Month / September 2009

by Roger Dennis

Unevenly distributed futures (cont’d)

A quick pointer to an article on The Guardian that takes an in-depth look at drugs that enhance cognitive performance:

In 2004 he coined the term “cosmetic neurology” to describe the practice of using drugs developed for recognised medical conditions to strengthen ordinary cognition. Chatterjee worries about cosmetic neurology, but he thinks that it will eventually become as acceptable as cosmetic surgery; in fact with neuroenhancement it’s harder to argue that it’s frivolous. As he notes in a 2007 paper: “Many sectors of society have winner-take-all conditions in which small advantages produce disproportionate rewards.” At school and at work, the usefulness of being “smarter”, needing less sleep and learning more quickly is “abundantly clear”. In the near future, he predicts, some neurologists will refashion themselves as “quality-of-life consultants” whose role will be “to provide information while abrogating final responsibility for these decisions to patients”. The demand is certainly there: from an ageing population that won’t put up with memory loss; from overwrought parents bent on giving their children every possible edge; from anxious employees in an efficiency-obsessed, BlackBerry-equipped office culture where work never really ends.

by Roger Dennis

The most appropriately named ship in the world

I was intrigued to read on the BBC today that a Western shipping company has successfully delivered cargo via the once impassable North East Passage. The significance of cannot be understated for it’s impact on world trade:

…the once impenetrable ice that prevented ships travelling along the northern Russian coast has been retreating rapidly because of global warming in recent decades. The passage became passable without ice breakers in 2005. By avoiding the Suez canal, the trip from Asia to Europe is shortened by almost 5,000km (3,100 miles). The company behind the enterprise says it is saving about $300,000 per vessel by using the northern route.

One of the ships was named Beluga Foresight.

by Roger Dennis

Computer makers listen to consumers

From the NY Times comes an interesting and illuminating piece that identifies a change in the way that computer manufacturers are starting to think.  You can sum it up in a couple of words – start with the end user.

Historically the computer industry has sold itself on technology and the speed increases that inevitably accompany it.  But – as the article points out – very few buyers really care about whether the hard drive spins at 4500rpm or 7200rpm.

The old tradition of flogging 220 different combinations of A.M.D. chips has been traded in and replaced with three categories of PCs: See, Share and Create systems (the designations roughly line up with “good,” better” and “best”). A.M.D.’s 40-page manual that explained its technical wizardry to salespeople has met its demise as well, replaced with a two-page pamphlet.

They’re also looking at adjacent sectors for inspiration:

Intel has dabbled with what it called “use-model marketing,” where computers were aimed at people who wanted to play games or those who wanted entertainment like movies over the gearhead speak of a fact tag. Intel poured money into its Viiv concept, which centered on using computers for entertainment, only to find that it confused consumers who also wanted to use the machines to do work. Intel has since turned elsewhere for answers.

“We have been looking at the automotive industry,” said Ms. Conrad. “Computers have become an emotional purchase like cars. We’re getting very emotional with our marketing and advertising.”

And, like carmakers that spend ages fine-tuning the sound of a slammed door, Dell has focused on the touch and sound of its computers.

The takeaway from this?

1. Understand you customers, and put yourself in their shoes

2. Most problems that you face in your business will have been encountered before by other industries. Look across sectors, rather than within your own, for solutions and inspiration.

by Roger Dennis

The problem with suggestion boxes…

As a tool to facilitate and encourage employees to share their ideas about new business opportunities, suggestions boxes have the same effect as a shredder does on paper.

What’s more they don’t scale, they don’t manage expectations and they’re not robust.  About the best thing you can do to a suggestion box is to ask employees to suggest the most creative way to destroy the box itself.

So what do you once the suggestion box has been burnt/shredded/crushed and microwaved? Start researching prediction markets from companies like BrightIdea, and read posts like this from James Gardner…