Telegraph - The Tories have listened to James Dyson's advice – now they must act on it
Possibly a few fewer ‘Heads of’ at entities might also help.
I was inspired by county councillor over at another post who bet ‘a pound to a penny’ on the matter of quangos, and it seems apposite here, too..
It is my experience that in this era of spin over substance, £1 of funding usually does end at about a penny delivered to the intended beneficiary once every entity in the process has built its empire, stuffed its board, created the pension pot, established regional outposts and hired consultants to assess and dispense.
Why most bother wasting their time applying and simply leave this lot to bask in their own bubbles is beyond me.
Let us see if what is talked gets walked.
Which reminds me, I downloaded the report, but at 57pp have yet to get around to reading it. Which I must.
Showing posts with label INNOVATION. Show all posts
Showing posts with label INNOVATION. Show all posts
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Monday, March 08, 2010
Innovation - the word vs. the deed
I have stumbled across an interesting discussion on 'innovation'.
With all surrounding RE:tie especially, it is an area of interest.
These guys are obviously operating at a different plane, but this piece does have some useful links and mayeb thhey might not be too offended by a view from the trenches.
What is Innovation?
As a creator of ideas (‘entrepreneur’ being one who has actually made money from them, hence my following such discussions living in hope of the business lightbulb moment that allows me to claim that title) I have found these threads very interesting, if a tad depressing.
It is clearly accepted that ‘innovation’ is all things to all people, from academics to business leaders to politicians to… the public, and hence loses any real value as a well defined descriptive term.
But exist it does, with entire government departments, corporate divisions and huge funding structures devoted to ‘it’, so it is pretty important to grasp if one is to take advantage of all the opportunities swirling around the rallying cry. In particular if one wishes to bring an idea to fruition as a business.
I am minded of a major pitch I made once for a grant that rejoiced under the title ‘Creative Innovations Fund’. Sadly unsuccessful. But in the spirit of ‘if at first you don’t succeed, find out why and don’t repeat unnecessary errors’ I badgered to find out why.
The answer was long in coming and short in everything, including value, as well as logic: ‘It was too left field and hasn’t been proven’.
My follow-up request for what, precisely was understood for ‘creativity’ and/or ‘innovation’ that was so at odds with mine, remains unanswered.
Suffice to say that I fully appreciate that any fool (mea culpa) can have a great idea, but turning it into an attractive, saleable product/service takes a lot more, with an awful lot more folk getting involved. And if one is lucky enough to manage the rocky waters the gatekeeper community represents, then you might end up with an ‘innovation’ which, in time, simply becomes a branded entity.
My background is advertising, if from the creative side. But the disciplines that career imposes are quite solid. And the basics are pretty clear. Getting a USP is a rare, happy event. Combining it well into an end-benefit proposition pretty much the perfect combo… so long as there is a need.
Sorry to be trite, but I do tend to agree with some notions suggested above that the term has been elevated (or is it debased?) to a meaningless buzz-phrase.
I have had the misfortune to be involved with too many business support entities that are attracted to my companies’ activities but have certainly not understood innovation (or innovators) as I do. And also businesses that talk the talk but really have stopped at that point and allowed rhetoric to take over instead of keeping on and walking.
I was at a packaging event recently to promote a patented, awarded design. The show’s title even had the word ‘innovation’ in it. But I was hard pressed to see any evidence of it anywhere, from the inbound mindset of those on the stands to the products on their shelves and the way they were being promoted… save for the use of the word ‘innovation’. I now have a montage of scores of poster titles using it in all manner of incarnations.
So I hope guys like you can pin an definition of innovation down better than it is currently, such that those who claim to wish to embrace it have better idea themselves of what they seek and how best to find (or be open to it) and, more selfishly, guys like me can grasp what they are looking for and how they like it served up.
For now, a CEO mouthing off stuff in the media when a bunch of middle managers clearly didn’t get the memo on long term seed nurturing over short term bean counting can be… frustrating.
With all surrounding RE:tie especially, it is an area of interest.
These guys are obviously operating at a different plane, but this piece does have some useful links and mayeb thhey might not be too offended by a view from the trenches.
What is Innovation?
As a creator of ideas (‘entrepreneur’ being one who has actually made money from them, hence my following such discussions living in hope of the business lightbulb moment that allows me to claim that title) I have found these threads very interesting, if a tad depressing.
It is clearly accepted that ‘innovation’ is all things to all people, from academics to business leaders to politicians to… the public, and hence loses any real value as a well defined descriptive term.
But exist it does, with entire government departments, corporate divisions and huge funding structures devoted to ‘it’, so it is pretty important to grasp if one is to take advantage of all the opportunities swirling around the rallying cry. In particular if one wishes to bring an idea to fruition as a business.
I am minded of a major pitch I made once for a grant that rejoiced under the title ‘Creative Innovations Fund’. Sadly unsuccessful. But in the spirit of ‘if at first you don’t succeed, find out why and don’t repeat unnecessary errors’ I badgered to find out why.
The answer was long in coming and short in everything, including value, as well as logic: ‘It was too left field and hasn’t been proven’.
My follow-up request for what, precisely was understood for ‘creativity’ and/or ‘innovation’ that was so at odds with mine, remains unanswered.
Suffice to say that I fully appreciate that any fool (mea culpa) can have a great idea, but turning it into an attractive, saleable product/service takes a lot more, with an awful lot more folk getting involved. And if one is lucky enough to manage the rocky waters the gatekeeper community represents, then you might end up with an ‘innovation’ which, in time, simply becomes a branded entity.
My background is advertising, if from the creative side. But the disciplines that career imposes are quite solid. And the basics are pretty clear. Getting a USP is a rare, happy event. Combining it well into an end-benefit proposition pretty much the perfect combo… so long as there is a need.
Sorry to be trite, but I do tend to agree with some notions suggested above that the term has been elevated (or is it debased?) to a meaningless buzz-phrase.
I have had the misfortune to be involved with too many business support entities that are attracted to my companies’ activities but have certainly not understood innovation (or innovators) as I do. And also businesses that talk the talk but really have stopped at that point and allowed rhetoric to take over instead of keeping on and walking.
I was at a packaging event recently to promote a patented, awarded design. The show’s title even had the word ‘innovation’ in it. But I was hard pressed to see any evidence of it anywhere, from the inbound mindset of those on the stands to the products on their shelves and the way they were being promoted… save for the use of the word ‘innovation’. I now have a montage of scores of poster titles using it in all manner of incarnations.
So I hope guys like you can pin an definition of innovation down better than it is currently, such that those who claim to wish to embrace it have better idea themselves of what they seek and how best to find (or be open to it) and, more selfishly, guys like me can grasp what they are looking for and how they like it served up.
For now, a CEO mouthing off stuff in the media when a bunch of middle managers clearly didn’t get the memo on long term seed nurturing over short term bean counting can be… frustrating.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Take the rest of the day off
Monday, October 19, 2009
Talking the talk, walking the dog
A few decades back, a Unipart commercial scrolled up my TV screen and then, at the end, proudly exclaimed: 'The answer's yes... now what's the question?'.
Now I return to these shores after a career spanning the world, it would be 'The answer is no, as it might go wrong and I'll be blamed'.
And after waaaay too many sessions (funded by the taxpayer) with various quangos and their employees, despite their being in an ideal position to matchmake complementary talents, they all still give me 5 half days just to drop dosh on me so long as I tick a box, and totally fail to understand that what makes innovation pay is a team that takes creation to sale; and not every good idea is generated by a person capable of, much less skilled in drawing up 10 year projections that suggest targets that need to be set but never met once signed off.
Now I return to these shores after a career spanning the world, it would be 'The answer is no, as it might go wrong and I'll be blamed'.
And after waaaay too many sessions (funded by the taxpayer) with various quangos and their employees, despite their being in an ideal position to matchmake complementary talents, they all still give me 5 half days just to drop dosh on me so long as I tick a box, and totally fail to understand that what makes innovation pay is a team that takes creation to sale; and not every good idea is generated by a person capable of, much less skilled in drawing up 10 year projections that suggest targets that need to be set but never met once signed off.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Wanted: One Napoleonic general.
Is successful innovation just dumb luck?
I am not sure who to credit this with, but I'll accord it to my old business partner who used it in my hearing first: 'Too many are content to be the first to be second. It's safer. The real excitement, and potential rewards, come from those who are determined only to be the first'.
Throw enough money, or people, at something, and it just might stick.
The real skill, and fun... and profit... is to come up with a great idea on a shoestring, and then get it to market on not much more.
I'm still working on the latter.
So I guess I'll accept whatever might help next. Even luck:)
But I'd also settle for a few less gatekeepers whose main function is to secure their positions by taking no risks, but also ensuring no one else around them might succeed where they dare not tread.
'No one got fired...' phoey. Think of what may have been if that attitude was stuck in a big blue hole.
I am not sure who to credit this with, but I'll accord it to my old business partner who used it in my hearing first: 'Too many are content to be the first to be second. It's safer. The real excitement, and potential rewards, come from those who are determined only to be the first'.
Throw enough money, or people, at something, and it just might stick.
The real skill, and fun... and profit... is to come up with a great idea on a shoestring, and then get it to market on not much more.
I'm still working on the latter.
So I guess I'll accept whatever might help next. Even luck:)
But I'd also settle for a few less gatekeepers whose main function is to secure their positions by taking no risks, but also ensuring no one else around them might succeed where they dare not tread.
'No one got fired...' phoey. Think of what may have been if that attitude was stuck in a big blue hole.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Government & Innovation
I still am unsure they should go together in the same, well, anything, really.
Telegraph - Towards innovation or inertia?
ps: After too many years in the ad game, often working with public sector sloganeering, I have to say that anything that starts with 'Towards...' is shorthand for '...with no intention of actually ever going there, but simply giving the appearance of intending to'.
It's just a pity it seems to cost (us) so darn much to have them trot out this nonsense so often.
Telegraph - Towards innovation or inertia?
ps: After too many years in the ad game, often working with public sector sloganeering, I have to say that anything that starts with 'Towards...' is shorthand for '...with no intention of actually ever going there, but simply giving the appearance of intending to'.
It's just a pity it seems to cost (us) so darn much to have them trot out this nonsense so often.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
EVENT - ECOPACK '08
I can't believe it has taken me this long to post this up.Probably one of the biggest events we're taking part in so far, with hopefully major benefits for the cuases of both the RE:tie and Junkk.com message of second use design.
MONTH - Next
FIELD: Enviro-related
WHEN: 12-13 March
WHAT: ECOPACK '08 (and Packaging Innovations)
WHAT... MORE?: Does what it says on the... er... pack. The premier UK trade event for what can, and should, come in the world of packaging. Note that in addition to 'Innovation' they also are talking 'ECO'. Of course, some can honestly, if immodestly, make the claim to be both.
WHERE: NEC, Brum
WHO: Me!!!!!! I have just been asked to be a speaker on both days, which is a genuine honour and real endorsement of the concept. Now all I have to do is figure out what to say!!!
HOW: As far as I'm aware, it's free if you register.
URL: http://www.easyfairs.com/shows/detail.aspx?ShowID=464
COMMENTS: It's a trade event, so you'd need to be pretty keen on your packaging to go just for general public interest. But the Junkk.com stand is ready and waiting to tickle your fancy!!!!
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