The Jeff Pulver Blog: Empower the Imagination: A time for Companies to Reboot, Refresh and Rethink

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June 14, 2007

Empower the Imagination: A time for Companies to Reboot, Refresh and Rethink

“Countries and companies that empower their individuals to imagine and act quickly on their imagination are going to thrive." – Thomas Friedman.

In just about all startups, it was the seed of an idea that started everything. And as a company grows, somewhere along the company’s lifeline a time comes when a company leaves being a startup and becomes a real business (In Jeff parlance, this is the transition from being a “Virtual Business” (VB) to a “Real xxxxxxx Business” (RFB).

In a speech I gave last week in Tel Aviv, I suggested to employees of a very successful and established Israeli company that they should embrace the creative spirit and once again embrace innovation and change. I even went so far to suggest that the company should consider “…forgetting about ARPU and EBITA” for 12-18 months and see what happens. When the people said that “they are not Google” I suggested that maybe if they took the time to embrace innovation and change that they could try thinking like Google for a change.

I am convinced that just about ALL companies, large and small could benefit from engaging of the exercise of embracing innovation and creativity from within their own organizations. And not as a once-in-a-while exercise, but rather something that becomes part of the company overall approach to their day-to-day business.

Every once in a while I think it is good for everyone to do a Reboot, Refresh and Rethink.

What about YOU?

Tags: Startups, Innovation, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff on June 14, 2007 08:58 AM | Permalink

Additional resources: #140conf events | Watch the Jeff Pulver Show | Jeff's Qik Videos

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read that article too - oh did i send you that article - hmmm anyway lets go METS - its good for the yankees to eat a little bit of their own crow as we say in brooklyn - from a still brooklyn dodger fan :-) i think when the brooklyn dodgers left in the middle of the night was one of those defining moments that takes a bite our of your innocence - oh well - food for thought - geo
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Posted by: CWED at June 5, 2009 05:06 AM

I think what you are describing only really happens in a startup and/or a smaller company that has the luxury of alternate revenue streams that can allow them to "get creative".

It is the very reason I have only ever worked at startups. My few brushes with larger corporate environments (mostly transitioning after acquisitions) have been less than impressive from a freedom to innovate standpoint.

Embracing change has been a big key to making my career work. Once something is built and/or figured out things became mundane very quickly.

So I would say there are two real conditions to be able "think like Google". One is an environment where the bottom line can be forgotten (at least temporarily) and the other is having folks who not only embrace change but thrive on it.

Posted by: Jesse Chenard at June 15, 2007 09:19 AM

Agree with geo's comments, wholeheartedly. The people that are brought in to run a company after it has started up are almost never creators, innovators, or risk-takers. They're the people who thrive on process and grinding away. I have had a lot of recent experience with this phenomenon in the startup-gone-corporate I used to work at. Note: "used to work at". I left to do my own thing because no one there would try anything new anymore.

Posted by: joe c at June 15, 2007 08:33 AM

Jeff, I am not surprised to see that quote from Thomas ("The World is Flat") Friedman. I definitely agree that embracing change and innovation is key. One of the challenges I see many companies facing as they grow is how exactly to maintain that culture of change, especially as they lose the "small" feel and grow to include many employees and locations. I think all the new "social media"/Web 2.0/collaboration tools will go far in helping enable communication on the technical side, but there still does need to be a *culture* internally that embraces change. Anyway, thanks for the inspirational post.
Dan

Posted by: Dan York at June 14, 2007 02:30 PM

That was the motivating speech I needed today, Jeff. Thanks. I'll be preaching your wisdom to some clients today.

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Posted by: Mark at June 14, 2007 12:25 PM

i agree whole heartedly jeff - but the problem with most established companies is that the founders the innovators have either died off or left or been voted out by the mediocrity of management by fear and by the bottom line and so what you have left is maintenance crew of people who believe in their own propaganda - and change the facts to fit their needs - governments and corporations and accounting firms and many others we have seen get caught with their hands in the cookie jar and with their pants down - and so we see the old guard the old media the old ways who are afraid of change - the key to what you are saying is embrace change don't fear it - give em hell - and go METS - geo from diarRHETORICS.com

Posted by: geo at June 14, 2007 11:56 AM

Hi Jeff...we keep on trying to reboot and reinvent ourselves...sometimes we need help as well, like now.. we need votes to win the italian vlogawards, we are in the final phase and we need people just to click and vote for us (CIBI ALTERATI) so that we can achieve the goal, please support us! and vote, it's only a click away and it does not cost nothing ..Reboot us!! here is the link:
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Peace, Erik

Posted by: Erik Stripparo at June 14, 2007 11:20 AM

June 14, 2007

Empower the Imagination: A time for Companies to Reboot, Refresh and Rethink

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