Start here! Creativity is the front end of the entrepreneurial process. If you don't begin with a fabulous idea, nothing of value will result... This blog showcases creativity in all of its forms, with the hope that it will be both educational and inspirational.
April 28, 2009
Join the Party
April 26, 2009
Plane and Simple...
After brainstorming about brainstorming tips and tools, I gave the students the following topic to brainstorm about: We now know that global warming is being dramatically increased by the exhaust from airplanes. Therefore, ALL commercial airplane travel has been banned. Come up with a list of all the negative consequences of have no airplane travel?
After they made long lists of the consequences, I asked each team to pick one consequence and brainstorm again. This time they had to come up with solutions to that problem. For example, if a lack of airplane travel leads to a significantly decreased ability to get people together from different parts of the world, how will you solve this problem without airplanes?
The solutions were wonderfully clever.... One team came up with the idea of moving companies to large ships that cruise in the oceans going from country to country for meetings with customers. With this solution, you don't just move the employees, you move the entire company. One team came up with the idea of building long tunnels under the oceans. With pneumatic tubes, your vehicle would fly below the sea to its destination. And another team came up with the idea of putting green houses on train cars so that fresh food can be grown and delivered to towns across the country.
The best part of the exercise was the AHA moment at the end when participants discovered that it might be a GOOD idea to ban airplanes. The solutions they came up with might actually be better than traveling by air. The first idea to pop into your mind to solve a problem - such as using an airplane to transport goods and people - isn't always the best way. If that option isn't available, there are usually lots of other options just waiting to be discovered.
April 24, 2009
Since You Asked....
April 25: Stanford Women in Business conference: I Don't Know to CEO: Annenberg Hall, 10:00 AM
April 27: Stanford Bookstore, Stanford University, California (6:30 PM)
April 29: Bookshop Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California (7:00 PM)
May 2: Stanford Alumni Program, Chicago, Illinois
May 4: Northwestern University - Center for Entrepreneurship
May 7–10: Stanford Creative Writing Retreat, Fallen Leaf Lake, California
May 11: Stanford Alumni Association, Marin County, California, 6:00 PM
May 15: Stanford Women's Club in San Francisco, 12:00 PM
May 20: Google Speakers Series, 12:00 PM
May 27: Entrepreneurial Thought Leader lecture, Stanford University, 4:30 PM
July 21: Commonwealth Club of San Francisco, 6:00 PM
April 22, 2009
Startup Love
__________________________
Why is starting a relationship like launching a business?
Let me count the ways...
As someone who teaches innovation and entrepreneurship at Stanford, I know a great deal about what it takes to start a new venture. And, based on the years when I changed my boyfriends like my socks, I now realize that these are the same tools that are required to launch a new relationship.
First, you need to be passionate about a new partner and a new business. Passion allows you to weather the inevitable storms that will blow through your company or your relationship. It will enable you to have the willpower to find creative solutions for the problems that will certainly arise. Without passion, we bail out when the going gets tough, as opposed to being fully committed by throwing all our clothes over a wall and then figuring out how to retrieve them.
Second, both a new venture and a new love require a significant investment of time and energy. Without the commitment of substantial resources, both will wither on the vine. If you can’t muster the time or mindshare to invest in a new relationship, don’t even consider starting. Business ideas, just like infatuations, are cheap, but real implementation in both arenas takes a tremendous amount of effort. So, take out your emotional checkbook, make sure there’s enough dough in your account, and be ready to sign on the dotted line.
Third, when you form a business or launch a new romance, you need to make sure that both partners have an equal interest in the venture. A relationship won’t thrive unless both parties have skin in the game. As with equity in companies, your stock will likely start with a low valuation, but with time and tending, it will appreciate, and both parties will enjoy a sweet return on their emotional investments. Keep in mind that love stock fluctuates in value but, like company stock, you shouldn’t be overly influenced by daily gyrations, but instead focus on creating long-term value.
Fourth, despite your rationalizing, you can’t be involved in two or more startups or relationships at once. For all of us who have tried, we know… Each company or romance takes all your emotional and physical energy, and dividing your focus in two or three or four will doom all of them. You can flirt with lots of ideas or new romances, but once you commit, it’s a full time job. So, pick the one with the highest potential and dive on in.
Fifth, keep in mind that nothing stays the same in business or in love. As soon as you get comfortable, you can be certain that something will change. You need to be flexible and responsive as the outside world throws surprises your way. True entrepreneurs are masters of managing in a dynamic environment, and the best lovers are, too. They pay attention to the shifting landscape and find creative ways to see earthquakes as gifts as opposed to glitches.
Sixth, in both matters of the heart and matters of the mind, on average, only one-in-ten startups survive in the long run. You need to be willing to go all-in at the beginning but to be able to cut your losses when things don’t work out. Embrace the concept of failing fast and frequently. That is, try lots of things and keep what works. This is the secret sauce of Silicon Valley. Entrepreneurs know that the worst outcome occurs when you inhabit the land of the living dead, where your company stumbles along, just waiting for someone to put it out of its misery. So, be willing to gracefully extract yourself when it’s clear that things won’t improve. Write off the losses on your emotional tax return, and move on to your next investment.
Finally, like successful entrepreneurs, you must to be able to bounce back quickly and begin again. There is nothing worse than wallowing in the sour soup of a lost love or a failed business. Add it to your failure resume, take time to learn from the experience, and buy a brand new pair of socks! Your next pair might just be the one that rocks your world and delivers amazing returns.
April 13, 2009
The "Million Dollar" Challenge
So, here is my challenge to you... The next time you go somewhere - the grocery store, an airport, your neighborhood restaurant, or when you ride a city bus - make a point of meeting someone new and figuring out how you can extract something valuable from that encounter. I'm confident that if you make a habit of doing this, you will find that incredible opportunities present themselves every day.
Feel free to post a comment with your experiences. It will be fascinating to see the range of responses... Perhaps someone will find a million dollars, or something worth just as much.
April 10, 2009
Slides are live...
The real talk also includes about a dozen video clips that illustrate the point. I will be giving that talk several times over the next few weeks and will link to the video/podcast.
April 4, 2009
Peek inside....
Browse Inside this bookGet this for your site |
April 3, 2009
Class Act
Ideas are like ________ because___________
Here are some of the hundreds of answers they came up with...
Ideas are like babies because everyone thinks theirs is cute.
Ideas are like shoes because you need to break them in.
Ideas are like mirrors because they reflect the local environment.
Ideas are like hiccups because when they start they don’t stop.
Ideas are like bubbles because they easily burst.
Ideas are like cars because they take you places.
Ideas are like chocolates because everyone loves them.
Ideas are like the measles because they are contagious.
Ideas are like waffles because you need to throw the first ones out.
Ideas are like spider webs because they are stronger than they appear.
Do others come to mind???
April 2, 2009
A Different Kind of Hand-Out
I looked around and saw all these women helping each other at the conference. Why not create that type of supportive community at her spa. So, I suggested that she have a special promotion: Give a Hand and Get a Hand. If you come in at a specific time - say Tuesday evenings - then you get a half price manicure (get one hand free!) and in return spend some time at the spa helping others with their career issues (Give a hand.) This idea isn't completely "polished", but it does demonstrate that even when things seem ominous, there is usually some way to turn the problem on its head to create something of value.
Perhaps someone will try this idea... I'd love to know what happens.