Stealing Great Ideas From Other Charities

Actor and comedian Ben Stiller, using the simple name Haitian School Initiative, is raising money in an effort to help provide temporary schools for Haitians displaced by the earthquake on January 12, 2010.

“Our goal is to help kids get back in school as quickly as possible,” said Stiller. “Schools are a safe haven for kids in times of crisis, and are instrumental in delivering not only education but also health care, nutrition and other critical services.”

Stiller visited Haiti in the summer of 2009 and committed to building a school, providing clean water, and improved agriculture in Cévérine. Following the visit he launched Stillerstrong www.stillerstrong.org, a fun campaign, in partnership with Causecast and the Global Philanthropy Group, the motto of “stealing great ideas from other people’s charities to build a school in Haiti,” to raise money for the project and enlist the support of others. He produced a series of viral videos involving President Clinton, Lance Armstrong, Robert DeNiro, Owen Wilson, Ryan Seacrest and others who rallied around this important cause. This campaign has raised more than $300,000 including a generous contribution of $100,000 from Bulgari. This represents a significant amount of funds needed for the school. Stiller partnered with Save the Children on the Cévérine School project.

Learn more and donate at www.stillerstrong.org.

Are Some Innovations Inevitable?

“You see things; and you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say, ‘Why not?” – from the play Back To Methuselah by George Bernard Shaw

If George Bernard Shaw hadn’t written the play Back To Methuselah, what would have been Ted Kennedy’s final line in his brother Bobby’s eulogy? I have no idea. But it wouldn’t have likely been “Some men see things as they are and ask why. I dream things that never were and ask why not.”
___________________

I saw footage online yesterday of actor Eric Stolz in the lead role of Marty McFly from the 1985 movie “Back to the Future.” Apparently Stolz, unbeknownst to me until yesterday, was originally cast in the role, but was replaced five weeks into shooting because his comedic sensibilities weren’t quite right for the role.

For me “Back to the Future” is an iconic movie. As is Michael J. Fox in the role of Marty McFly. Watching snippets of footage with Eric Stolz in the lead role was odd at best and actually difficult to fully absorb. Michael J. Fox is Marty McFly. It has never occurred to me that it could ever have been anyone else. The footage made me start to wonder though. “Back to the Future” could easily have been something other than what it ultimately became. The principle characters in the story – of the movie itself and how the movie came to be – could easily have been different.

Gutenberg is credited with movable type.

Charles Darwin posited the theory of evolution and natural selection.

The Wright brothers began to fly.

Albert Einstein postulated the theory of relativity.

Steve Jobs orchestrated the development of the iPod.

Are some innovations inevitable?

If Johnny “The Caveman” Johnson hadn’t invented the wheel, would someone else have?

Is a cure for cancer inevitable and history has simply not yet recorded its discoverer?

What innovations are you dreaming up? Will they be the things that never were? Or perhaps might someone formulate the innovation before you and history credits someone else with its invention? Or maybe, just maybe, could you be the person in the right place at the right time when the inevitable occurs? Might not the innovation even occur without you?

Dream of things that never were, but know that the only things that come to dreamers are dreams.

Unbag The Innovation

Customers don’t always enjoy innovations, especially when they negatively impact the overall experience of a product or service. You can’t force customers to like (or buy) what you’re selling, no matter how good (or good for you and the planet) it might be.

Frito Lay’s 100% biodegradable packaging for Sun Chips for instance didn’t go over too well it seems. For anyone that’s eaten from a regular size bag of Sun Chips recently, you already know what I’m talking about. The bags are downright noisy. They’ve got more crunch than the actual chips.

Personally, I don’t really mind the crunchy bag. It actually makes the Sun Chips experience slightly more unique than eating other kinds of snack chips. Other chips just seem slightly boring to me now. But then again I’m not trying to eat chips during orchestral concerts, at the library, or during pressure-packed putting situations at the Ryder Cup. I also own a few bowls (normally used for cereal) into which I can pour the chips when it’s absolutely necessary to remain quiet. I know not everyone that buys a $3 bag of Sun Chips can afford to buy a three-pack of reusable plastic bowls from the dollar store.

Apparently enough people complained about the 100% biodegradable bags (or rather apparently stopped buying the product because of the bag and thus revenues declined) that Frito Lay (owned by PepsiCo) decided to return to the old, less noisy, plastic packaging for most Sun Chips varieties.

It’s sort of too bad that something relatively innovative and environmentally friendly couldn’t stay on store shelves. It’s not really surprising though. The color of money trumps green every day. Innovations need to cater to what’s wanted, not necessarily what’s needed.

I’m still waiting for less noisy packaging on my Dentyne Ice gum. The enclosed foil wrapper makes it difficult to be discrete at my kid’s school concerts. Despite the dirty looks I sometimes get at these events I haven’t complained to the manufacturer yet.

Garden Salsa Sun Chips are awesome by the way.

Chance Favors The Connected Mind

I think Louis Pasteur was right. “Chance favors the prepared mind” he said. It does seem a bit oxymoronic, but by and large I think the sentiment is generally accepted. We must prepare ourselves with knowledge, as well as prepare our minds to recognize, acknowledge, and act upon opportunities that arise. Innovation depends on it.

Being prepared is good.

But arguably being connected is even better.

Author Steven Johnson - whose previous books include The Ghost Map and Everything Bad Is Good For You – has adapted Pasteur’s famous quote.

“Chance favors the connected mind.” – Steven Johnson

I don’t normally plug books or products for others (and know that I have nothing to gain by doing so), but I’m making an exception today. Author Steven Johnson has a new book coming out called Where Good Ideas Come From (it’s not due out until October 5). I’ve not been given an advanced copy so I can’t attest to all that is in it. I did happen to see him present at FEI 2010 in May though where he essentially floated many of the ideas and stories put forth in this new book. I thought his stories and ideas concerning innovation interesting, entertaining, and useful.

Instead of attempting at this time to provide my own overview of the book I’ll simply let you watch this animated preview put together by the publisher. It’s pretty good.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NugRZGDbPFU

http://www.stevenberlinjohnson.com/2010/09/good-ideas-the-four-minute-version.html

Steven Johnson’s new book may not actually have much effect on your connectedness. I imagine it might help however with your preparedness.

Know Who You Are, And Act Like It

The closing address last week at FEI2010 was presented by Bert Jacobs, CEO (Chief Executive Optimist) for clothing company Life is good®. His presentation was an excellent finish to an outstanding conference. He was entertaining and inspirational. His down-to-earth, decidedly non-corporate style mixed together what I’d describe as a little bit Robert Fulghum, a little bit Confucianism, a little bit Ben & Jerry’s, and a tiny amount of foul-mouthed language for timely humorous effect. Like I said, it was entertaining and inspirational.

Like the clothing sold by Life is good® itself, Bert’s presentation was filled with little life-lesson sayings to help us on our organizational journeys.

“Whatever you are, be a good one.”

“Do what you like. Like what you do.”

“Not all who wander are lost.”

…and more.

From the perspective of those of us looking to innovate, the most intriguing saying for me was

“Know who you are, and act like it.”

I think often times, either as individuals or organizations, we find ourselves copying others or mimicking their actions. Taking the lead of others can be simpler and productive. Doing so isn’t necessarily inherently bad. There are certainly valid reasons for choosing this path. From an organizational perspective regarding innovation it might make perfect strategic sense. I don’t think Bert Jacobs is suggesting that taking the lead of others, or copying what they do, is inherently bad either. It becomes problematic however, both for individuals and organizations, if such mimicking defies your own inner nature and perspective. Copying and following others is problematic to the extent that mimicked actions do not represent who you or your organization really are. It’s okay to copy others unless it leads you down a path that goes against your own being.

Life is good® for instance, rather than following more traditional marketing approaches put forth by other successful clothing purveyors, decided its promotional roots lie in “festivals”. Rather than spend their dollars on traditional advertising, they took their message to the people on the street at festivals – pumpkin festivals, music festivals, etc., many of which are used to raise money to help kids with life-threatening illnesses. Life is good® has nothing against the promotional approaches used by more affluent or upscale imaged clothing brands. It’s just that these approaches and their subsequent image are contrary to what Life is good® is all about. You’ve got to remember that Bert and his brother John are two guys that drove around in a beat up van for five years, living off peanut butter and jelly sandwiches hocking t-shirts door-to-door in college dormitories.

Know who you are, and act like it.

In Memorium - C.K. Prahalad

"Executives are constrained not by resources but by their imagination."

C.K. Prahalad
1941-2010

Toys Banned in Some California Fast Food Restaurants

from CNN

(CNN) -- A California county on Tuesday became the first in the nation to ban toys from fast food kids' meals high in calories, fat, salt and sugar.

Santa Clara County supervisors voted 3-2 to ban the plastic goodies as promotions in meals with more than 485 calories.

County supervisor Ken Yeager said Tuesday that the ordinance "prevents restaurants from preying on children's love of toys to peddle high-calorie, high-fat, high-sodium kids' meals," and would help fight childhood obesity.

"This ordinance breaks the link between unhealthy food and prizes," Yeager said. "Under this ordinance, restaurants are still permitted to give out toys. This ordinance merely imposes very specific, common-sense nutrition standards for children's meals that are linked to these incentives."

The ordinance will ban restaurants from giving away toys with meals that have more than 485 calories, more than 600 milligrams of sodium, more than 35 percent of total calories from fat or more than 10 percent of calories from added sugar. It would also limit toy giveaways on single food items with more than 200 calories or more than 480 milligrams of sodium.

But the decision, which affects about a dozen fast food restaurants in unincorporated areas of Silicon Valley, has angered the California Restaurant Association, which fought the proposal with ads in local newspapers. One asks "Who Made Politicians the Toy Police?" and shows a child in handcuffs in front of a cop.

KGO: County bans kids' meal toys

The group commissioned a poll of local residents that found 80 percent didn't think the toy issue was an important one.

"From our perspective, we were echoing what our customers had to say. Obviously we felt that this proposal was excessive and I think purposely provocative," said Daniel Conway, the association's director of public affairs.

Conway said the association was disappointed local officials didn't come to them before creating the ordinance.

"We try to proactively engage with policy makers at the local level, the state level and the federal level," Conway said. "At the national level, our industry just played a critical role in passing a national menu labeling standard, so that now customers in many restaurants will be able to have in front of them the exact nutritional content of the various menu items."

Yeager said at a press conference Tuesday that he hopes the ordinance will spark other counties and states to pass similar legislation.

Restaurants will have a 90-day grace period beginning May 11 before the ordinance goes into effect.

Big E Toys Buy One, Give One Charitable Campaign Runs Through May 31

Big E Toys Launches One-for-One Charitable Campaign
“Buy One, Give One” Stumblebum Campaign Will Benefit Toy Industry Foundation Charitable Efforts

PLYMOUTH, MN — April 13, 2010 — Buy One, Give One. The premise is simple. For every Stumblebum® charades game purchased at www.bigetoys.com through May 31, 2010, Big E Toys will give a Stumblebum game to a child in need.

“Philanthropy has always been important aspect of our organizational goals,” says Chip Engdahl, The Big E of Big E Toys. “It’s integral to our overall mission. Our Buy One, Give One campaign is simply an effort to do even more for children in need.”

The Buy One, Give One campaign from Big E Toys will benefit The Toy Bank of The Toy Industry Foundation (TIF). The TIF, in conjunction with its logistical partner Gifts In Kind International, operates The Toy Bank and distributes toys and games on an ongoing basis to children in need throughout the world. Big E Toys has been a proud supporter of The Toy Bank since its inception in 2003 and was recently named a Toy Industry Foundation Power Player because of our ongoing support of their programs.

The Big E Toys Buy One, Give One campaign is a true One-for-One campaign. Consumers don’t pay more for Stumblebum simply because Big E Toys is giving one away. “The Buy One, Give One campaign is a great opportunity for consumers to get a great game like Stumblebum for themselves, but also do some good in the process,” says Mr. Engdahl. “With the help of Stumblebum fans throughout the country, I think we can bring a little more fun and joy to kids in need.”

Buy One, Give One. It’s that simple.

About Stumblebum
Stumblebum is a charades game like you’ve never played before. Performers are given physical challenges like “stand on one leg” or “eyes closed” while they act out a short list of words. Get teammates to say the words and you score. If not, your opponent can steal. Designed for ages 8 to adult, each game takes less than half an hour to play and participants are up and playing in just a few minutes. It’s unbelievably simple and fun. Game includes 169 game cards, 2 game dice, a 30-second sand timer, card holder, and game instructions. It’s great for get-togethers of all kinds. “It’s so fun, you may actually fall down laughing!™”

About Big E Toys
Big E Toys is a small toy company specializing in board games. It was started by Chip Engdahl on the simple idea that life should be fun. Products include the games Stumblebum®, Coopetition®, and the card deck Chops®. Big E Toys strives to develop quality games that can be enjoyed by a wide variety of people. For more information, contact Big E Toys at 1.866.411.BIG.E (2443) or visit us at www.bigetoys.com.

About The Toy Industry Foundation
Through programs, partnerships, grantmaking, and public education, the Toy Industry Foundation (TIF) works year-round to provide the opportunity to dream, laugh, and learn to children around the world. Learn more at www.toyindustryfoundation.org. The Toy Bank (www.thetoybank.org) a partnership between TIF and Gifts In Kind International, is the first industry-wide program of its kind. Through The Toy Bank, the Foundation’s signature program, charities serving children receive new toys and manufacturers, retailers and distributors of toys are offered the opportunity to make a difference.

Media Contact:
Chip Engdahl
Big E Toys
612-481-6603
chip@bigetoys.com

The Wisdom of an FEI Conference Crowd

“…chasing the expert is a mistake, and a costly one at that. We should stop hunting and ask the crowd (which, of course, includes the geniuses as well as everyone else) instead. Chances are, it knows.”

- from The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki

I’m looking forward to the upcoming 2010 FEI conference in Boston (May 3-5). The accumulated brainpower of the presenters as well as attendees is sure to be tremendous. I wonder what kind of collective wisdom will be in the crowd.

I recently finished reading James Surowiecki’s book The Wisdom of Crowds. Good stuff. Interesting. Thought provoking. James of course has one of the keynote presentations Tuesday morning May 4th at the FEI conference. His “Success Through Synergy” presentation is bound to be a good one.

There is much in the book The Wisdom of Crowds on which I could comment. It is a rich and entertaining text, and clearly well researched. Sprinkled throughout the book, Mr. Surowiecki provides an assortment of real-world examples to illuminate the potential wisdom of crowds. He illustrates his points using academia, a variety of industry examples, personal experience, and other enlightening anecdotes.

This isn’t meant to be a book review though, so I’ll stop short and simply say The Wisdom of Crowds was a good read.

In thinking about the upcoming FEI conference, I can’t help wonder whether the assembled crowd could potentially be wise.

According to Surowiecki, there are four conditions that characterize wise crowds:

Diversity of Opinion – the idea that each person has some private information, even if it’s just some sort of interpretation of known facts

Independence – a person’s opinion is not determined by the opinions of those around him or her

Decentralization – people are able to specialize and draw on what’s referred to as “local knowledge”

Aggregation – a mechanism exists to turn judgments into a collective decision

If a group satisfies these conditions, its judgments are likely to be accurate.

Given the eclectic nature of attendees – different industry and academic backgrounds, different age-groups, different geographies, etc. - at the FEI conference, I imagine the conference crowd could be pretty wise if given the opportunity to make some sort of collective decision. They’ll be a lot of smart people mingling about. But ironically, the individual brainpower of attendees isn’t inherently what would make the crowd wise. A true crowd includes “the geniuses as well as everyone else.” It’s the Diversity of Opinion, Independence, Decentralization, and mechanism for Aggregation that gives a crowd its wisdom.

Paradoxically, the only thing I can think that might diminish the potential overall wisdom of the crowd at FEI, is the fact that everyone assembled is there for the same reason. Might the homogenous nature of our pursuit of innovation skew our collective wisdom? Might we lack a diversity in mental mindset that shields us from potentially powerful breakthroughs?

Perhaps we should invite some people off the street to join us.

If you haven’t already signed-up to attend FEI2010, feel free to use promo code FEI2010CHIP to get a 20% discount.

Hopping Ideas

"Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple, learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen." - John Steinbeck

Great Achievement

"Great achievement has no roadmap."

Dr. Dalton Millgate (played by Hector Elizondo)
from The West Wing, Season 3, Episode 16: Dead Irish Writers
Teleplay by Aaron Sorkin
Original air date 3/27/02

They Were The Ones Who Were Mad

"Hunter was a different animal. He seemed to gain strength from rakish marathons. I am certain he learned the secret of maintaining a drug-racked body from an old Indian in the Appalachian mountains. He learned the balance between living out on the edge of lunacy and apparently normal discourse with everyday events. Whatever reaction he adopted towards a situation, whether it was giving a hell-raiser speech from the interior balconies of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in San Francisco or firing a Magnum .44 at random into the night in front of strangers, he would always convince those around him that they were the ones who were mad, irrational or just plain dumb and he was behaving as a decent law-abiding citizen."

- Ralph Steadman, from the book The Joke's Over: Memories of Hunter S. Thompson

One-for-One Epiphany

After much contemplation, last weekend it finally occurred to me how I'll be able to effectively reprint Stumblebum while simultaneously implementing the fundamental philanthropic vision of Big E Toys. The journey is now underway. One for One. I am in it.

Flash of Genius: A Movie Review (sort of)

“For three-quarters of a century, the auto industry presented a compelling vision of the future. First Ford, then GM did a great job of persuading people that they knew what they were going to want next. And through technical advances and marketing artifice they made people think that the future was coming. But in the 1970s, they lost that ability to conjure up any vision of the future. Their energy went into fighting regulations and lying about what they could and couldn’t do. They couldn’t sweep the harmful aspects of cars under the rug, and they started to appear grumpy and sad rather than happy.”
- Jamie Kitman, Columnist for Automobile magazine

I can’t honestly say the book Flash of Genius was better than the movie. I never read the book. Flash of Genius (the movie) does take its name from the book. Yet it’s worth noting the book itself is actually a collection of “invention” essays (by John Seabrook), only one of which focuses on automobile wiper revolutionary Bob Kearn’s long fight with Ford Motors. But enough about the book.

For those not familiar with the movie, here’s a quick overview. It’s based on the true story of college professor and part-time inventor Robert Kearns (played by Greg Kinnear) and his long battle with the U.S. automobile industry. Bob Kearns invents a device that would eventually be used in every car in the world – an intermittent windshield wiper. Thinking he’s struck gold, these thoughts are dashed after the auto giants (Ford in particular), who originally embraced Bob’s creation unceremoniously, shunned the man who invented it. Kearns however is determined to receive recognition for his invention. He refuses to compromise his dignity and decides to take on the auto giants. The ensuing legal battle takes upwards of three decades, and along the way Kearns’ obsession drives away some of those who he held most dear. In the end, as expected, Kearns prevails. “But at what personal price?” we are left to contemplate.

The movie is essentially a David vs. Goliath story. I found it mildly entertaining yet fairly predictable. As a viewer, you expect he’ll win the court battle (it’s a Hollywood movie for goodness sake). And these expectations are fulfilled. Yet along the way we’re given a glimpse at the personal toll tenacity can take. The story is both inspirational and cautionary.

At times while watching the movie I couldn’t help get more than a bit perturbed at the depicted actions of Ford Motor Company. The cynic in me can’t help wonder sardonically whether the current state of the U.S. auto industry might have been avoided had the big three spent more time developing innovations rather than trying to steal them. Being a small business operator, and someone whose professional existence is largely predicated on developing great ideas and insights, the thought of someone stealing, profiting, and taking credit for someone else’s creation was unsettling. To its credit, Ford did offer to compensate Kearns for the intermittent windshield wiper invention. Yet they weren’t willing to give him credit, and thus in the movie the monetary offer is largely viewed as legal payoff or hush money of sorts.

I’m not naïve enough to think such things don’t actually happen on a regular basis in business (or other aspects of life). And to be honest I don’t really care much if corporations steal from other corporations. This, for better or worse, can simply be written off as “competitive intelligence.” Even Steve Jobs, whom I’ve written about regularly and hold in fairly high esteem for his innovation throughout the years, is unashamed by his (or rather his company’s) appropriation of others’ great ideas. He has oft quoted Pablo Picasso’s now relatively famous (or perhaps infamous) saying “Good artists copy. Great artists steal.” Here's an excerpt from the documentary film Triumph of the Nerds.



But I take issue when less than honorable actions become more personal and affect individuals. I’m sort of a sucker for the underdog. Is this a double standard? Probably. Fundamentally there really isn’t a difference. Stealing is stealing, right? But do I feel bad about having such a double standard? Probably about as much as the executives at Ford back in the day felt about stealing Bob Kearns’ idea. Which is to say, not really.

[this post originally appeared on the Front End of Innovation blog - 1/5/10)