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Week of July 21 - 27, 2008 |
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Open innovation—once championed nearly
exclusively by forward-thinking web geeks—is becoming an increasingly
popular concept in mainstream circles. Companies like Procter & Gamble
are opening their product development processes so that customers and
other partners can offer their ideas and input. Some companies are now
moving beyond this basic concept to an even more open process known as
“distributed cocreation.” This model, profiled in a new McKinsey
Quarterly article, is being effectively deployed by LEGO toys and by the
Threadless t-shirt company. The Threadless approach is instructive.
Anyone can develop his or her own t-shirt design. Website visitors vote
on their preferred designs, and the top vote getters move into
production. Other firms, like Wikipedia and Red Hat, also employ
variants of this approach. McKinsey researchers believe more traditional
firms can also deploy this model as long as they can identify ways to
motivate outside co-creators, and structure problems and governance
mechanisms in way that promotes participation in collaborative problem
solving. |
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White House Science Policy in a New Administration Whoever prevails in November’s presidential elections will likely be looking to revamp how the White House organizes policy making related to science and technology. Some interesting new ideas on that front can be found in a new Wilson Center study. The report, OSTP 2.0: Critical Upgrade, was prepared by four researchers with extensive past experience working in the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). They bring this insider’s perspective to a very detailed roadmap for how OSTP might operate in a McCain or Obama Administration. The report contains dozens of recommendations. Among the highlights are:
Download the 2008 Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars report, OSTP 2.0: Critical Upgrade, by Jennifer Sue Bond, Mark Schaefer, David Rejeski, and Rodney W. Nichols. |
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It pays to go to the right college—at least if you want to be a venture
capitalist. A new National Venture Capital Association/Dow Jones Venture
Wire survey of more than 500 VCs shows that forty-two percent of
investors attended just five schools: Harvard, Stanford, Penn, Duke and
MIT. While they hail from a small group of schools, VCs don’t generally
advance up an established career ladder within their firms. Most VCs
join their partnerships from a start-up company, a larger established
firm, or from other positions in law firms, consulting firms or other VC
partnerships. While white males have traditionally dominated the VC
industry, demographic patterns are shifting. Women are beginning to
enter the industry in larger numbers, and are becoming an important
force in some key industry sectors like life sciences. Changes in the
ethnic make-up of VCs have been fairly limited with the largest minority
group Asian (8%), followed by Hispanics (2%) and African-Americans (1%). |
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A new study sponsored by the US Small
Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy finds that antitrust
enforcement actions may not have a huge impact on small business
performance. The research examined the impact of antitrust actions in
two industries---retail groceries and timber---that have been the
subject of extensive enforcement activity. The retail grocery sector saw
significant declines in small business activity, but this was mainly
related to the impact of market entry by mass-market retailers (e.g.
Wal-Mart). Antitrust enforcement activity did not alter these trends. In
the timber sector, a similar pattern emerged. Industry consolidation was
extensive, but an overall market downturn was the most important factor
in contributing to small business exits from the marketplace. Again,
antitrust enforcement did not serve to counter these trends. Download the July 2008 US Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy sponsored report, Analyzing the Impact of Antitrust Laws and Enforcement on Small Business, by Innovation and Information Consultants, Inc. |
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The Best Lemonade Stand in America?
Last year during Entrepreneurship Week USA,
a collection of 8th grade students set up their own stands in the West
Virginia Capitol building to see who could sell the most lemonade. The
contest highlighted the fact that neighborhood lemonade stands
frequently serve as the first real-life business venture for
many—popping up on sidewalks and street corners throughout the country.
As the summer months begin to heat up, Inc.com is looking to celebrate
these budding entrepreneurs with its Best Lemonade Stand in America
contest. If someone you know has what it takes to put together an
award-winning stand—share their story and give them a shot at some prize
money (presumably to help them get started on another business venture
down the road) and a Nintendo DS (because entrepreneurs of all ages need
a way to unwind after a hectic day “at the office”). |
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The National Dialogue on Entrepreneurship is an initiative of the Public Forum Institute made possible by a grant from the Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City. Through NDE-news, we bring you short summaries and analyses of various trends driving entrepreneurship around the world. Subscribe now to receive your weekly copy. Archived issues are available online. |
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National Dialogue on Entrepreneurship
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stories © 2008 The Public Forum Institute
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