Let’s be honest. The idea of an “innovation district” is little more than some corporate real estate marketing bullshit.
Innovation is like teenage sex. The people who talk about it the most, are doing the least amount of it.
Innovation is like teenage sex. The people who talk about it the most, are doing the least amount of it.
A decade ago I consulted on an innovation district project in New Zealand.
At the end of a presentation, one of the execs asked me what I thought of their plans. I responded “do you want me to say something nice or do you really want to know what I think?”
At the end of a presentation, one of the execs asked me what I thought of their plans. I responded “do you want me to say something nice or do you really want to know what I think?”
He said he wanted the truth since they had just spent like a ZILLION dollars on the first phase of the project.
So I told him the following:
“Have you ever seen a coral reef?”
So I told him the following:
“Have you ever seen a coral reef?”
He nodded.
I continued: “You see yourself as creating a coral reef, full of vibrancy and action, right?”
“I love that analogy” he replied.
I continued: “You see yourself as creating a coral reef, full of vibrancy and action, right?”
“I love that analogy” he replied.
“Well,” I said. “Do you know how sometimes they sink a ship or a plane to create a coral reef? I know you think you’re building the reef, but I think you’re building the ship.”
His smile vanished. He didn’t like my answer.
“The vibrancy in a reef comes from the coral and the fish and their interactions and how they contribute to each other. Otherwise the reef is just rocks. Or in your case, steel.”
“So, you’ve got two options. You can wait for your shiny steel ship to sink on its own, or...you can sink it yourself and let the reef do it’s thing. The only difference is how much money and time you want to waste.”
Like most consulting, I got paid well to give advice that was quickly ignored. But I’ve shared this story enough times to make the experience worth it.
When it comes to innovation, you can’t create a coral reef. You can only sink the ship and get out of the way.
When it comes to innovation, you can’t create a coral reef. You can only sink the ship and get out of the way.
