Blogs

I've been trying to work up a new equation. Could it be that business models that demand a certain (albeit tiny) amount of exertion from the customer, in return for a proportionate (or slightly greater) and guaranteed reward, are more likely to build brand loyalty than those which provide a solution that's seemingly effortless to achieve?

Google’s acquisition of SocialDeck at the end of August made it the 11th social media-related company Google has snapped up so far this year – five of them in August alone. The buying spree raises questions as to where the company is heading with its much-anticipated play in social networking. What Google needs, and what is not yet evident, is a coherent strategy for social networking that pulls together the disjointed pieces of its growing social media portfolio.

Your computer is dead and you need to buy a new one. Well, have you actually taken the time to think about what you use a computer for? “Work. You know, email and stuff,” is not a proper answer.

The role of entrepreneurship in corporate strategy goes far beyond trying to get innovative products to market or gaining an edge over your competitors. It helps to set the culture of an organisation that affects staff retention, engagement and productivity. So how do we motivate our employees into adopting this new culture?

In his previous article, Roger La Salle challenged innovation practitioners to examine the rate of return on their innovation investment. Here, he explains how to set a time scale to obtain this return: "If you can have an early win with innovation then you can be sure more budget will be forthcoming and still greater achievements can be obtained." To find the low-hanging fruit (and the lowest risk) for your startup, the best place to begin is with Process Innovation.

One question – Where do you do your best thinking? – received the most surprising answer. Only around 10% of people responded “at work”. Consider this: people are paid to think, and are required to spend a lot of time at work, yet work is not the place where they think well.

From Levi Strauss’ canvas pants to the minimalism of Twitter, every invention has its detractors. While Ryan Spanger counts himself among the indignant, he suspects something is amiss in our rush to judgement. When we learn to think beyond our gut reactions, he argues, we learn how to make innovation work for us.

Since extending the reach of Anthill's 30under30 awards to include 5over50, it feels like we’ve received nothing but criticism. Sure, enthusiastic ‘upstarts’ and ‘restarts’ have entered in droves. But the majority of direct feedback we've received can largely be paraphrased in three words: "What about me?!" So, after a short period of festering, here are my own (and very sincere) 24 responses to these 30 to 50 year-old critics.

While the future shape of Government in Australia is still undecided, sufficient trends are emerging to enable IT managers to undertake some reasonable scenario planning. This is certainly not a time to sit around waiting for an answer, as the news is not all bad for government IT.

The CBA is making a profit and yielding a handsome return on investors' funds, despite not having enough liquid assets to cover its own debt. How can this be? The answer lies in the Balance Sheet – understand it, and in the event of a downturn, you and your business will withstand the worst.

The CBA is making a profit and yielding a handsome return on investors' funds, despite not having enough liquid assets to cover its own debt. How can this be? The answer lies in the Balance Sheet – understand it, and in the event of a downturn, you and your business will withstand the worst.

I can’t believe how many times lately that I’ve spoken to business owners who claim that their product or service is one of the best in their field. And I believe them. I have absolutely no doubt that they are right. But then when I ask them how they position their pricing, they tell me they choose to set their pricing level in the middle of the market range. Why? It doesn’t make sense.

In the online world, it seems there is not much demand for large graphics of this nature, despite their effectiveness at explaining an often complex message or set of principles. (We know this because we measure traffic with the obsessive zeal of a quantity surveyor on speed.) However, when we received a polite invitation from OnlineSchools.org to post a big graphic on the rise of Facebook, we couldn't resist.

Somewhere along the line it has become unappealing to let others see our emotions. More and more we rely on highly impersonal means – text messaging, social media and emails – to keep in touch but also to convey confidential information, conduct negotiations and build relationships. More and more we are talking at everyone but not really connecting with anyone.

Five minutes of overheard conversation in any Australian watering hole or bus-shelter this week will tell you that Tony Abbott is a misogynistic mad monk and that Julia Gillard is a political assassin controlled by faceless apparatchik of the union movement. But are these the factors that will steer Australia in a direction that will create an economically secure and culturally harmonious nation for decades to come?

Five minutes of overheard conversation in any Australian watering hole or bus-shelter this week will tell you that Tony Abbott is a misogynistic mad monk and that Julia Gillard is a political assassin controlled by faceless apparatchik of the union movement. But are these the factors that will steer Australia in a direction that will create an economically secure and culturally harmonious nation for decades to come?

Among the belly-flopping corgis, astonishing Indian Pole Gymnastics and Justin Bieber clips that rise to the top of YouTube's most watched clips on any given day, it's rare to find something of substance. That's why it's forever reassuring to witness the rise of an opinion that is not built on a sound-bite or caters to the common view.

In 2009, inventor Don Morgan was a finalist in Anthill’s Smart 100 competition. However, as he recounts in this passionate plea for change, his quest for grant funding at home has forced him to take his innovation elsewhere.

Yesterday, we received the following 'pitch' through our editorial ideas submission form: "We are looking for a charismatic solo entrepreneur (or aspiring entrepreneur) to take part in an innovative documentary film project... available to travel overseas for up to two weeks sometime in the next couple of months." Sounds like fun.

Both good and ill sentiments have been shared about Commercialisation Australia since its launch in early 2010. Recently, Adrian Spencer pinpointed six myths about CA. But are we overlooking the benefits of the competitive process by dwelling on the shortcomings? Andrew Weller thinks so. Here, he argues that the point of CA isn’t merely to fund good ideas but to encourage strong business models that withstand the rigours of competition.