Tag Archives: Innovation

Why didn’t I think of that?

Posted on May 28, 2012 by

Yeesh! Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. FitDeck is a unique deck of 56 playing cards containing illustrations and instructions describing over 50 different exercises, stretches, and movements. These ‘no-equipment’ FitDecks contain exercises that require only your bodyweight to … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Business or Product Idea, Innovation | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Coop Education

Posted on May 4, 2012 by

Commenter lornephi asked for my comments about these three blog posts on a cooperative education program on a piping blog. 1. Helping to Build the Next Generation 2. Cooperative Education from a Student’s Perspective 3. Cooperative Education from a Teacher’s … Continue reading →

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Exit is more powerful than voice

Posted on May 1, 2012 by

In this post, I wrote about how competition and choice is important for encouraging bottoms-up innovation. When we say things like “roads are socialized” we gloss over something very important. There isn’t a single road department. There are many. We … Continue reading →

Posted in Capitalism, competition, Education, Experimentation, Innovation Diary | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Walmart emerged from a willingness to try new things and learn

Posted on March 25, 2012 by

Thanks to Mark Perry at Carpe Diem for the link to this video illustrating Walmart and Sam’s Club growth. We see the success stories after they’ve become successful and don’t often think how they got to that point. I recommend … Continue reading →

Posted in Experimentation, Innovation, Value Proposition | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Innovation v Bureaucrats

Posted on March 22, 2012 by

George Will’s column, The Inexorable March of Creative Destruction, is a good overview of the most effective innovation process (bottoms-up trial-and-error experimentation) and what impedes it (people who believe they can plan progress).

Posted in Emergent Order, Innovation | Tagged , | Leave a comment

All Sorts of Awesome

Posted on January 25, 2012 by

This is all sorts of awesome (from Alex Tabarrok at Marginal Revolution).   Key highlights: Stanford computer science Prof offers online course on Artificial Intelligence. 160,000 people take it. On campus class size dwindles from 200 to 30, as more … Continue reading →

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Bill Gates: Treating symptoms rather than causes

Posted on December 2, 2011 by

While reading a November Forbes interview with Bill Gates about his philanthropic activities, I had a few thoughts I wish he would consider. In the interview, Gates explains his charitable efforts in public health and elimination of disease: The logic … Continue reading →

Posted in Capitalism, Critical Thinking, Experimentation, Failure, Feedback, Giving, Health Care, Innovation, Liberty, Standard of Living | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Kindle Everywhere

Posted on December 1, 2011 by

There was a homeless dude that camped near my home as a child.  We always saw him walking along the business strip and he often came into the shops and diners while we were there.  He’d chat with the business … Continue reading →

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Bureaucrats and innovators, part two

Posted on November 18, 2011 by

This is from Peggy Noonan’s column in the Wall Street Journal today: Then he turned to the rise and fall of various businesses. He has a theory about “why decline happens” at great companies: “The company does a great job, … Continue reading →

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Innovation Update: Coca Cola Freestyle

Posted on November 5, 2011 by

Last March, I wrote about Coca-Cola’s new Freestyle soda fountain.  It’s designed to deliver 106 flavors to restaurant patrons. While I haven’t tried it yet, a family member has.  She reported one drawback: the residual taste of flavors from previous … Continue reading →

Posted in Innovation | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment