At ThoughtOffice, we’ve made a real emphasis on helping users move from “idea hamsters” to producers. Why? Because in the real world, it’s APPLIED CREATIVITY that moves us forward. Now, this is not being critical of true artists. People who have the freedom to create with no end game in sight are great. But in my world, we have to create something of value that people will exchange for some other value (money, for instance).
How does ThoughtOffice Compare to MindMapping? First, let me state I’m a big fan of visualization of ideas. Get me within 10 feet of a whiteboard and I can’t help but grab a dry erase pen, pop the cap and start doodling. I’ll share where that came from someday. Suffice to say, when your big brother is on stage making a presentation and you just KNOW you can do better, you grab the pen and prove it…
How Important Is A Business Plan? Depends on a lot of factors, as it turns out. Factors include your time to market, your need for venture capital, the target market for your product or service, and so on. That’s a lot of stuff to consider. Let’s say you need a loan to buy a building or tools. In a recent post by Shara Rutberg of CNNMoney.com, (link at bottom of page) she spoke with an assistant director of the Service Corps of Retired Executives, and asked him about business planning:
I can imagine the eyebrows going up all over the Internet, the quizzical looks, the frantic Google searches on "The Columbo Principle". Allow me to explain myself.
For those of us old enough to remember Detective Lieutenant Columbo, masterfully played by Peter Falk, in his rumpled raincoat and battered Peugeot convertible, we will also [...]
Today’s post is about a new launch we’ve been working on for well over a year now… some say since 1998. It’s not about brainstorming… but it IS an innovation. And it took plenty of brainstorming to pull it together.
The shower is such a natural place to brainstorm. The pink noise (see the video for Kaki King’s rendition of that sound… brilliant!), the cocoon-like warmth, the echoes, the absence of digital media to distract us. My greatest challenge has been remembering and then capturing shower brainstorms so they could actually be put into action.
As anyone who follows this blog knows, we are Big Fans of Big Science. The more it looks like Star Trek, the better we seem to like it. This time, I’d like to share a little update on one of our favorite projects, the Large Hadron Collider at CERN.
