Anticipatory computing – the buzz is growing louder but how much do we need it? Despite the ubiquitous mobile device and it’s plethora of tools for building to-do lists, recording memos, managing our appointments and alerting us about all manner of anniversaries, there still seems to be an emerging market for helping us remember even less ourselves.

Thankfully, in addition to that pressing concern, there are more meaningful ways in which predictive computing is being used in mobile devices. Primarily, these tools tend to focus on helping us manage our ever-complex, time-poor lives by personalizing our information streams and thereby uncluttering the process of finding that most relevant of data morsels. In this article I’ll take a quick poke around to see what’s been happening in this space.

“It is one thing to use computers as a tool, quite another to let them do your thinking for you.” – Tom Clancy

PostedJanuary 13, 2015

AuthorTrevor Lindars

CategoriesTechnology

TagsTechnology, Behaviour, Innovation

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There are a number of ways to approach commercialisation. Personally, I am repeatedly drawn to the utility of the Human Centred Design [HCD] drivers of Desirability, Viability and Feasibility. In my mind this model succinctly underpins much of the innovation process and consequently provides an excellent platform for thinking about commercialisation. I’ve mentioned before that the single most important takeaway from the Lean Startup movement ought to be that the business as a whole needs to be modeled, prototyped, iterated and validated. This concept dovetails nicely with the HCD framework above since both the Lean Canvas and its progenitor, the Business Model Canvas, focus on three main areas that ostensibly address each of these three overarching themes.

“Commercialisation is about more than just turning Intellectual Property into products. It’s about creating markets. Unless companies embrace the broader view… they are limiting their opportunities” – Grant Steinberg, Entrepreneur

PostedDecember 9, 2014

AuthorTrevor Lindars

CategoriesInnovation

TagsInnovation, Commercialisation, Business

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In various blogs and news-feeds recently, both Blackbird Ventures and Sydney Seed Fund have estimated that, of the perhaps 1000+ startups formed this year in Australia, only 10% are attracting external funding and the percentage is much lower for the very early stages entrants. Part of the reason for these figures seems to be attributable to the growth in the number of people giving entrepreneurialism a shot whilst at the same time failing to adopt any kind of robust commercialisation process.

“There’s really nothing remarkable about it. All one has to do is hit the right keys at the right time and the instrument plays itself” – JS Bach

As a musician, this quote makes me smile. I recognise that having a framework is not enough but I do believe that not using one at all is a recipe for disaster.

PostedNovember 5, 2014

AuthorTrevor Lindars

CategoriesInnovation

TagsCommercialisation, Product Development, Innovation, Frameworks

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I recently learnt that many college and university students are uninterested in the ideas and techniques that underpin innovation because they feel that it doesn’t apply to them. If they do not envisage becoming entrepreneurs or designers or engineers or scientists then what’s the point? I do not believe it is a massive leap of the imagination to assume that this type of thinking might also permeate the general working populace. That’s disappointing because there are very few, if any, organisations that are content to rest on their laurels and coast along at the same levels of performance year on year in any part of their value chain. If you want to avoid slipping back in the pack then you have got to innovate and this applies to every area not just the laboratories…

PostedOctober 29, 2014

AuthorTrevor Lindars

CategoriesBehaviour

TagsInnovation

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There’s been quite a lot of debate in recent years related to the need to take risks and have the courage to innovate. There is a concerted push for us to escape entrenched thinking about incremental change and take more plunges into the unknown in order to really differentiate and succeed. Coupled with this view is the idea that we need to embrace failure and, in fact, wear it as some sort of badge of honour. This seems especially popular among the budding entrepreneurial set. Of course, it doesn’t have to be that way.

“I've lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.” – Mark Twain

PostedAugust 27, 2014

AuthorTrevor Lindars

CategoriesBehaviour

TagsRisk, Innovation, Planning, Failure, Success

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I attended the thought-provoking Warren Centre Vision30 lectures last week. We spent the whole day considering what the key drivers would be for innovation over the next 30 years. So, I thought I'd share some of the key themes with you:

Experiences trump products - a memorable event is a combination of goods and a service
Personalisation - information and services tailored to individual needs
Timeframes matter - faster cycles times - getting it out there, getting feedback and adapting
Food scarcity - population growth fueling innovation in global food supply-chains
Team Australia - we are well placed to to excel in the 21st century

PostedNovember 19, 2013

AuthorTrevor Lindars

CategoriesInnovation

TagsFuture, Innovation

2 CommentsPost a comment

Smarter Devices, Dumber Users

Commercialisation – consider all the angles

Commercialisation – don't screw up

I won’t need to innovate in my job

Don't plan to fail. Plan to adapt.

the Next 30 Years