Co-Creation at Ford

On the heels of using social media to market their Fiesta and Fusion cars, Ford is planning to go a step farther and open up their Sync in-car software development platform to contributions from universities and other developers. Read more in this FastCompany article.


this is an interesting interview with wikipedia founder, Jimmy Wales. It discusses his reasoning for the conception and concept, the bottom up approach, and more.

considering we all use wikipedia at some point, this is relevant information on the beginnings of a source we all take from.

Radicals and Visionaries


Innovation has become the buzzword for the 21st Century. It's the quality we most aspire to, the basic requirement for any new venture. The word that gets slapped on every new effort, no matter how conventional. In a special feature, Peter Diamandis talks about what innovation actually is, while Tim O'Reilly calls anything described with the "I-Word" "dead on arrival." Click here to read more on both view points from the November Entreprenuer Magazine.

Head in the Clouds

The computer world is always searching for the next technological breakthrough that will again revolutionize the industry. The innovation that seems to show the most promise today is cloud computing. What exactly is cloud computing? Like its name, it is not easy to pin down. Fundamentally, though, it is an emerging computing technology that uses the internet and remote servers to maintain data and applications. Through cloud computing, people and businesses can use applications without installation and access their personal files from any computer with internet access.

Cloud computing can allow for greater efficiency as it centralizes storage, memory, processing, and bandwidth. Users can save money on infrastructure and applications. Clouds offer great flexibility – you only need access to the internet to reach all your files. You can expand your computing capabilities at the drop of a hat and contract them again just as easily. End-users and start-up companies can use cloud technology to get inexpensive access to sophisticated technology. The opportunities for innovation appear endless for both large companies to offer platforms and smaller firms to provide cost-effective access to their applications.

At the same time, cloud computing comes with some real risks. By outsourcing data storage, security risks increase. Not having data on internal servers means that you are at the mercy of someone else. If their system goes down, you cannot access your information. Finally, there is the possibility of becoming locked in with one company due to technological incompatibilities. These are all very real dangers associated with a technology that is in its infancy.

Is cloud computing going to change the world? Is it going to be a good tool to have in your toolbox? Only time will tell. Read more in a recent Economist article.

No Eureka moment? No worries. Divine inspiration is overrated, according to a recent BusinessWeek article. Serial entrepreneurs, instead, rely on a disciplined, step-by-step approach to the innovation process. They begin by setting up goals and parameters, brainstorm, criticize and eliminate ideas, check feasibility of the remaining idea, then build, test, and improve its prototype. The article does a nice job of matching theory with examples. Read more here.


To me, one of the best ways to get your innovative side kicked into high gear is to talk to other creative people about your ideas and bounce possibilities off of each other. I am looking to put together a Jelly! group in Madison, which provides a perfect atmosphere for this.

What is Jelly?

Jelly is a casual working event. It's taken place in over a hundred cities where people have come together (in a person's home, a coffee shop, or an office) to work for the day. We provide chairs and sofas, wireless internet, and interesting people to talk to, collaborate with, and bounce ideas off of. You bring a laptop (or whatever you need to get your work done) and a friendly disposition.

Who comes to Jelly?

Anyone! We see a lot of designers, developers, and internet types, but we've also had musicians, cooks, sound designers, tea sommeliers, product designers, photographers, writers, and more. Some of us are entrepreneurs or freelancers. Others work in an office most of the time, but work at Jelly for fresh ideas and a change of pace. No matter what you do or what you create, you're welcome to come to Jelly and share your talent and learn from others.

If this sounds interesting to you, go to http://www.startpointmarketing.com/id57.html or email jenna@startpointmarketing.com. I look forward to Jelling with you soon!


 

Est. 2008 | Aric Rindfleisch | Wisconsin School of Business | Banner Image by Bruce Fritz