New Age Of Innovation Blog

The Key: Real-Time Analytics

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:46:12 -0500

Real-time analytics is the key to N=1, R=G. In the new age of innovation, "Foresight, not hindsight, is of value," point out authors Krishnan and Prahalad. Most managers are aware of the need to leverage the data their organizations generate or have access to. But real-time analytics is easier said than done.

N=1 => Meta => Skilled Generalists => R=G

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:09:20 -0500

In a previous blog entry, I discussed how N=1 encourages meta-vendors, what a meta-vendor is, and the implications of "meta" for an organization's employee hiring practices. I said meta imposes a premium on talent, skill, and experience. But there's more to it than that.

The Curious Case of Spicy Quaker Oats

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:46:37 -0500

I managed to do something that would make both Henry Parsons Crowell and Sharadamma get queasy in their souls. Crowell, a devout Chicago millionaire, founded Quaker Oats in 1901. Sharadamma, my connoisseur grandmother, fed me upma, a quintessential south Indian breakfast dish typically made of semolina. Earlier this morning I was surprised to find a recipe of oats upma (pronounced oop-ma) on a staid-looking box of Quaker Oats. I was more surprised to find myself cooking it, eating it, and sorta liking it.

Customer Inside; Talent Outside

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:30:10 -0500

I'm excited to post my first article on this fascinating blog. I run the platform, product, and marketing efforts for a relatively new company called nGenera. What's particularly interesting about this blog's topic is that our two primary products, nGen Customer and nGen Talent, are very representative of the two New Age Of Innovation concepts, N=1, R=G.

Outsourcing Isn't Easy

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:24:06 -0500

Companies are struggling with what it means to operate in an R=G world, according to our very unscientific outsourcing poll. When almost everything is available from third parties, how do you know what to make and what to buy?

N=1 Requires Meta-vendors

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:43:24 -0500

I previously blogged that N=1 isn't just for consumers, and I used my company's software engineering meta-tool as an example of how N=1 can be applied in a sophisticated technical marketplace -- software engineers as consumers of software tools products. I also used the term "meta-vendor," which to my knowledge is new coinage. I'd like to expand on what I mean by that term.

What If Facebook Bought LinkedIn?

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:21:32 -0500

News websites are abuzz with LinkedIn's new billion-dollar valuation and comparisons between it and social networking sites. I thought it might be interesting to view this information in comparison.

Hey Mister, What's Your Country?

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:54:49 -0500

Take a moment to view the earth from space. Try to identify a few countries you know; try your best to draw country and state lines in your mind as precisely as possible. If you can do this easily, kudos. If not, you're probably like me, geographically hazy.

An Old Approach to N=1

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:16:26 -0500

Sometimes old technology is the best technology. Consider customer intimacy. Customer intimacy is the cornerstone of any strong company. Without a cohesive bond between your business -- and every process in your business -- and your customer, it�s unlikely you�ll be successful. And believe it or not, in my 20 years of developing technology solutions for IT professionals, I still haven't found a better tool for understanding customers than the phone.

N=1 And R=G Aren't Just For Consumers

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:27:37 -0500

The concept of N=1 is by no means restricted to the consumer level. Take, for example, the marketplace of software engineers as consumers of software tools. One could hardly imagine a market more different from the traditional consumer market. But the same N=1 principle applies exactly: Give the "consumer" (software engineer) the ability to participate in the creation of the "product"(software tool), according to his or her own needs and viewpoint on what the result should be.

Trash Those IVRs! Innovate People Systems

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:42:32 -0500

I was just asked by my bank and credit-card company this morning if I wanted to take a customer satisfaction survey. Sure I do. You stink! Customer service in America is at an all time low. In fact, so low and sickening it makes me want to be a recluse and never interact with retail people, banks, government, etc. That's harsh, and it should be. What's worse than that? IVR Hell!

Customer Intimacy Meets The Global Ecosystem

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:32:14 -0500

The power of N=1, R=G has become very relevant in the Web 2.0 world, where a lot of end customer data is accessible and can be used to customize the experience for every individual visiting an online site, as opposed to the traditional retail model. The R=G part is an ecosystem.

New Age Implications For HR

Fri, 30 May 2008 14:40:27 -0500

In the seventh chapter of our book we make a very subtle and important point: "Firms need to treat their employees as N=1 to gain a consumer focus of N=1." The enterprise employee is a consumer, and both need N=1 attention.

Yahoo Is A Runaway Bride

Fri, 30 May 2008 14:12:37 -0500

If Microsoft isn't going to marry Yahoo after its alter jitters, says Left On Red author Bill Glynn, then Yahoo better get intimate with AOL if it wants to be in the game.

Mafia Pricing In The N=1, R=G Family

Tue, 27 May 2008 19:14:42 -0500

Shame, shame. I'm sitting at the SJC airport in the great Valley of Silicon and it does not breath free wireless. San Diego's commuter terminal is better (net = blazing free). But my cry for freedom is not about wireless connectivity but web-based software in general. I was recently at a meeting with an executive representative of a software vendor. After getting past the initial courtesies we hosed each other with differing views on pricing and value.