I had the chance to do a bit of knowledge exchange last week with Zappos. Specifically, Zappos Insights, which is the group responsible for tours and the Zappos 2-day bootcamp. I remember when Zappos boxes began arriving…and leaving…my house in a rather startling stream several years ago. I didn’t get it. But my wife, and millions of other women, sure did: unlimited shoe trying-on without risk. You know the deal: free shipping and free returns. …
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Toyota’s Ideas for Good…Your Ideas Welcome!
Toyota has produced a number of great videos demonstrating their commitment to creating social value by using their ingenuity for the good of the world. It’s visible evidence of their core value of Respect for People. And they want you to share your ideas for making the world a better place on their IDEAS FOR GOOD site. Here are some of the videos. In healthcare: In NASCAR: In football: And even Roller Coasters!
Innovation’s Most Important Question
Inventor Thomas Edison had it right when he urged, “There’s a way to do it better–find it.” At the heart of every innovation big or small, radical or incremental, is a single question driving the ingenuity of the innovator: Is there a better way? Take, for example, the work of fashion designer Lu Kun, who has single-handedly put Shanghai on the international fashion map by pursuing that question. Lu was tired of China being perceived …
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The Odds of Success (Part 2 of 2)
In my last column Why You Can’t Always Trust Your Gut, I said that instinct must be tempered with logic and insight in order to solve tough problems, and promised to show you how you can do just that in the context of business: predicting success. Predicting any outcome is tricky business, because the future is uncertain due to factors beyond our control. So what do you do when things aren’t clear cut, in addition …
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Why You Can’t Always Trust Your Gut
Imagine you’re a contestant on the Let’s Make a Deal! gameshow, the old one hosted my Monty Hall. Monty offers you the chance to win a beautiful new car, but it’s behind one of three closed doors. Behind each of the other two doors is a goat. Let’s assume winning a new car is preferable to winning a goat. You choose a door, and Monty (who, since he’s the host and in command, knows where …
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