The Olympics are inspiring to me … and not just the physical feats of prowess … It is the planning, the preparation, the sacrifice, the competition, and the sportsmanship.
Unfortunately, politics still can get in the way. Below, an Egyptian Judo competitor refused to shake hands with his opponent (from Israel) after losing to him on Friday.
But, that is the exception, rather than the rule. There’s also sportsmanship and diplomacy shown between countries that normally show animosity, evidenced by this selfie taken by a South Korean gymnast and a North Korean gymnast.
It's like a game where the ecosystem and the other players adapt and interact to the moves and responses of the others.
As a result, many innovations evolve (or mutate) … and ultimately get used for drastically different purposes than they were created.
It makes sense because the inventor is often focused on solving a particular puzzle (or finding a specific advantage), but once the innovation is exposed, others try to imagine how to use it for their (often different) benefit.
One one level, it's DarwinianNatural Selection. It's not always the best idea that wins; rather it's often the easiest (or quickest) to adapt that survives.
Historically, space exploration was funded by nations based on their wants and needs (including defense initiatives). However, recently, profit is becoming a bigger catalyst. Space travel for travel's sake is seemingly within grasp. So too is asteroid mining (with promises rich profits).
When the prize is big enough, it is more likely that someone finds a way.
The result is more innovation (as more resources are directed at the problem).
The point is that innovation often follows a prize.
There has been a ton of press about the poor air quality in China. Not much has made it better.
Now, however, there is an idea for towers to suck up polluted air, and clean it, releasing it back into parks and playgrounds (which then are supposedly 70-75% cleaner than the rest of the city). The difference is that this idea revolves around transforming the captured smog into diamonds.
If it works, China may actually have a disincentive to reduce smog.
Then, someone will figure out how to put that Tower on top of smog-producing sites (presumably capturing the carbon more efficiently and effectively).
At some point, the company that figures out how to do this will offer to do it for free (in exchange for its ownership of the byproducts of the process).
Soon others will sense the "profit" and compete. Predictably, they will offer to share the profits with the company (and later the city, the county, the state, or the nation).
And the game goes on …
Eventually, someone will complain that someone else got rich. But, on a different level, that's an innovation tax (the price society should gladly pay to have a better society).
It makes sense to let people search for value. It's even better when they create it.
For gamers, it’s an interesting expedition into “Real World Gaming," for techies, it's a cool use of augmented reality … And for the business-focused, it is a big sign of what's to come!
Let's start with the HUGE adoption numbers. It's not just kids playing, Parents are playing, my 23-year-old “adult” son is playing … I’ve been in a car where someone with a Master’s Degree was driving with his phone on the dashboard so he wouldn’t miss a Pikachu. It’s mind-boggling … and it's everywhere.
I imagine that this will be a major advertising strategy … Restaurants, stores, and events will pay for exclusive geo-fencing (meaning, you can only get "this" Pokemon at Coachella, while shopping at WalMart, or in a McDonald's). And, it won't be just Pokemon. Expect sports teams, bands, and movie franchises to get in on this quickly.
Flashback to 2001: I'd take my kids to 7-Eleven on our way home from school, and they'd beg me to buy them another pack of Pokemon cards, which they were convinced had "REAL" value.
Now it's 2016 and Pokemon is still relevant, and some of the cards are actually worth something.
Here's a geek note: A former division of Google had a similar (even more full-featured) game, called Ingress, before they created Pokemon GO.
This reiterates that success isn’t tied as closely as you might expect to being "first to market" or the "quality" of a product … it’s often the story and the experience.
To close, I’m excited to see what other innovations I'll get to enjoy before my kids are too old to care … My ace-in-the-hole, I expect future grandchildren to spur demand. (Side note to my kids: Get on this soon, please.)
Innovation is cool … And it is fun to guess which things will persist, and which will perish.
For example:
How long are we going to use TVs? Or,
How long will people try to trade stocks themselves?
Change is the only constant.
We’ve come a long way – and it is just the beginning …
He's an American businessman and founder of the investment firm Bridgewater Associates.
He appeared on the annual Time 100 list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
According to Forbes, he was the 30th richest person in America and the 69th richest person in the world with a net worth of $15.2 billion as of October 2014.
He's Ray Dalio – and here are his Top 10 Rules for Success.
4. People and culture is all that mattersAfter completing his education, Dalio worked on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange and invested in commodity futures.
5. Meditate
6. Don't let fear stop you
7. Mistakes are good things
8. Build a balanced portfolio
9. Sometimes the high points come from the low points
