http://www.xconomy.com/seattle/2009/10/08/memo-from-ray-ozzie-new-lab-will-use-social-computing-to-strengthen-microsoft-products/ Business + Technology in the Exponential Economy Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:14:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 http://www.xconomy.com/seattle/2009/10/08/memo-from-ray-ozzie-new-lab-will-use-social-computing-to-strengthen-microsoft-products/comment-page-1/#comment-86209 S.H.Basse, Bornholm, Denmark Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:59:49 +0000 http://www.xconomy.com/?p=45253#comment-86209 The spectacular lack of success with innovation in Microsoft and other big coorporations is due to the prevailing primitive approach to the exchange of valuable new ideas. To put the present situation for the exchange of ideas and other non physical achievements into a wider perspective one can draw historic parallels to the conditions for the exchange of physical goods in e.g. the Homeric period of Greek history or in Europe at the time of the Vikings. On a Viking raid the Vikings robbed others goods when they had the upper hand, traded on a neutral beach when the opponent was of equal strength, and fled as fast as possible when the opponent was of superior strength. It was more prestigious to rob than to trade so the Vikings bragged about their robbing and killing during the long winter nights when they sat at the long table drinking beer. The Vikings way of trading was obviously very inefficient, and it was first when the European societies had established firm laws for the exchange and ownership of goods and had police and military to protect and enforce these laws, that trade expanded faster and faster and led to the modern societies and the efficient way of trading that exists today. Unfortunately the exchange of novel and valuable ideas are still on the same level today as was the exchange of physical goods at the time of the Vikings. As long as the big cooporations continue to hackle and bully the creative innovators in stead of offering them firm and fair conditions and a fixed percentage of the proceeds derieved from their innovations, as long will small nimble firms continue to outperforme the big corporations. In house innovation will always be outperformed by the multitude of creative individuals outside! The spectacular lack of success with innovation in Microsoft and other big coorporations is due to the prevailing primitive approach to the exchange of valuable new ideas.
To put the present situation for the exchange of ideas and other non physical achievements into a wider perspective one can draw historic parallels to the conditions for the exchange of physical goods in e.g. the Homeric period of Greek history or in Europe at the time of the Vikings. On a Viking raid the Vikings robbed others goods when they had the upper hand, traded on a neutral beach when the opponent was of equal strength, and fled as fast as possible when the opponent was of superior strength. It was more prestigious to rob than to trade so the Vikings bragged about their robbing and killing during the long winter nights when they sat at the long table drinking beer.
The Vikings way of trading was obviously very inefficient, and it was first when the European societies had established firm laws for the exchange and ownership of goods and had police and military to protect and enforce these laws, that trade expanded faster and faster and led to the modern societies and the efficient way of trading that exists today.
Unfortunately the exchange of novel and valuable ideas are still on the same level today as was the exchange of physical goods at the time of the Vikings.
As long as the big cooporations continue to hackle and bully the creative innovators in stead of offering them firm and fair conditions and a fixed percentage of
the proceeds derieved from their innovations, as long will small nimble firms continue to outperforme the big corporations.
In house innovation will always be outperformed by the multitude of creative individuals outside!

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