
New research reports that more than one third of total knee replacements in the U.S. were classified as “inappropriate” using a patient classification system developed and validated in Spain. The study, published in Arthritis & Rheumatology, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), highlights the need for consensus on patient selection criteria among U.S. medical professionals treating those with the potential need of knee replacement surgery.
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Eight states are tackling a growing disconnect between the nation’s education system and its economy by exposing more middle-school and high-school students to jobs, making education relevant to careers, and beefing up alternatives to the four-year college degree, according to a new report from the Pathways to Prosperity Network.
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Good bosses have strong organizational skills. Good bosses have solid decision-making skills. Good bosses get important things done.
Exceptional bosses do all of the above -- and more. (And we remember them forever.) Sure, they care about their company and customers, their vendors and suppliers. But most importantly, they care to an exceptional degree about the people who work for them.
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When interviewing for a new position, we want to do everything possible to ensure it goes well. Breath mints? Check. Resumes? Check. Firm handshake? Check.
But a great job interview starts days before you ever arrive at the office. Follow these simple steps to prepare yourself to have your best job interview ever:
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Innovation is about more than groundbreaking technology. Rigorous, systematic questioning of risks in your business model can unleash opportunities for game changing performance improvements.
For a decade or more, listings website Craigslist seemed a rare exception to the Internet’s innovate-or-die rule. Very early in the new millennium, the San Francisco-based site nestled comfortably into the space once solely occupied by local newspapers’ classified sections, thanks to a singular, free-ad-based business model predicated on low operating costs. It has since expanded into more than 70 countries without making any major changes to either how it does business or its infamously drab design.
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Most entrepreneurs assume that success is dependent on their product expertise, coupled with some knowledge of how to run a business. In fact, I have found from personal experience and mentoring that both of these are necessary, but not sufficient, for building a business. Successful entrepreneurs today must practice human-centered leadership to compete and win.
“Consider the subtleness of the sea; how its most dreaded creatures glide under water, unapparent for the most part,” wrote Herman Melville in Moby Dick. Today, we no longer dread whales, but their subtlety remains. “For a long time, whales have been considered too rare to make much of a difference in the oceans,” notes University of Vermont conservation biologist Joe Roman. That was a mistake.
Angel investing is the quintessential definition of risk versus reward. The reward is you might own part of the next Google; the risk is you have a statistical probability of losing every cent you put into the deal. So why do it? Economic stimulation aside, the answer is diversification.
It’s not for everyone, but if you’re considering angel investing, you can reduce your risk to some degree by watching out for some common problems. Here’s a checklist of prerequisites you’ll want to make sure an entrepreneurial team hits before you make a deal.
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Talk about “The Big One” in Silicon Valley and you need to specify: Earthquake or tech bubble bursting?
At the moment, such confusion is all the more understandable. In the same way that a swarm of small quakes can either be an early warning of coming disaster or needed releases of tension on a faultline, investors are watching tremors run through Silicon Valley’s tech economy even as startup CEOs and investors tout their companies as the next big thing.
Image: http://upstart.bizjournals.com/ - Morh Davidow VC Josh Green, the outgoing chairman of the National Venture Capital Association, believes the recent dip in IPO activity and returns is good for the long-term health of tech investing.
Recently I’ve seen a ton of people sharing a provocative Forbes article whose title just about sums it up: “Employees Who Stay In Companies Longer Than Two Years Get Paid 50% Less.” The reasoning? The recession has hit routine pay raises for legacy employees across the board, whereas there are still major incentives to get hired elsewhere. Plenty of people I know have been posting this link across Twitter and Facebook and wondering whether there’s credence to it, and if so, what it means for themselves and the people they hire.
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