Thinking Space

Technology

  • What can businesses learn from exaptation?

    The biology term exaptation was coined by great evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould to explain a trait that can evolve because it served one particular function, but subsequently, it may come to serve another. For example, although today most birds use their feathers to fly, it would be incorrect to say that this means that… Continue reading

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  • Computers and Humans

    Einstein once said “Computers are incredibly fast, accurate and stupid. Human beings are incredibly slow, inaccurate and brilliant. Together they are powerful beyond imagination”. A classic example comes from the time of nuclear race between USA and USSR.By 1983, the Soviets had built a brand new early warning system called Oko. Ready to detect the… Continue reading

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  • Blind to disruption – part 2

    Another classical example how a business could be blind to disruption (continuing from part 1) Knickerbocker Ice company Founding Year, 1831 – Employed 3000 people at peak, was one of the leading brand in Ice making business. Early Nineteenth Century – Closed its door to public Business model – Ice making Found on the East… Continue reading

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  • Is your business being disrupted – part 1?

    Existing businesses have always been disrupted by new entrants having better business models and flexibility to change faster. some of my favourite case studies include Blockbuster,Borders, Kodak and Knickerbocker Ice company. I’ll try to cover them in parts BLOCKBUSTER Year 2004 – $6bn turnover. 60,000 employees,  operations in 25 countries. Year 2010 – Filed for… Continue reading

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  • Your uncoordinated efforts could be harmful to your digital transformation journey!

    Well, digital is the buzzword these days and everyone is rushing to brand themselves as a digital organisation. However, many of these transformation efforts are being started in organisational silos. Well! you may argue that in order to start the transformation you need to start somewhere. But when this happens in an uncoordinated manner you end… Continue reading

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  • Adoption of Internet of Things

    M2M(Machine to Machine) communication is core to the success of the Internet of things but this whole concept of M2M will be only successful if it is aligned with the human motivation. There should be a reason for your smartphone to talk to your coffee machine or your phone to the thermostat. Technologists often forget aspects of… Continue reading

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  • Internet of Things

    Lt. Mark Weiser, chief technologist at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) wrote in his research, “The most profound technologies are those that disappear. They weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life until they are indistinguishable from it.” We have seen this happening as maturity in technology has evolved from something being into… Continue reading

  • Are you facing an exponential change?

    A lot of time we confuse the exponential change with linear rate of change, though initially; an exponential change may look like the liner change but if you are late to understand it you might be too late to act on it. A beautiful fable captures the power of exponential change. In ancient China, a… Continue reading

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  • Are you working on your Digital Strategy?

    Digital disruption is helping decision makers to implement the feedback loops in days rather than waiting for weeks or months in the traditional business setup. Whether it is the A/B testing for a new feature on your website or improving a business process for a customer segment using predictive analytics, the iteration cycles or what Eric Ries… Continue reading