Idealog
- Business Magazine of the Year MPA Awards 2007, 2008 & 2009 Business Website of the Year MPA Awards 2009
January-February 2010
Interact
8
Editorial
A worthy word
10
Contributors
Sam Eichblatt, Lauren Bartlett and Alan Dove
12
Taking Webstock
Webstock 2010 is nearly upon us. Webstock’s senior VPs reflect on past glories—and those yet to come.
16
Taking stage
Product innovation can often be a case of the confused leading the irrational. No wonder three out of four projects fails. But Robert Cooper, a leader in new product development, consultant to the Global 1000, author and seminar speaker, has a simple fix
18
Agenda
What to do, where and why
Now
23
Game on
“I just don’t know how we did it” says Andrew Hunt, proud parent of a son and an award-winning short film.
24
Show Biz
At just two years old, Twitter is a worldwide phenomenon and changing the way we communicate. Co-founder Biz Stone says it’s a happy accident
26
Superfreaky
Freakonomics was freaky, but Superfreakonomics pushes the envelope even further, analysing the price of prostitution, how terrorists can be tracked through their financial records and most controversially how technological advances could remedy global warming. Stephen J Dubner responds to its “angry” reaction
Idealog Guide
33
Welcome and a warning
This guide helps New Zealanders turn their ideas into world-beating products, businesses and brands. Whether you’ve got an idea of your own, you’re working on other people’s ideas or you’d simply like your company to be more innovative, you’ll find essential answers in these pages
36
No blue sky, brainstorms, buy-in
The first thing to get clear in your mind about the innovation and ideation process is that it is a process, and one you should consciously control.
44
Failing to plan is planning to fail
Your business plan is a vital part of structuring the early development of your business, and will act as a dashboard to manage your starship Enterprise once she’s operational. Remember you are planning to make the jump to light speed at some point, so plot a sensible course.
50
Protecting your idea
The dog ate my intellectual property protection. If you find yourself snapping a self-portrait while holding up some sketchy diagrams and today’s paper or posting notes to yourself by registered mail in an effort to prove that your original inspirational ideas are indeed yours, you need help.
54
Why you need the guys in the designer specs
Why is a low-end Lexus more sought after than a top-of-the-line Toyota, given they are made by the same people? Why do you feel all international and summery when you drink Sol and staunch when you drink Lion Red? It’s because everybody judges a book by its cover.
60
Is there anybody out there?
Every business likes its customers, but not every business can define them—who they are, what they buy, what they read, what they watch, how much money they spend and where.
66
The moment of truth
The point at which people really get excited about an idea is when they can reach out and touch it, kick its tyres and take it for a spin. This is also a very exciting point for the innovator. Once you have created your prototype, there is every chance you may discover new markets and applications for you innovation as people get hold of it and interact with it in unexpected ways. If things go really well, this may also be your first opportunity to show something concrete to potential partners, investors and customers, to whet their appetites and pry open their wallets.
68
Crunching numbers
It’s just possible your wonderful idea will make you rich. It’s almost certain that it will make you poor first. If you want a quiet life with a steady income, where you always know where the next pay cheque is coming from, commercialising ideas is probably not for you. If you are ready to risk it, talk to an accountant. You’ll need financial structures that are robust enough to cope with tight times—or rapid success. And there are some important tax and liability issues that can be devastating if overlooked.
Features
78
Picture perfect
While the gaming industry works out how to draw yet more pixels faster, a Dunedin company is using its backyard invention to bring the real world to screen in picture-perfect quality. meets the snap-happy team behind Areograph
84
The Mersey feat
The Beatles may have brought Liverpool fame, but the city was stuck in the Mersey Beat for decades. Now ambitious new architecture is reigniting interest in Liverpool and the city suddenly is celebrating its past and setting itself up for the future. Envious Aucklander reckons the formula could work in New Zealand’s timid cities, too
88
Own brand
Designer Katie Taylor has done it her way from the beginning of her career, whether it’s design in the Middle East or acrobatics in Russia. She tells about tenacity, life away from home and surviving London in a recession
94
Saving science
With our major export sectors under pressure, the science sector could become the saviour of our economy—but first, says , it seems we need to save science.
Workshop
103
Where no man has gone before
Books: Jacques Attali offers a vision of the past that entrepreneurs and innovators can relate to. But what of the future? Market democracy, he reckons, is coming to an end.
107
Can touch this
Technology: Games and mobile gadgets are interactive. So why are desktops still so uncomfortable?
107
Where the wild things are
Art: Neil Pardington’s exhibition The Vault explores those parts of museums that usually remain unseen
110
Eat, drink and be merry
Market metrics: There’s a ready solution to the retail recession: ’tis the season to be jolly
111
Digital dawn
Creative metrics: Avatar is being released in 256 screen formats. Think there might be a future in post-production?
112
Parting shot
Show time
Plus
29
IdealGear
Idealog’s pick of design-led delights
Idealog #25
January-February 2010
Audi designer Wolfgang Egger brings the A5 Sportback to life right in front of our eyes. It’s all about three lines, apparently, but those three lines have been obsessed over. Enjoy the autospeak: the rear comes complete with both accent and elbow.
Latest issue: Under the sea
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Aha! Business Ideas
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Residential, retail and commercial architecture and graphic design. -
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It's got to be good for online retailers selling to the US. They will be able to offer a better multi-media experience.
Fantastic! Finally some vision in establishing a key infrastructure to support New Zealand's future prosperity and commercial competitiveness. Good work Rod, Sam and Steve - your country thanks you for your patriotism! …
Unfortunately it is not just red tape - it is also the laid back kiwi attitude, compounded by educators who think achieving national standards is a bad thing.
The target of higher GDP per capita is all wrong. Aiming for it encourages more production and consumption, often at the expense of quality of life. We need to construct a Genuine Progress Index (GPI) to guide policy. Fr …
"You got caught up in events at EMI.." and yet shes STILL with EMI - their local branch is distributing her new album. Wonder why?
I blogged some more of Hollies comments on the details behind the fallout …
Brilliant, insightful article, VH.
This situation has principally arisen because - simplistically - the world no longer wants what we are intrinsically advantaged in supplying.
And yeah, it doesn't look like our co …