Incspiration

Re:

2011-05-26T02:02:00.001-07:00

Oh, my baby! Just look at this!.. http://www.odenvoyage.ironie.org/friends_links.php?ytiPage=47ux0

Dell's Design Focus

2006-10-07T07:39:00.000-07:00

The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) held its 2006 conference here in Austin, TX where Dell announced that they were investing in Design to the tune of 500 new engineers and began recruiting at the event.

It is clear that the business world is high on Design. They should be. As business gets more and more competitive, traditional methods for creating a winning strategy are becoming too well known and the processes so well understood, that separation will come from less scientific ways of differentiation - it will come from inspiration.

The CEO is no longer the hero in today's media, it is the designer - just look to Apple's Jonathan Ive and Motorola's Jim Wicks and more. They are the all-stars, the rock-stars of modern business and hiring a good design leader and design team means survival in the coming years.

Atoms and Richard Florida's Work

2006-09-27T16:03:00.000-07:00

Live Science posted a story today about a researcher in France who has developed a theory that connects the art of successfully locating a business with the science of how atoms interact with each other.

http://www.livescience.com/othernews/060927_business_physics.html

The research appears most valuable to a person who say, wants to open a bakery by telling them what other stores they should locate near for success. It would be interesting to see if his theories could be extended to what city or region one should locate a business. In my opinion, Dr. Richard Florida is the thought leader in this area. Combining his theories with physics would be an interesting experiment.

PG: The Executive Summary

2006-09-26T18:09:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I must type the executive summary for my teams project. We call it "PG" as the initials for the company name. We've already determined the name and established the company but are keeping it under wraps for now.

Navigating the information that leads to deciding to Patent an invention or not is one of our toughest battles. The expense of pursuing the patent may outweight the benefit, especially if you consider the costs to enforce the patent. The debate rages on, in the mean time, the executive summary to our business plan must be started...

Culture and Competitive Advantage

2006-09-19T17:38:00.000-07:00

Famed economist, Michael Porter wrote in Chapter 1 of "Competitive Advantage" the following:

"The concept of generic strategies also has implications for the role of culture in competitive success. Culture, that difficult to define set of norms and attitudes that help shape and organization, has come to be viewed as an important element of a successful firm. However, different cultures are implied by different generic strategies." "Culture can powerfully reinforce the competitive advantage a generic strategy seeks to achieve. If the culture is an appropriate one. There is no such thing as a good or bad culture per se. Culture is a means of achieving competitive advantage, not and end to itself."

I have the utmost respect for Porter and his theories, however, in this case, I disagree with his assessment on culture not being the "end to itself". I believe that things are changing and that an organizations very survival depends on its culture. If one focuses on a vibrant and positive culture, you can secure a competitive advantage. Culture cannot be manufactured, it is nurtured and the most natural state of your business. As individuals are advised to "just be your Self", so too must a company just be its Self. From there, the right strategy will emerge. As Porter points out, the strategy can change and this idea is not out of synch with culture. If you are true to your Self, your company culture, you will find that your strategy fits naturally and also changes naturally as you are in tune with your organization, industry and customers.

PG: Birth of My Company

2006-09-16T16:06:00.000-07:00

The MSSTC program at UT allows us to carry a technology idea from conception to market, ending in an opportunity to participate in Moot Corp, the "Superbowl" of business plans, presented by MBA's from around the country.

The idea my team is carrying forward is an idea of my own, we'll call it "PG" for now. The team combined has supply chain management, product development, software architecture and research backgrounds and I am confident we will be going all the way with this one.

Our initial research is done and the idea looks promising. We are now in the middle of delivering to our professors the elevator speech and the executive summary portion of the business plan.

It is an exciting time and I am looking forward to launch, sometime after May!

Pepsi CEO Indra K. Nooyi

2006-09-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

In August, PepsiCo promoted Indra K. Nooyi to CEO, making her the 12th female CEO of a Fortune 500 company. There are many obvious inspiring things about this promotion - it is refreshing to see qualified female executives land the roles they have earned and the fact that Nooyi is Indian-born and Indian-educated.

What is less obvious but perhaps more inspirational is that Nooyi did it her way. She ascended to the top position at one of the most respected organizations without compromising her beliefs, traditions and values. She still wears the traditional sari on occasion, she is a devoted mother of two and she played guitar in a all-girl rock band!

Our culture places so much emphasis on shedding our personalities and unique attributes when we join the workforce. This is horribly misguided and detrimental to the success of the individuals and the success of the organization as a whole. Incorporate your art into your job, your creativity will flourish and benefit your role. Take your note pad to the beach and journal on a Thursday rather than going to work. (Make sure you boss knows your taking off!) The point is, if you don't express your Self and live true to your Self, you can never experience complete success in life or your profession.

Rising to the Pepsi Challenge, CFO Magazine, September 1, 2006
Pepsi's New CEO a Refreshing Change, Kate Klonick, ABC News, August 15, 2006

Places of Inspiration

2006-09-07T13:11:00.000-07:00

Richard Florida authored groundbreaking work on the impact of location and creativity on regional economic success. I am one of the fortunate to have lived the better part of a decade in Austin, Texas, Mr. Florida's number one example of economic development as a result of the areas ability to attract creative people. "The Rise of the Creative Class" Florida, Richard; 2002.

As much as I love Austin, I took off the labor day weekend to go to the beach - Corpus Christi, Texas, to be exact. My wife loves the beach and needs the visits to recharge. We both would prefer a Caribbean beach or Crescent Beach in Sarasota, Florida, however, Texas beaches will do when she needs the recharge. What we found in our three days was that we both drew so much peace, tranquility and inspiration from that little trip that we vowed to escape as much as possible and talked of buying a little place there, just three hours from Austin. While it isn't Sarasota or Manzanillo, Mexico, we discovered that our world offers so many wonders and no matter how insignificant, beautiful and inspiring places abound.

Everyone is aware that U.S. workers work too hard and enjoy their freedom too little. Recently, it was revealed in the media that we are not even taking our allotted paid vacations. This is truly sad. If you want to stay ahead in life, reevaluate what "staying ahead" means. Get out and get inspired. You will actually benefit from time away from the grind and become more competitive as you become more innovative, creative and charged up when you are back on the clock.

It doesn't matter if it is three days in Corpus Christi. It doesn't matter if it is a days hike in the nearby state park. Get out and get inspired and connect with your Self.

(For the record, the water and beach in Corpus were beautiful! I've spent my life on Texas Beaches and this was the bluest, clearest water I've ever seen and realized that God made something wonderful and I encourage anyone to visit the Third Coast!)

When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going!

2006-09-01T13:38:00.000-07:00

There is really no excuse for letting a little grad school get in the way! In fact, the MSSTC program at UT has been quiet an inspiration and worthy of writing about.

So far, the course has been mostly writing and reading, thus the hiatus from blogging. To update, we finished the first semester. The overarching theme of the program is bringing new products and technologies to market; whether it be from federal labs, universities or private inventors. Coursework for Term 1 was "Creating Wealth from Technology", "Finance and Accounting", "Technology Transfer" and "Marketing Technological Innovations".

We evaluated four real technologies for the semester and will "carry forward" one to prepare a business plan, financial plan and pitch to angel investors or venture capitalists.

The technology we'll be carrying forward is called "Plant Genius" and is a little invention of my own. More on that subject later...

Quiet Time

2006-07-26T08:15:00.000-07:00

As you can see, it has been nearly a lifetime since my last post. I'm in the first part of my graduate program and while it is ripe with learnings applicable to this blog, I can't seem to take the time to squeeze in the writing. Expect more after May 2007 but if inspiration strikes, consider this a holding space for content that will end up in my book! Thank you for visiting and stay tuned!

The Dawn of Self Publishing

2006-05-25T05:13:00.000-07:00

Self Publishing is poised to be one of the single most disruptive innovation of the decade - perhaps the century.

Leaders such as Amazon.com, Lulu.com and others are bringing everyone the ability to not only get their voices heard as authors but they are making authors more profitable as well. After doing my research, I have to believe there is more fat in the publishing business than there ever was in the personal computer business when Michael Dell turned that industry on its ear.

With the PC business, Compaq, HP and others have hung on, despite Dell's dominance. Look for self publishing to absolutely destroy the publishing houses as we know them today.

Ingles Reaches Everest Summit

2006-05-16T18:23:00.000-07:00

It is great to report on something besides business now and then - although I'm sure our hero will end up speaking to executives on the circuit.

Mark Ingles, a double amputee, summited Mount Everest on May 16, 2006 becoming the first double amputee to do so. This is a remarkable feat for anyone, especially with his unique difficulties. However, I have to think his greatest challenge was simply not giving up, immediately after the loss of both legs.

Way to go Mark!

Buzz Aldren on Innovation

2006-05-13T06:03:00.000-07:00

I had the distinct pleasure to meet and visit with Buzz Aldren - second man to walk on the moon, you probably recall.

He was in Austin working with us to organize the Texas Space Authority in order to attract new business and jobs to Texas around the burgeoning private (and some publically funded) space business.

He had much to say around that subject, information that I will not go into here but one statement was general enough to share with you...

"Creativity and innovationis what I think the nation needs" - Buzz Aldren, 5/11/06

MOTO, Disruptive Innovation and Design

2006-05-10T06:14:00.000-07:00

My studies lead me to fascinating theories and case studies that often align well and often create more questions than answers.

Take MOTO, or Motorola for instance. Today, Motorola is creating significant inroads in their market with the Razr and line extensions from that product, including the Q, Slvr and the Pebl. After years of virtually no innovation (since the StarTac flip phone), Motorola was able to revive their business with revolutionary new products.

Clayton M. Christensen, author of "The Innovator's Dilemma" and co-author of "The Innovator's Solution" puts forth that there are two ways to innovate, "Sustaining Innovation" and "Disruptive Innovation". The line between the two appears fairly defined, however, for a company like Motorola and their recent wins with the previously mentioned products, it begs the question, "are Motorola's recent successes due to "Sustaining Innovation" or "Disruptive Innovation"?

Or, have his theories from the late 90's been trumped by something new altogether - Sustained Innovation with a focus on Disruptive Design?

It is fair to say that what Motorola has done falls into the "Sustaining" category. Aside from smaller, more powerful chips which follow Moore's Law - a sustaining theory - there is nothing disruptive about the technology itself.

What is disruptive is Motorola's Design Innovation. A surge in the importance of design is very evident today and it is becoming an important part of any companies strategy. Christensen asserts that companies that stumble are too focused on their customers needs and desires, too focused on their business model and a host of other reasons that keep their head down and miss important changes in the market - disruptive innovations. This is certainly true and a risk for companies, particularly the size of Motorola. However, the rules may be changing and while companies certainly should heed Christensen's warning and keep an eye on disruptive technology, it may will be more cost effective and low risk to focus effort on disruption of the existing market with sustaining innovation driven by disruptive design.

References: "The Innovator's Delimma" Clayton M. Christensen, 1997, "The Innovator's Solution" Clayton M. Christensen and Michael E. Raynor, 2003, "Moto's Mojo" Chuck Salter, Fast Company, April 2006

Whole Foods Update

2006-05-03T16:09:00.000-07:00

Today I had the distinct pleasure to meet with a small group that included John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market. The conversation was very exciting and he is clearly passionate about organizations fulfilling their obligations for the good of all. I look forward to more opportunities to visit, he seems to be a student of business and is very insightful, particularly with businesses who are making strides to become Incspirations.

Organized by Flow Idealism, the meeting was simulcast to several parts of the world and like minded entrepreneurs and future entrepreneurs had a wonderful opportunity to talk with one of the visionaries of the Future Economy.

Whole Foods

2006-04-26T13:36:00.000-07:00

It took me almost a decade of "drinking the kool-aid" but I think I'm finally a believer in the theory that all good must originate from Austin! So many ideas, interesting people and interesting companies have sprung from the hills of Texas and I just can't get enough of the love for this town I call home!

Whole Foods Market is one example of an Austin idea and company. The philosophy of Whole Foods Market is to provide for the Whole Planet - giving health and well being to customers, to employees and partners, they are doing just that. Sustainable living has gone from the shadows to a way of life for the mainstream and Whole Foods is leading the charge.

Every aspect of what John Mackey has created exceeds the tenets of the Incspiration philosophy. The stores embody good design, the culture is beyond compare, with "gain sharing" that empowers the associates and a leader who believes in small business and believes that if you are true to your core as a human, you can contribute mightily to our world, whether it is through your own entrepreneurial endeavor or through working a career in a place that values your contribution.

To further spread his philosophy, John Mackey has co-founded the FLOW Project to inspire a new generation of entrepreneur and a new way of boldly seeking your mission in life. With the help of FLOW, I believe we will see more Incspirations come from the hills of Austin, changing the world of business for the better!

Sources: www.wholefoods.com, www.flowproject.org, Business 2.0 "Best Kept Secrets of the World's Best Companies" April 2006

Starbucks Soul

2006-04-25T08:49:00.000-07:00

"A third place between home and work" - Howard Schultz

This is the vision of Starbucks Chairman, Howard Schultz - for Starbucks to become a home away from home, a place where you can find comfort and a friendly environment. Howard has succeeded. I enjoy being at Starbucks. I enjoy the smell, the environment and the energy. Howard suggested in an interview on "60 Minutes" that Starbucks feeds the Souls of its patrons. It is clear that Howard's passion and soul extends itself through the organization and I believe, to his point, that is extends to the customer. A true Inspiration.

Starbucks is the quintessential rags to riches story, the vision was and is extraordinary and the direction is still going up and to the right. The leadership, culture and design/business model is the perfect blend that all companies should seek - blend to your desired tastes.

What I appreciate so much about Howard's vision is that is was such an incredible leap from what was then "reality". He turned what once was the least expensive beverage you could order into one that costs as much as an alcoholic beverage. If you have a vision but you think it is too risky, think about Howard and his vision and get started! Perhaps nothing was riskier or more extreme than the vision for Starbucks.

Sources: 60 Minutes "The Star of Starbucks" April 23, 2006, www.starbucks.com

The Greatest Brands Of All Time!

2006-04-18T14:24:00.000-07:00

What makes a great brand?

When we think of the greatest brands of all time, we tend to immediately think of Coca-Cola (Coke), Apple, Microsoft Windows or millions of other brands that influence our daily consumer lives.

But what about the "Greatest Of All Time" brand? I'm talking about Muhammad Ali and his slogan of "Greatest Of All Time" which he parlayed into a business named GOAT which is the acronym of Ali's famous phrase. On April 10, 2006, CKX acquired the rights to Ali's name and image, adding them to their portfolio of brands that include American Idol, Elvis Presley and more.

What is so amazing about CKX is that they took brands that had no product and are making a fortune from virtually nothing at all! Robert F.X. Sillerman and his partners have been mining the power of personality and making a fortune for themselves and their investors.

So the question for you is, "how powerful is your brand"? Is it being utilized to the fullest possible extent? There could be gold in your brand that goes beyond your products - make sure you mine it with creative insight into the power that has yet to be unleashed!

Sources: www.ckx.com, New York Times "$50 Million Puts Ali in Ring With Elvis and 'American Idol'" by Julie Bosman April 12, 2006

Creativity at Ferrari

2006-04-17T14:29:00.000-07:00

In my personal view, no automobile embodies the concept of "art" better than Ferrari. So it was no surprise to read in the Harvard Business Review that Ferrari actively promotes creativity across the company, from executives to line workers.

Ferrari uses the following concepts to energize the organization:

Cultural - Employees may meet for regular language lessons in English or German for free.
Environmental - Ferrari launched a program called Formula Uomo that creates a healthy work environment in an architecturally pleasing manner.
Design and Art - Ferrari organizes "Creativity Club" to bring in outside influences of art from music to cooking to sculpture in order to have creative professionals discuss their methods and sources of creative inspiration in their personal work.

What makes Ferrari such a good example is that they don't reserve the creative outlets for the design team and executives exclusively. They recognize, as they should, that creativity should permeate the organization. They have the insight to recognize that anyone can contribute and that their contribution can impact Ferrari at any level for the positive.

Sources: www.hbr.com

Tom's of Maine

2006-04-07T11:49:00.000-07:00

Well, if you have not heard by now, Tom's of Maine is selling an 84% stake of the business to Colgate-Palmolive. For some time, I've been planning on a quick article of Tom's of Maine for Incspiration. Tom's has a reputation for inspiration - from the company's dedication to health, the environment and natural living to building a wonderful, family-like work environment.

My first thought on the news of the possible sale - and why I haven't written about it until now - was thoughts of disappointment. How could a company and its leadership that I look up to, "sell out"? After careful consideration, I came to realize that this move isn't one to worry about, if for no other reason than the fact that it is too early to worry about one of my corporate heroes. More importantly, Tom and Kate gave us their word that they've done the right thing for all. Based on their history, I should think we would give them a little slack.

Tom's of Maine is a wonderful example of Incspiration. Building a business on $5000 borrowed funds from a friend is inspiring but even more so when the business is built around customers health and health of the environment first before profits. Other ways Tom's has inspired us is in their dealings with their associates. Tom's is a wonderful place to work and has built over 200 jobs for folks in the small town of Kennebunk, ME. Finally, Tom Chappell continued to inspire by seeking a Theology degree from Harvard. His life and his work are intertwined and he recognizes the importance of a company having a good soul. Tom gives a nod to profit in his book "The Soul of a Business, Managing for Profit and the Common Good" but has recognized that success for any company over the long term is predicated on being true to the greater good of mankind and the planet.

Sources: www.tomsofmaine.com, www.wsj.com, Fast Company "God and Mammon at Harvard", May 2005

ANNOUNCEMENT: Apple now runs Windows!

2006-04-05T16:14:00.000-07:00

Who would have ever thought?!?

Today, Apple announced that Apple owners using the new Intel chipset, can download software that will allow them to install and run Windows XP.

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2006/apr/05bootcamp.html

This is an inspired move by Apple - despite what diehard Mac addicts might say - that will boost sales of Apple products and won't hurt sales of Microsoft products either. Apple users will be able to work in XP or the Mac OS interchangably. I'm a big fan of the interoperability of the Microsoft products, as I've been using them for years but this announcement makes it easier for me to return to my roots as I was first introduced to computers by the Apple II. I'm an Apple fan in a Windows world and now that seems to have changed! I get the best design the best operation and now it appears I can collaborate with anyone, if I buy that PowerBook I've always wanted.

As of the close of market, Apple shares were trading higher. Ahh, the power of Incspiration!

Source: www.apple.com

Can Wal-Mart be an Incspiration?

2006-04-04T18:58:00.000-07:00

Wal-Mart announced plans to enter into the organic foods market, starting with their Plano locations. There are not many efforts that qualify for inspired leadership than organic foods and organic living.

Not only is providing organic food good for the consumers and their health but it is good for the small businessperson - namely the independent farmer and ranchers. But does Wal-Mart's entry into this market signal anything positive? It is certainly too early to tell. What we can discuss is - does this put Wal-Mart on a track to become an Incspiration?

My good friend Rick entered an essay into a contest for a scholarship to benefit his MBA pursuits. The subject was "ethics in Corporate America" and, well, he chose Wal-Mart. I think we all know the reasons. Wal-Mart is the enemy of the small businessperson. Wal-Mart is considered one of the worst retailers you could ever supply to. Wal-Mart is also considered one of the worst places to work. Finally, Wal-Mart has consistently put its requirements ahead of the environment and community - whether it is clear cutting old, stately trees or trying to install parking lot lighting that well exceeds a communities established zoning standards.

The bottom line? I don't think many would stand up and side with Wal-Mart as an Incspiration but I for one won't look a gift horse in the mouth - kudos to Wal-Mart for considering organic foods and as long as they deal fairly with the farmers and support local growers - if they do all of that, then they are off to a good start on a long marathon of corporate responsibility.

Sources: Associated Press

Rabbit Wine Opener

2006-04-03T15:55:00.000-07:00

If you are a wine drinker and gadget head, then it is likely you are one of almost three million people who have purchased the "Rabbit" to uncork your favorite bottle of wine.

The Rabbit was designed by Pollen Design for Metrokane, and was a smash hit the instant it landed in stores. The design launched Pollen into the spotlight and spawned so many copy-cats that it makes your head spin.

Analyst have credited this phenominal hit as part design and part first to market. The truth is, it was not first to market, Le Creuset produced a screwpull that was very expensive but nonetheless popular. It owned a patent that expired in 1999, allowing Metrokane to pounce. Fast forward to the launch of the Rabbit and it is easy to see that design was crucial to crushing the market and getting there "first" with good design even more important.

See the opening (vision) - inspire the market (design and value) - Win (follow through on the right business plan). It's that simple.

Sources: www.metrokane.com, www.pollendesign.com, Business Week "Scoops of Information" April 4, 2005

W.L. Gore

2006-03-28T15:25:00.000-08:00

One the companies I admire most - along with the rest of the corporate world - is W.L. Gore. The company is recognized for its invention of GORE-TEX® fabric but it produces so much more.

Gore is an Incspiration on many fronts, often required for true success:

Culture - First and foremost, Gore has succeeded at building a culture that is truly innovative. Beginning with Bill Gore, the founder, the company has flourished with a "flat lattice" organization. Everyone is an associate, they have "sponsors" not "bosses" and leaders are defined by their "followership" - basically emerging as leaders of a group of their peers.

Design - Success at product development at Gore is really a function of the culture. If you have a good idea, you are basically allowed to run with it over a defined period of time and develop your own "followership" to bring it from ideation to market.

Leadership - Leadership at Gore was defined by Bill Gore's original four guiding principles and is followed today. In fact, Terri Kelly, current CEO rose from the internal ranks, having started out of college and maintains Gore's philosophies. They are:

Fairness to each other and everyone with whom we come in contact
Freedom to encourage, help, and allow other associates to grow in knowledge, skill, and scope of responsibility
The ability to make one's own commitments and keep them
Consultation with other associates before undertaking actions that could impact the reputation of the company

Gore is consistently on Fortune's "100 Best Places to Work For" list, ranking 5th in 2006 and 2nd in 2005.

Sources: www.gore.com, Business2.0 "Best-Kept Secrets of the World's Best Companies" April 2006

iPod

2006-03-24T16:02:00.000-08:00

There is no doubt that Apple “got it right” with the iPod. Looking around the bookstore café, while I write, there are about 30 people, almost half of which are listening to an iPod. In Austin, where I live, this is probably even on the low side for a typical gathering of people. There is no doubt that Steve Jobs, the product manager - Danika Cleary, the designers - under Jonathan Ive, the engineers -under Tony Fadell and the factory workers at Apple have all profited by this inspired product. Apple nailed it.

As rare is this success is, that isn’t enough. I believe that your future relies on not just matching the monetary success of the iPod that Apple enjoyed but absolutely rocking everything in your wake like the iPod has. What really set the iPod and Apple as the new standard is how they inspired consumers and a myriad of accessories, add-ons, stylized copies and pulled through profit for iTunes, competitors and more. Sure, Apple will get licensing fees from some of these accessories and add-ons but for the most part, they’ve indirectly created wealth for thousands through new product lines for speaker manufacturers, new small businesses, spawning of entrepreneurs making custom crafted leather holders, diamond studded slips and what ever else can inspire an individual or company to think of next.

Back to my visit to Borders - a quick walk around the store and I count seventeen (17) iPod accessories for sale in the bookstore. That is a small inventory compared to Target, Best Buy and others. When you get a coffee shop to carry items for the product you’ve made – and it isn’t a coffee maker, then you’ve nailed it!

Sources: Wikipedia