NYT: Protecting the Patent System for Entrepreneurs

Recently, a number of companies from the information technology and financial services sectors have been pushing Congress to change the patent system.

The companies have been seeking passage of the Patent Reform Act of 2009 (H.R. 1260 and S. 515). So far, the legislation has been introduced in both the House and the Senate, and the Senate Judiciary Committee has reported out the bill.

Becoming an Innovative Leader

When we take innovation away from the technologists and start to look at innovation as a set of behaviours that can drive change and culture, we start to look at innovation as a leadership model.

Using the Creatrix from the Richard Byrd Co in MN USA, we can identify the eight faces of innovation. All have there place and strength in today’s organisation, however the balance and focus will need to adapt for each need the organisation faces.

Breaking down barriers to innovation. Destroy the Hierarchical Organizational Structure.

Some companies have taken the idea of breaking down barriers to innovation one step further. They tear up the hierarchical organization and start with something very different.

The traditional top-down structure in organizations can be a powerful inhibitor to innovation. It is a reflection of a style of leadership based on command and control where orders are issued at the top and followed by the ranks. People lower down the organization who have great ideas can feel inhibited about promoting them. They feel it is disrespectful to challenge the command chain. Most modern businesses try to overcome this with open communication and employee empowerment. But there is a more radical alternative – destroy the hierarchy altogether.

Youth entrepreneur challenge unveiled Tuesday

The details of a national contest to inspire young entrepreneurs will be unveiled next Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Moncton's Capitol Theatre.

Officials from the Canadian Youth Business Foundation and locally-founded PropertyGuys.com will be joined by Premier Shawn Graham, several provincial cabinet ministers, Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc and many other special guests and dignitaries for the unveiling. The youth entrepreneurship challenge is a contest aimed at peole aged 18-34 who have always dreamed of starting their own business

Two articles on Innovation from McKinsey

Excellent articles worth reading. The first talks about how we measure innovation. Always a difficult topic. Can innovation be measured? “Yes, yes and Yes” sites the author. McKinsey argues that innovation impact can be measured, and even provides some metrics.

Ars TechnicaTech transfers to developing world needed for sustainability

On Tuesday, the group within the United Nations that focuses on economic development (the Development Policy and Analysis Division) released its annual World Economic and Social Survey. The 2009 version of this report is entitled "Promoting Development, Saving the Planet," and focuses on how climate change issues will impact the developing world. It's a sprawling document, but the basic thesis is simple, and one that's widely recognized: we cannot afford to have the developing world follow an unsustainable path to modernization.

YouTube rental challenge: getting off the desk, onto the couch ...

The site known for its “check out this clip” ubiquity could soon become the scene of another kind of check-out.

As the Wall Street Journal first reported, YouTube is in talks with major movie studios to introduce a rental scheme that would stream movies to users from the first day they’re available on DVD. The cost? $4 a flick.

NYT: Should Entrepreneurs Minimize Credit Card Debt?

A recent study by Robert Scott of Monmouth University found that “every $1,000 increase in credit card debt increases the probability a firm will close by 2.2 percent.” It also explained that “reliance on this type of financing may lead many businesses into a long-term liquidity drain that affects their financial stability — and thus survival.”

NSF Announces 2010 SBIR Solicitation

The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced the release of its 2010 SBIR Phase I solicitation. $45,000,000 will be available for 200-300 awards. These competitive research awards will be capped at $150,000 per award. Companies must outline how they will utilize these funds to conduct a 6-month feasibility study. Companies must prepare proposals that will address subtopics found under each of these main Topics...

Reflections on the Birth of the SBIR Program

SBIR lost perhaps its greatest champion on August 25th with the passing of Senator Ted Kennedy. Relatively few know how much he did to ensure the SBIR Program became reality.

There were many back in the late 1970s and early 80s who worked tirelessly to get the legislation crafted and passed. Among them was my friend Ann Eskesen. Ann recently shared an email letter she had received that shed much light on that early process, including Ted Kennedy's behind-the-scenes role, and I'd like to give it wider exposure here.

Innovation in Maryland -- through the eyes of Johns Hopkins business dean

If you haven't read it yet, then run -- don't walk -- to Jay Hancock's latest, most excellent column where he talks with Yash Gupta, dean of the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. In it, Gupta (left) talks about the difference in the innovation economies and cultures of Baltimore and Southern California's Silicon Valley.

Ask the readers: What makes a great entrepreneur?

When you think of some of the most successful entrepreneurs on the web (Evan Williams, Jason Fried, Marc Andreessen, Caterina Fake, Elon Musk, Niklas Zennstrom and Arianna Huffington) what similarities come to your mind?

Yes, they all have built successful companies, but other than that what commonalities do you see?

The Friday Five: Great Books on Business and Innovation

Every Friday, I serve up a list of five things worth knowing about -- and invite you to add more in the comments.

This week, as we all take off to enjoy the last long weekend of summer, the topic is great books about business and innovation, with strong Boston connections.

What’s the Difference Between Private Equity, Angel Investing, and Venture Capital?

I know I know. I’m beating this stuff to death. But I felt it necessary to wrap up Weakon 313 and 314 with a summary post. Most of my ideas for posts like this come from my everyday encounters with people and learning what’s been pickling their brains lately. This can be basic stuff like the difference between a stock and a mutual fund, which I’ll never cover, or something more complicated like the difference between GAAP accounting and IFRS accounting, which I will also never cover. But many questions are worth covering, which is why I’m here.

PBN announces 2009 Innovation Awards

PROVIDENCE – Providence Business News today announced the winners of the fourth annual Innovation Awards competition, sponsored by PBN in partnership with the R.I. Economic Development Corporation.

In a change to its format this year, PBN has named winners and finalists in six industry categories for products or services that were judged to represent game-changing innovation for either the company or the markets that it operates in. In addition, there are winners in three categories that celebrate individual innovators, as well as one that honors champions of innovation, either individuals or institutions.

Roundtables will help TechAmerica develop policy agenda

ATLANTA - TechAmerica is concerned about venture, angel and seed capital drying up, especially in the Southeast. So says Maryann Fiala, the association's regional director for Mid-America and the Southeast. "You can't grow a company without capital, so the association is looking at ways states can encourage seed capital for startups."

Moncton to host smart cities summit

The first Intelligent Communities Summit will be hosted in Moncton from Oct. 5 to 7, the city and Atlantic Lottery Corp., the event's lead sponsor, announced Wednesday. The summit will bring together academics and private sector leaders to share best practices and brainstorm about the event's theme: leveraging technology for community development. The guest speakers for the event will include: Robert Bell from the Intelligent Community Forum, Innovation America chief executive Richard Bendis, Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association chief executive Bernard Lord and New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham.

Better Practices Often the Best Results of Innovation

An interesting discussion over at Harvard Business Review has consultant Susan Cramm asking readers why so many tech executives tend to discard "best practices" and set themselves up for seemingly unavoidable failure in the process.

Of course, readers (all of whom are quite eloquent in their responses) come down on the two divergent sides of the issue: Tech leaders suffer from hubris that makes them believe the mistakes of others can't happen to them, or just laying up to best practices is a sure way to suppress innovation and commoditize your brand into ho-humness.

Moncton hosts Intelligent Communities Summit

Moncton's IQ may go up this fall, with representatives of some of the world's smartest cities converging here to learn, teach and share some of their tricks of the trade.

The first ever Intelligent Communities Summit will be held in Moncton October 5 to 7, bringing hundreds of government officials, and corporate and world leaders to our city.

Meet professional tweeters, the latest innovation from many businesses

CHICAGO — People around the world interact with Alecia Dantico all day. Usually, though, they don’t know whether she’s young or old, male or female.

What her followers on Facebook and Twitter know is that’s she’s a friendly, sometimes sassy, blue and gold tin of Garrett Popcorn. That’s the icon of the popular Chicago-based snack food that has tourists and locals lining up around the block at locations here and in New York City.