Second Wave Innovation
Patterson made a lot more money from moveable type than Gutenberg. Alfred P. Sloan had a bigger General Motors than Billy Durant. Startups are for young guys. Finishups are for rich guys.
Posts By Dick Davies
Moving Parts
I was having lunch with a friend who is the Assistant Deputy Director to the Deputy Assistant Director, after she came back from vacation. In a week off, she realized that many of the offices around hers are vacant, and that while once safely in the midst of the horde, she had been exposed byRead… Read more »
Stages of Innovation
Innovation is not “out there,” it’s a process. Looking at it historically, technologically, geographically, and developmentally can make innovation familiar and straightforward. Innovation in the United States in the 1700’s, was often British mechanics emigrating to make their fortune, building other people’s inventions they had learned in Britain. The work was often pirated tools forRead… Read more »
That Other Memorial Day
Memorial Day is for remembering our family and loved ones. Memorial Day is also remembering and venerating George Orwell’s Rough Men. Perhaps there is a third memorial, for a time gone by, for our changing way of life. I may be too close to see the whole, I get occasional glimpses. Technology opens a steadyRead… Read more »
Lathe Or Dedicated Machine?
I was a master carpenter at a factory that made blasting caps. Part of my job was rigging, safely moving large, heavy things. We had many single use tools in our factory – jigs, templates, reams, crimpers, burnishing tools, but the toolmakers, the top of our heap, had lathes, great big steel beds that wouldRead… Read more »
Government As A Platform
Government is a lot like the weather. Everybody complains about it, nobody does anything about it. I was once told, “The problem with government workers is they don’t have any customers.” That would create behavior. No customers means no meaningful feedback, no praise for doing right. That’s an ugly career. Something has to change. OurRead… Read more »
One Expert, Two Experts, Three…
With one expert you get your messiah. They named a street after that guy, One Way. With two experts you get a discussion, also called an argument. With three or more experts you get the beginnings of transparency. With Mr. Google and his Internet, we have more knowledge than we need. Education used to beRead… Read more »
The Road Not Taken
This week I was repeatedly annoyed by a fervent, but tiresome project management zealot loudly asserting that new steps should not be part of a project plan. As near as I can tell, this guy does plans, he doesn’t do work. I started pondering the issue and decided that if we can separate planning fromRead… Read more »
Live Slow And Prosper
I just got back from a week of analyzing the ocean and innovating my golf game. I had no option for internet connectivity. Took most of Monday to get through the 600 email messages that weren’t obviously non-actionable. What I noticed was that most projects had continued to develop without my input. Requests for informationRead… Read more »
A Question About Questions
When you ask a question, are you trying to change your understanding…or theirs? Teaching by asking questions can cause learning breakthroughs. Too often I see people trying to manipulate others, which can backfire spectacularly. I ask a lot of questions because I genuinely want a better understanding, not for the other person, for me. RecentlyRead… Read more »