QVIews

Most organizations set out to fix a problem, not to remake the future. As I'm working on the Houston Summit, I'm thinking how different these approaches are. One innovative Houston organization that is working create a new way of behaving is MyCityRocks. I just got the invitation for their "Rock for Houston's Youth Concert," and…

Steven Johnson has developed a new way to describe possibilities. He says that next to every idea is the next possible idea. If you see a great idea, all you have to do is look around, and you'll find plenty more. Wall Street Journal: The Genius of the Tinkerer: The secret to innovation is combining…

Many companies keep a customer database, but few of them keep that database alive. Names are dropped in never to be updated. Databases which are driven by transactions are a little better, but transaction data can be very misleading when trying to commmunicate with a person. In order to stay close to your customers, you…

Yes, yes, saying that real marketing is about focusing on customers and not on non-customers makes one feel like the voice in the wilderness. At least I'm not alone in the wilderness… I'm going to order this Jaffe book right away. RIA Unplugged: An Open Challenge to Chefs, 2010-Sep-13, Ellen Malloy I am feeling as…

Over at the NY Times small business blog, You're the Boss, Bruce Buschel shares his experience opening the restaurant of his dreams, and we get to enjoy the view. NY Times.com: Dear Frank, 2010-Sep-21, by Bruce Buschel …we answer questions and respond to comments…

John Hagel III, John Seely Brown, and Land Davison: The Power of Pull, 2010: We need serendipitous encounters with people because of the importance of the ideas that these people carry with them and the connections they have. People carry tacit knowledge. … As edges arise every more quickly, all of us must not only…

The way I see it, a product is an “Idea Amplifier”. You have an idea about something- phones or whatever- and you build a product as an expression of that idea. via gapingvoid.com This approach improves your communication because it touches the product's 'reason for being.'

I don't usually share stuff from Daily Candy because it's pretty much a trend-hungry girl thing. But today's recommendations should be read by everyone who cares about culture. These movies will be difficult to find on Fandango, but it's hard to wait until they hit Netflix. DailyCandy.com: 9 Movies We Want to See This Month

I've known for a long time that culture influences innovation, but I haven't thought much about how partnerships enable it. This fascinating article describes how. I've quoted here the part about how our culture overlooks partnership in favor of 'sole sources.' Salon.com: Two is the magic number: a new science of creativity, 2010-Sep-14, by Joshua…

My theory is that if we have transformational experiences in museums, then we develop a desire to have terrific art in our homes, and that supports a more stimulating home life. Nuts? Come here me explain tomorrow night at the New Collectors club meeting at Goldesberry Gallery. Our first meeting is 6 pm Tues Sept…