Pierre’s logs

This community is part of the WENOVSKI Design Thinkers Network and is meant for anyone who wants to participate or organize an UnConference or Dinner Jam on design thinking or related topics.

It's an invitation to arrange IRL meet-ups as an addition to the online conversations we have.

At Current, Levine takes pride in what he describes as its innovative culture, where people are willing to try new things and retire what isn't working. From its inception in 2005, Current has invited its audience to participate and collaborate in ways that integrate web and television platforms. Users can post or "clip" stories - a URL, a portion of an article, a comment - from other sources. Other users add comments and vote, which helps determine the placement of clips on the website and what might be highlighted on Current TV, the company's cable television channel.

Users also produce 5- to 7-minute stories, called "pods," that profile a character or idea. The company has compiled an online library of thousands on many topics. Its film review program includes video movie reviews submitted by viewers. And as part of a recent music show, Current posted a featured hip-hop artist's audio and video files on the website, allowing users to remix their own versions, some which appeared on television.

Current aims also to have "young, fresh, aggressive reporters," Levine said, who appeal to an audience as more "authentic and approachable" than standard cable TV reporters and hosts.

Winning an audience has been a challenge in an era when many media companies are struggling to reinvent themselves. In November, Current cut 80 jobs, about a fifth of its staff, as it shifted emphasis from production of pod-centered shows to half-hour and hour-long shows, some of which are acquisitions and co-productions. The longer formats are a more effective way of telling in-depth stories, Levine said. He insists that Current remains committed to strong audience participation, however. Even though the company will acquire fewer pods, it may increase other areas of user-produced content, such as simple webcam videos, articles, and comments.

"We're in a two-way dialogue, and over time, we're trying a number of ways to make that happen," Levine said. "It's a shift, and a balance."

On the Media

Transformation is in the air. Business leaders across industries are recognizing that “old school” management isn’t up to the task of nonstop innovation. As a result, companies that were once run from the top down are steadily shifting to a more networked style of management in which employees and customers play a greater role in driving innovation. Networked cultures tend to be more creative, more agile, and better able to anticipate the needs of customers.

How do you create a culture of innovation? By recognizing one simple fact: If you want to innovate, you’ve got to design. Design and design thinking are the tools that create new products, new services, new business models, new markets, and new industries. The best way to leverage innovation—as outlined in my latest book—is to build a “designful company”. (Buy the book.)

To find out where you are on the culture curve, take this simple test: Share a total of 10 points across each of the 10 pairs below. For example, if your company is more siloed than collaborative, you might score it 6 and 4. When you’ve finished, add up the two columns to measure your progress. If your totals come out to 60 and 40, for example, you could say that you’re 40% along the path to an innovative culture.

Designers have traditionally focused on enhancing the look and functionality of products.  Recently, they have begun using design tools to tackle more complex problems, such as finding ways to provide low-cost healthcare throughout the world.  Businesses were first to embrace this new approach—called design thinking—now nonprofits are beginning to adopt it too.

Some standouts for me from the conference [Agriculture 2.0] (in order of appearance not importance!)

Tod Murphy from Vermont’s Farmer’s Diner. He talked about working with farmers and creating a business that was successful and practical. Love that his diner serves the farmers he buys products from.

Carol Kramer LeBlanc, from US Department of Agriculture where she serves as the director of Sustainable Development. Her talk was interesting because she outlined all the new programs available to farmers. Cannot wait to see the impact of these new programs in our rural communities!

Diana Endicott from Good Natured Farms a cooperative of 18 family farms in Kansas and Missouri. Very inspiring woman and organization. Great model for farmers getting together to save rural communities.

Craig Wichner who founded Vital Farmland, LP which invests in farmland and turns it into organic/sustainable farms. Would love to talk to him about all the farmland we have in upstate New York!

Pam Marrone, from Marrone Biopesticides an organic pesticide alternative manufacturer. Very impressed with her presentation, frankly a lot of the talk went over my head but from what I gathered she is a one-woman scientific powerhouse that has been creating patented biopesticides. Seems like there is a lot of exciting stuff that is and will be coming out of her company. Very cool.

Melina Shannon-DiPietro from Yale Sustainable Food Projects who spoke about the energy and commitment of today’s college student. Very inspiring and true, young people want to change the world with their minds and bodies. Cannot wait to see the energy these young people bring to farming and food in America!

Omidyar’s $30 million investment is a step in between. These will be investments, loans and sometimes grants for entrepreneurs looking to build high-growth, high-impact ventures that can have an out-sized affect on the poverty stricken region where some 10 million people live on $2 or $3 a day.

[...]

The reality is the world’s economic growth is no longer happening in the U.S.. It’s happening in India, China, Africa, Russia, Indonesia, Brazil and a host of other smaller countries. There is innovation and entrepreneurship already there. Billion dollar companies will be formed. The question is, does America and the Valley want to play a role in that?

Entrepreneurs, farmers, scientists, academics, government officials, heads of investment funds focused on alternative agriculture - a ‘who’s who’ of the rapidly growing sustainable agriculture industry – met in New York for this all-day event. 

Agriculture 2.0^TM is the starting point for the next stage of growth in sustainable agriculture – bringing together top-tier capital sources, business leaders and innovators. 

It's the first time I hear about Agriculture 2.0 !
2.0 is an amazing trend ! I am currently attending the Paris 2.0 conference here in Paris !

What about World 2.0 ?!

The new currencies reflect a changing landscape for scarcity, what any currency is based on.

In a time where information is abundant, there needs to be a new definition of what's becoming scarce: attention, trust, reputation.

The centralized currency was developed by monarchs in the 12th and 13th century to prevent peer-to-peer transactions.

Environmentalists may not change. In a way it's almost irrelevant whether environmentalists change and take the lead because the political situation suggests that we don't have the global institutions to deal with a global problem. A lot of the best information comes from the United Nations, the United Nations studies on cities and slums and things like this and population are about the best source you can find.

If it weren't there, we wouldn't have good information about those things, but it does not have administrative power. We probably don't want a planetary government but I suspect that if we go too far down climate catastrophe that could be something you wind up with, a bad planetary government. What you want is planetary collaboration mainly of the main governments that exist now.

STEWART BRAND is cofounder and co-chairman of The Long Now Foundation. He is the founder of the Whole Earth Catalog, cofounder of The Well, and cofounder of Global Business Network.