EVA, SVA, and the Economy

While at Accenture, one of our analytical tools was Shareholder Value Analysis (SVA) – a tool based on Economic Value Added.  The premise is that by looking at a company’s financials, we can determine where to best target our innovation efforts.  The analysis can show us, for example, if reducing SG&A will have a greater […]

Best Companies to Work For

Fortune Magazine released their list of the top companies to work for. #1 on the list is the 7,000 person data storage company, NetApp.  They have some great business philosophies that show they treat employees like owners of the company – a key to creating a truly innovation organization. The article says… NetApp early on […]

Do Your Innovation Efforts Work?

Sometimes the question you ask is more important than the actions you take. During President Obama’s inauguration speech, he said… “The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works – whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, […]

A Business Idea Every Day

Could you develop a new business idea every single day for an entire month? That’s what my friend Susanne Goldstein has been doing since the start of the year. She is a “business accelerator and experience architect,” and she wants to find a source of passive income; money that comes in without her having to […]

Johnny Cupcakes

What do T-shirts and cupcakes have in common? A guy by the name of Johnny. Today I spoke at an event for the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE).  They are an amazing organization that teaches entrepreneurship to high school kids, many of whom are in the inner city. I did a breakout session for […]

Why Aren't You More Successful?

A friend of mine is a fantastic freelance writer.  After telling her how great she is, she asked, “So if I’m that good, how come I’m not working now?  Tough market out there.” Yes, it is a tough market.  But I suspect that is not the reason she can’t find work.  She has fallen into […]

Wii and the Bell Curve

Many of my recent posts discuss “Innovation and the Bell Curve.” One quick comment on this idea.  I often say that the left-hand side of the bell curve is about affordability and accessibility.  But sometimes it is just about accessibility – for a premium price. Two quick examples come to mind. The Nintendo Wii is […]

The Wisdom of Miyagi

In the Karate Kid, Mr. Miyagi once told his student Daniel, “Walk on road. Walk right side, safe. Walk left side, safe. Walk middle, sooner or later [makes squish gesture] get the squish, just like grape.” This fits nicely with my perspectives on innovating in tough times.  In my previous blog entries on how to […]

Gas Guzzlers Top Selling Cars

2008 saw the $4 gallon of gasoline and the start of the current recession. Although car sales are down from last year, millions of vehicles were still sold. What car do you think was most popular? A hybrid? A fuel efficient car? An ultra-inexpensive car?  A reliable import? Interestingly, the two most popular cars were […]

Innovation Articles I am Reading

Today, I am catching up on some bookmarked innovation articles.  I will provide commentary on these in the near future. Does Obama Need a Department of Innovation? (NYT) Innovation at Kraft (USA Today) Electric Car Innovation is Not Coming Out of Detroit (NYT) Why Movies Disappear from iTunes and Netflix (Wired) Innovation for Hard Times […]