Innovation and Risk
Associations and Technology
C. David Gammel, CAE
High Context Consulting
www.highcontext.com

“Orville Wright did not have
a pilot’s license.”
Gordon MacKenzie, Orbiting the Giant Hairball.

“The future is already here.
It’s just not very evenly
distributed.”
William Gibson, author. NPR Talk of the Nation, 30
November 1999.

What is Innovation
Changing the yield of resources. (Supply)
Changing the value and satisfaction obtained from
resources by the consumer. (Demand)
Peter F. Drucker, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Why Innovation Matters
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives,
nor the most intelligent,
but the one most responsive to change.”
Charles Darwin

Why Tech Matters
Will Do Could Have
Strong Tech
Should Have Won’t Do
Weak Tech
Strong Strategy Weak Strategy

Technology Adoption Curve
Early Leading Trailing Laggards

Drucker’s Seven Sources of
Innovation
Intrinsic
The unexpected.
The incongruity.
Process need.
Changes in industry or market structure.
Extrinsic
Demographics.
Changes in perception, mood, and meaning.
New knowledge.

Risk/Reward Ratio
-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5
+5 = Paradigm-breaking improvement.
+4 = Dramatic improvement.
+3 = Strong benefits.
+2 = Minor benefits.
+1 = Very minor improvement.
-1 = Very minor setback.
-2 = Minor setback, controllable.
-3 = Public setback, requires damage control.
-4 = Major defeat, financial damages, recovery time needed.
-5 = Devastating losses.
Source: Alan Weiss.

Supply Demand
Unexpected
Incongruity
Process Need
Industry/Market
Change
Demographics
Perception, mood or
meaning
New knowledge

Technologies for Innovation
Supply Demand
Software as a Social Media/
Service Networking
Virtualization Short-form eBooks
On-demand Printing Mobile Content/
Services
E-commerce
Ubiquitous Internet
Participatory
Access
Publishing

Associations in All But Name
Strobist Blog www.strobist.com
Blogher Conference www.blogher.com
Adrian Bye’s MeetInnovators www.meetinnovators.com

Stop doing something...

Now, Innovate!