Earlier in the year, I spent some time with Jason Ankeny. He was, at the time, writing an article for Entrepreneur on “the next five years” of business for the print edition. He assembled a pretty stellar cast to serve as his panel and I was more than excited to join in. Ankeny set up the discussion this way… The period between 2015 and 2020 is poised to redefine virtually every facet of how we live and work. It probably…
Disrupt or Be Disrupted: Welcome To The Disruption Revolution
Sometime toward the end of last year, I spent some time with David Passiak (@Passiak), author of Red Bull to Buddha: Innovation and the Search for Wisdom. At the time, he was leading an ambitious project to connect over 20 innovators in the tech startup world and share their perspectives in one, free, book…Disruption Revolution: Innovation, entrepreneurship and the new rules of leadership. The book takes a case study, thematic approach that moves beyond buzzwords and industry jargon [thank goodness]…
It’s Always Darkest Before the Dawn of Entrepreneurship
Understanding the investment process in Silicon Valley used to require membership to a very exclusive club of investors, plugged-in media and experienced entrepreneurs. Adeo Ressi sought to change that. After starting seven successful companies that created over $2 billion in shareholder value he was faced with diminishing equity with each new company he would start. In 2007, Ressi unveiled the anonymously backed TheFunded.com in 2007 to shine a light on the situation to improve the human and financial relationships between…
Never Say Never: How Loic Le Meur turns startups into successful experiences
All eyes are on innovation hot spots around the world. But it’s not just about hot startups, soaring investments, and mind-blowing exits, it’s about the series of common traits that inspire entrepreneurialism. Vision, determination, creativity, salesmanship and the relentless pursuit of communities is something that not only applies to entrepreneurs but also intrapreneurs within small and large organizations. The truth is that in times of innovation, everyone must think about what we do today and how it can be done…
![Silicon Valley is Not a Place, It’s a Movement…and It Has a Story Behind the Story [video]](https://briansolis.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/rev-owen2.png)
Silicon Valley is Not a Place, It’s a Movement…and It Has a Story Behind the Story [video]
Silicon Valley is a flashpoint for innovation and entrepreneurialism. But, what does Silicon Valley even mean these days? Silicon Valley technically spans the area in the southern San Francisco Bay Area including Santa Clara Valley, San Jose and southern East Bay. What Silicon Valley actually refers to in terms of geography seems moot in an economy when the idea of Silicon Valley is much bigger than the square miles it covers on a map. In reality, when people outside of…
Disruptive Technology and How to Compete for the Future
Disruptive technology is the bearer of tremendous opportunity and equally a harbinger of obsolescence. Technology’s impact on society and business is substantial, if not underestimated. As technology continues to become part of everyday life, it becomes disruptive in how people communicate, work, and connect. The evolution of society and technology happens with or without adaptation or understanding. And, it’s contributing to a very real phenomenon of Digital Darwinism, a situation where organizations are faced with a need to adapt to…
The Games Businesses Play with Customers
Part four in a four-part series on innovation and change as the new schools of business management… As a child, you most likely played two very popular playground games, dodge ball and four square. If you’re an adult who is also an early adopter of emerging mobile applications, chances are you play them once again. The difference is that this time a mobile phone takes the place of a ball and it’s usually not hurling toward you. Dennis Crowley knows…
Zappos’ Tony Hsieh Delivers Happiness Through Service and Innovation
Part three in a four-part series on innovation and change as the new schools of business management… To call Zappos an online shoe store takes away from the brilliance behind the 12-year-old e-commerce powerhouse. While its original premise was based on helping people find the shoes they want, in one place, online, and discounted, it certainly evolved into something nothing short of disruptive. As we hear so often with technology startups, Zappos was born in a college dorm room. Already…
Twitter Co-Founder Jack Dorsey and the Ideas that Sparked a Revolution
Part two in a four-part series on innovation and change as the new schools of business management… Jack Dorsey is the co-founder of Twitter and Square. He has since rejoined Twitter as Executive Chairman and will focus on product development to further Twitter’s mainstream appeal. He also remains CEO of Square. What follows is my uncut interview with Dorsey for a recent Entrepreneur Magazine cover story. Maybe you have to have helped conceive Twitter to be bold enough to take…
The Dilemma’s Innovator: Innovation and Change as the New Pillars of Business
If necessity is the mother of invention, then perhaps imagination is the source of innovation. In December 2010, I was given the opportunity to write the cover story for Entrepreneur Magazine. The article, “Change: Lessons on What’s Next,” explored the innovation behind three (well four) companies — Foursquare, Square + Twitter, and Zappos. Throughout the years, I’ve had the opportunity to spend time with Dennis Crowley, Jack Dorsey and Tony Hsieh. And over that time, I’ve observed inherent traits that…
