Cult of Innovation

No matter how you feel about Google’s Wave, their use of others’ intellectual property, possible compromisation of data privacy, or censorship of search results, the search giant’s contributions to advanced technologies cannot be denied. But did you know that many of their former employees are shaping their own wave of innovation in Silicon Valley and the technology industry?

Over forty Google alums, made wealthy, connected, and less risk averse by the company’s public offering in 2004, have acted as “angel investors” to about 200 startups since 2005. Some of those companies include Twitter, electronic car company Tesla Motors, Foursquare, Facebook, iPhone app maker Tapulous, and one of my personal favorites, the online personal finance service Mint.com.

To read more about the networks created, ideas shared, and ventures partaken in by the former Googlers, check out the BusinessWeek article “And Google Begat…”

A recent article from the Harvard Business Review Magazine urges companies to venture beyond their organizations to facilitate change, especially during times of major systemic challenges (like financial crisis, health care reform, climate change, etc.).

According to Harvard professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter, who specializes in strategy, innovation, and leadership studies:

“Inside-the-building thinking is the hallmark of establishments, whose structures inhibit innovation.”

Kanter suggests that in order to grow, rather than paying the most attention to similar-looking competitors or focusing on enhancing current capabilities, companies and organizations should look to foster relationships and explore solutions that lie beyond the confines of both their actual brick and mortar establishments, and the insular nature of organizational frameworks as well.

Read the aptly titled Think Outside the Building for more on the idea, including how the same principles might also be used to address critical societal problems.

Hey fellow innovation junkies, sorry about that unannounced absence and slightly random Kindling post — had a family emergency but am back now.  I hope you didn’t miss the Cult too much.  On second thought, I kind of hope you did…

While I was gone, I had the opportunity to visit Zingerman’s, an inspiring gourmet food retailer headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Started as a deli in 1982, the company has since expanded from one tiny location to a regional empire that includes two restaurants, a bakery, creamery, coffee company, ever-expanding web and mail-order business, and several popular books and seminars about running small companies and providing exceptional customer service which have attracted international acclaim.

Interestingly, none of this would ever have happened without a brainstorming session.  About 17 years ago, Paul Saginaw dragged his business partner, Ari Weinzweig, to a bench in front of their original Detroit Street location to discuss the direction they wanted the business to move in. Mr. Weinzweig was reluctant to break away from running the deli, which was already successful, generating about $6 million a year in sales at the time, to have the discussion. But Mr. Saginaw insisted.

While brainstorming, they discovered that they each felt Zingerman’s could be more than just a corner store, and arrived at the idea that they could handle more businesses, with the original deli at the heart of the enterprise. As a result, Zingerman’s now runs the multiple aforementioned businesses, has plans to continue to expand (yet remains committed to the greater Ann Arbor area), employees over 450 people, and has revenue of over $30 million dollars.

Despite their hectic management schedules, Mr. Weinzweig and Mr. Saginaw can both be found among staff at any of the retail locations, and participate at company meetings regularly. They continue to use brainstorming as a means of information gathering and promote an open environment that encourages employee participation and financial transparency at all levels.

While visiting the Roadhouse I picked up a brochure for ZingTrain, which offers training for both Zingerman’s employees and outside, non-food related firms that want to reach the high levels of quality for which the company has received acclaim.  I highly recommend you go, not just because the seminars sound totally interesting and relevant, but more importantly — because the sessions are catered with Zingerman’s food!

To learn more about the culture and business practices of what was once described as “the coolest small company in America,” check out this article from Inc. Magazine.

Kindling has released the newest version of their idea management software. Kindling is an internet based application created by Arc90, curator of the Cult of Innovation blog. Kindling shows immense improvement with this release which includes new features such as Reputation, a private conversation/comment thread for decision makers with ROI, and an overall cleaner and easy-to-use UI. Significant additions also include new Room and Campaign detail pages giving a more in depth and specific view of activity within them, and user profile pages.

“We’re excited to see how reputation within Kindling will motivate members of our client’s organizations to increase their participation in their innovation program.”

-Timothy Meaney
Partner at Arc90

The people at Arc90, particularly the team working on Kindling, have listened to the feedback of their clients and have made updates to the application accordingly. Read more about this release of Kindling at the Arc90 Blog.

According to Brendan Koerner in this month’s Wired Magazine (link not yet available), despite last year’s concerns that Twitter and Facebook are knocking 1.5 percent off our office productivity, it turns out that knowledge workers like us may actually benefit from stepping back from our current projects for a few moments and reading something else.

The article backs up its assertions with research about incubation, done by the authors of Creativity and the Mind, who found that “people are more successful if we force them to move away from a problem or distract them temporarily.” Further research on incubation, by Rider University professor Don Ambrose, found that it is most effective when it involves exposing the mind to entirely novel information rather than just relieving mental pressure.  The idea, then, is that short exposures to stimulating yet unrelated information are the ideal forms of “distraction” because they can result in more creative thoughts.

Oh, and speaking of deep thoughts while distracted, the writer also mentions that a major idea in modern glass construction was conceived while washing dishes! (Did I not just mention this??)

Anyway, go ahead and read those (PATENTED) Facebook News Feeds, Twitter updates, and blog entries (like this one, please) without feeling quite so guilty.  If anyone complains, tell them you’re doing it for the good of the company.

A huge fan of speculative fiction author William Gibson, I especially enjoyed his books Pattern Recognition and Spook Country because I’ve always been intrigued by “coolhunting” and other types of trend forecasting. Pattern Recognition follows the adventures of protagonist Cayce Pollard, a freelance marketing consultant who works for viral advertising/coolhunting agency Blue Ant, a company that appears in both books. Early in the novel, we learn that Pollard is particularly suited to her job because she has an unusually intuitive sensitivity for branding, manifested primarily in a physical aversion to bad logos and corporate mascots.

While Pollard’s physiological reactions to poor design and ill-conceived marketing are far-fetched and rather comical, I recently discovered this Wall Street Journal article featuring Li Edelkoort, a real life forecaster of future trends, who makes a living using some similar skills. A former art student, Edelkoort, describes her talent as an ability “to spot subtle signs of change.” Edelkoort observes people everywhere she goes and devours newspapers, magazines, and other media.  She then puts together presentations that dissect shifts in zeitgeist — explaining where they originated and how they can be translated into goods and services.

While future-forecasting has its share of naysayers, such as Allyson Stewart-Allen of consulting firm International Marketing Partners who says, “I read it like a horoscope,”  most people who have worked with Edelkoort must feel that her ability to foresee what’s just around the corner is the real deal.  She’s been elected chair of the Design Academy in Eindhoven, one of the world’s most prestigious design school, and is recognized as having nurtured some of the best-known names in design.  In addition, she’s been employed for over twenty years by successful companies such as Nissan, Coca-Cola, Old Navy, Estée Lauder, and Mattel.

Read the rest of the article to learn more about Edelkoort as well as four other trend forecasters who discuss some predictions that have come true and some that haven’t.

Gregg Fraley, innovation blogger and author of Jack’s Notebook: A business novel about creative problem solving lists his Ultimate Innovator’s Playlist, which includes such varied gems as Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” anyone’s version of “My Way,” and “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” from the Sound of Music.

What would you add to that list?  I’m thinking of adding “Optimistic” by Radiohead…and by Shirley Temple.

One of my best friends just mentioned that she tends to be most energized and does her best thinking in her morning shower, so I just bought a few of these for her birthday:  Aqua Notes.  I know that a lot of other people do too, but I find that I mostly zone out until after I’ve had my shower and coffee. I do tend to have a lot of useful ideas while I’m in transit though, which is reason #231 that I love living in NYC — I never have to drive anywhere. While I’m on the subway, I often write things in either my ever-so-trendy moleskine or sometimes email myself from my phone.

What is so special about those times that helps people focus?  Is it the renewed energy?  Some sort of serotonin or adrenaline rush? Or is it that we’ve not yet lost our minds to the minutiae of our workday?  Is there a way we can get ourselves to feel this way on demand, or do we just have to wait and hope for the best?

In college, I took a meditation course at a Buddhist center and learned about walking meditation.  The premise behind that practice, at least as far as I understood it, was to focus solely on the experience of walking, which in turn forces you to become more mindful.  I found it both relaxing and mentally invigorating. In this case, it seems like focusing on not thinking ultimately helps clear my mind to do its best work.

But sometimes I also find that doing certain things, like cleaning my apartment or washing dishes helps me think more clearly. I also tend to feel rather lucid while doing manual tasks, like painting or putting together furniture. The clarity I experience during those moments makes me think that it’s more than just coincidence that Jesus was a carpenter for a living…

Just a thought.

Here’s a list of design blogs Arc90 is rather fond of:

The Dieline — covers the latest in package design trends, includes some of the world’s coolest package designs.

PicoCool — a site devoted to “uncovering the cool.”  Ambitious, yes — but they do a damn good job.

Design You Trust — a blog full of design news and trends.

idsgn — discussion of graphic design, branding, and typography.

I’m totally aging myself here because the title of this post is from the song the Beat(en) Generation by a band called The The, which was popular for about five minutes in the 80s. While the song itself is rather more dystopian than I’m feeling these days, that particular lyric kept coming to mind while I was reading an essay from Scott Berkun, called How to Be a Free Thinker.

Berkun is a public speaker and the writer of three really great books that most of our readers should check out: Making Things Happen: Mastering the Art of Project Management, The Myths of Innovation, and Confessions of a Public Speaker. In this particular essay, which does have an edgy tone, he explores how most of us stifle our own original thoughts and urges us to challenge those processes by:

1. Overcoming our fears of being wrong
2. Ceasing to worry about what other people think
3. Getting comfortable being alone

Read the rest of this thought-provoking essay here.