There are many places in this world I hope to one day experience. On that list was Sofia, Bulgaria. I use the past tense as I’m so happy to report that I had the opportunity to visit this beautiful city (and country) for the DigitalK conference. What a great event! I presented on topic that I refer to as “A Prelude to Innovation.” It’s meant to spotlight the important actions and events serving as the introduction to innovation itself. Shortly…
Tomorrow’s Products and Services Need to Offer Innovative (Not Just Iterative) Experiences
Napa Valley, what a wonderful place to visit. Some of my favorite wineries are in Napa. Paraduxx, Far Niente, Harlan, Mascot, Nickel and Nickel, Chandon, Domain Carneros, Cuvaison, Schug, just to name a few. Napa is also a wonderful place to work. And, I recently had an opportunity to do so when I was asked share my vision of the future at the Senior Living Innovation Forum. I’m not an expert in senior living care nor am I a master…
Evolving customer behavior gives retailers insight into innovation priorities
“Innovation starts with understanding who people are becoming, because in there are the insights into how they shop and why.” – Brian Solis, principal analyst at Altimeter Group Not too long ago, I had the opportunity to present my vision for retail innovation and shopper experience at “The Summit” hosted by AT&T in Dallas. Following the event, the AT&T Editorial Team, published a written summary and also a video highlight reel of my talk. I wanted to share them with…
Perspectives: Reimagining space and experience In the future of retail
I just finished researching innovation trends in retail. It took over a year to complete and honestly, the insights shared in it are applicable to every industry. Please download, read and share it with your colleagues, even if you’re not in retail. It’ll help. Recently, I was invited to present my findings on retail innovation at The Summit hosted by AT&T. I also cut right to the heart of the matter, that what we’re really talking about is change. How…
We keep talking about Millennials and Centennials, let’s just talk about human beings first and go from there
It’s my job to study how people, you and me, are changing as a result of our relationship with technology. It’s also my job to then reverse-engineer those insights into opportunities for innovation. There are immediate areas of where human-centered design can solve problems you are facing right now. There are many more areas where human-centered innovation and iteration can help you create competitive and critical opportunities for the future. Everything from customer experience (CX) and employee experience (EX) to…
The Importance of Having a Purpose in Digital Transformation and Innovation
So many companies are investing in digital transformation and corporate innovation strategies to compete for the future. They’re typically led by technology and aimed at growth areas such as customer experience (CX). In actuality, these efforts are most often not that innovative…they’re a bit more iterative than groundbreaking. That’s ok, but these times necessitate a balance of innovation and iteration. Many organizations are simply investing in new technologies and expertise to simply modernize legacy models, processes and systems. However, to…
Silicon Valley Uncovered: The evolution of tech, media and its impact on society
In 2010, my dear friend Hermione Way invited me as the first-ever guest on her then new show, “Silicon Valley Uncovered” for TheNextWeb. It aired on January 18th, 2011. I share this with you because the conversation, while several years old now, is strangely better suited for today and the modern times in which we live and work. I’m not even sure how I stumbled across this interview. To be honest, I’m taken aback by how prescient and philosophical this conversation…
Paris Built a Mini Silicon Valley with STATION F, a Massive Startup Campus Housed in an Abandoned Train Station
you’re a geek, entrepreneur, investor, tech reporter or analyst, startup or all of the above, make the trek to STATION F in Paris. If you could take the best of Silicon Valley and put it in one massive, and I mean massive, connected and glorious campus, it would be STATION F. It is by far, the most ambitious, yet incredibly thoughtful, architecture and assembly for cultivating a startup ecosystem under one roof. The brainchild of French billionaire and Iliad founder…
Insights on the Future of the Internet of Things (IoT)
I once referred to the consumer-facing Internet of Things (IoT) as the Internet of Sh!t. My point was that the entire ecosystem of IoT devices was created through technology-centered devices that were limited in scope, breadth and compatibility. I was and still am an advocate for something more universal, platform approaches that are human-centered and optimized for cross-device collaboration and optimization. The Internet of Things is a mess with too many products and apps competing for consumer attention. This creates…
Facebook is Becoming a Social Operating System for Human Beings and Robots
At f8 2017, Facebook aims to become your social network for reality, augmented reality and virtual reality…really. In the heart of Silicon Valley, Facebook once again hosted its highly-anticipated developer conference, which, for the record, appeals to anyone who follows, designs for, or uses the world’s largest social network. Drawing an estimated 4,000 attendees from all around the world, Facebook’s news blurred the line between reality and virtual reality and human and robot engagement for users in their personal and…
