Comments on: Innovation sometimes requires us to risk being seen in our underwear http://anthillonline.com/innovation-sometimes-requires-us-to-risk-being-seen-in-our-underwear/ Business help for entrepreneurs, startups and small business owners in Australia | Business > Innovation > Technology > Entrepreneurship - Anthill Magazine: It's Where Ideas and Business Meet. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:06:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: JB http://anthillonline.com/innovation-sometimes-requires-us-to-risk-being-seen-in-our-underwear/#comment-30000 JB Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:15:08 +0000 http://anthillonline.com/?p=32031#comment-30000 Nice article. As a one-off I can understand the undies promo idea might create some noise and get people to turn up at your store. It actually always amazes me what people will do for $50! I'm interested to see how you go converting that traffic into customers who return again. Obviously, a short term spike in sales driven by a giveaway might sound good on paper (and appear innovative, creative etc)but it only actually matters if it creates something of value down the track. I was also at the innovation forum you were involved in. Fascinating stuff. I was fortunate enough to spend some time chatting with the panelists after the event. One of them (Paul) especially struck me as interesting. It seems this guy pioneered pop-up retailing here and then was involved with some others doing the same with electronic payments. Two (industry-shredding) home runs! One thing he said to me was to forget about being seen to be cool,creative,innovative etc - solve real problems and do it without fluff,ego and at the lowest possible cost. If it doesn't pay, then don't play.Awesome advice. BTW - I love Anthill and your blog - it's great stuff. Nice article. As a one-off I can understand the undies promo idea might create some noise and get people to turn up at your store. It actually always amazes me what people will do for $50! I’m interested to see how you go converting that traffic into customers who return again. Obviously, a short term spike in sales driven by a giveaway might sound good on paper (and appear innovative, creative etc)but it only actually matters if it creates something of value down the track.

I was also at the innovation forum you were involved in. Fascinating stuff. I was fortunate enough to spend some time chatting with the panelists after the event. One of them (Paul) especially struck me as interesting. It seems this guy pioneered pop-up retailing here and then was involved with some others doing the same with electronic payments. Two (industry-shredding) home runs! One thing he said to me was to forget about being seen to be cool,creative,innovative etc – solve real problems and do it without fluff,ego and at the lowest possible cost. If it doesn’t pay, then don’t play.Awesome advice.

BTW – I love Anthill and your blog – it’s great stuff.

]]> By: Mark http://anthillonline.com/innovation-sometimes-requires-us-to-risk-being-seen-in-our-underwear/#comment-29994 Mark Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:42:23 +0000 http://anthillonline.com/?p=32031#comment-29994 Great article Sahil. I agree that the first step in innovation is to try something new, without overanalysing it. This might not work with core business functions, due to the repercussions if things go wrong. But many of the peripheral functions can be played around with, and new technologies taken advantage of, with little risk to the business, but potentially great gains to be had. Great article Sahil.

I agree that the first step in innovation is to try something new, without overanalysing it. This might not work with core business functions, due to the repercussions if things go wrong. But many of the peripheral functions can be played around with, and new technologies taken advantage of, with little risk to the business, but potentially great gains to be had.

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