technology innovation | David M Masters

When you’re experiencing success in your marketplace, it is wise to be aware of changes in the wind, while being able to make adjustments to counter any unforeseen major changes in direction or overall weather conditions. Being able to maneuver turbulent waters and reinvent when necessary can help your organization or enterprise weather the storm.

Technologies are constantly changing and loyal consumers are fickle. While you may be today’s rising star, tomorrow you could be a forgotten has been.

The last thing you want to do is to follow in the footsteps of Blockbuster, Borders, Kodak, Pan-Am, Polaroid and/or a bazillion other companies who have crashed and burned – or are currently amidst a downward spiral – due to their inability to be more acutely aware of their surroundings, with enough time, talent, technology and opportunity to make adjustments to their course as needed.

Better by far to adopt strategies including total tear-down and rebuilding on-the-fly, like these companies you may recognize, who had the foresight to innovate, reinvent and adapt:

Apple

Apple started with stylistic user-friendly PCs then morphed into innovative hand-held devices iPod and iPhone followed by the iPad, the Apple Watch, Enterprise and Siri. Apple remains a leader in innovation, adaptation and exploration of new markets while creating demand for their forward-thinking projects powered by a culture of their unique avid supporter network.

Amazon

Amazon all but decimated the local bookstore by selling books online then expanded into other retail markets as Jeff Bezos desired to sell “everything” via his online portal. Reinvention included entering the manufacturing arena with technology-related products, streaming licensed – and broadcasting original – content, as well as redefining delivery methods of products in America and around the world.

Google

Remember when Google was a search engine? (Of course you do, they still are. In fact, it’s probably how you found this article.) Now, they are so much more as they continue to evolve and reinvent themselves along the way entering technology development, manufacturing of smart phones, hardware and innumerous gadgets for nerds.

Netflix

The innovative efforts of Netflix took a noticeable chunk out to the video rental business by offering DVD rental by mail. By keeping a mindful eye on the emerging video landscape, they were able to jump at the opportunity to join the video-streaming technology in 2007. In 2013 further reinvented Netflix as it began to take on the networks by releasing its own original content for subscribers.

Starbucks

Howard Schultz introduced us to a new and exciting way to experience coffee. Even so, after a while his coffee experience was under attack by major chains and independent entrepreneurs, all who wanted a piece of the Starbucks’ action. Shultz hit the road and discovered that advancements that had been made in recent years allowed clientele and his market to deteriorate. Once he discovered this, he reinvented Starbucks without the advancements, returning it to its original charm and put his company back on the map.

Target

Taking a beating in the big-box market place, Target was losing market share when it decided to reinvent itself by setting Target apart from the other mass retailers, like Walmart and Kmart. By teaming up with fashion designers they were able to introduce value-priced clothing and cosmetics to reposition themselves as being America’s purveyor of affordable chic. Now, faithful consumers refer to the store as Targét.

Toyota

Japanese car company’s Toyopets were not well received by the American audience and when expensive import tariffs were levied against their off-shore vehicles, they set up manufacturing in the USA. By focusing on refining production and engineering capabilities they were able to produce an affordable low mileage and maintenance automobile with a longer lifespan that other vehicles. So as not to lose market share, they expanded their lines to include Lexus’s luxury cars and the Prius.

YouTube

One Valentine’s Day, former PayPal employees decided to launch a video dating site with huge investments. The dating site was an enormous flop, but the video backbone of the system was inherently sound, so rather than tuck their tail between their legs and walk away from their angel investors, they decided to reinvent themselves as a video sharing site that was later acquired by Google to the tune of $1.65 billion.

Just a few examples to keen you up to the idea, it would behoove you not to become complacent in either your personal or professional strategies. You don’t have to take on the responsibility on your own, as you can defer much of it to your team, but you must be plugged in to the heartbeat of your clients, potential clients, and the changing landscape, so as not to be blindsided.

I have a client who has a project so big that it could literally change the world as we know it.

Certain challenges appear when you’ve been put in charge of innovative ideas so incredible that it is nearly impossible to explain to people ill-equipped to be receptive to an idea that is so incomprehensible because it represents an entirely new and unique approach and type of thought counter-intuitive to accepted and established streams of consciousness.

The main obstacle to overcome is disbelief. When not only the general public but the system that supports and promotes all accepted and embraced technologies, trains of thought and belief systems reject your product or idea due to its truly revolutionary and inconceivable concept, the road ahead is not an easy one.

It takes an extraordinary individual, who may not have an inkling of how to change the world, to accept the responsibility of taking on a project that is so grand in its scope so as to potentially change our planet and its peoples far into the future for generations to come. These may (or may not) be million dollar ideas.

Certainly, we can look back and historically recognize there were people who changed the world, those to whom were given the charge of innovative ideas that changed science, technology, sociology or philosophical thought in the past. Many of them presented innovative ideas that were rejected at the outset, and some did not live to see their idea become accepted as the new revolutionary factual basis allowing us to progress or evolve even further into a brighter future.

We live in the most exciting times

For the most part, within the last 150 years, there has been an outpouring of new thought bombarding those unique individuals open to the idea that the universe is eager to disseminate some of the newest technology innovation and best advancements for our planet and its inhabitants to benefit from and enjoy. Beyond doubt, these individuals have proven that one man can change the world.

What if you are selected as one of the minds to be trusted with an innovative idea?

What would you do if you were given a new thought to share with the world?

A

Will you take it, accepting your destiny and charge forward past the point of no return with boats blazing through the torrential terrain into the uphill unknown abyss for the greater good?

Or

B

Will you think, “Oh, that was a good idea.” Share it with a few people who agreed with you but also noted that the idea was somewhat crazy or weird, and decided that pursuing it would be too hard for you.

The people I work with choose the A approach to the idea. They are the chosen ones.

It doesn’t take long for them to realize it is likely too much for them to handle alone, so they set out to assemble a team. I (and others, like me) are a part of the teams assembled to assist the revelation of this product, project or idea to the world.

I am both honored and blessed to have the ability to assist these individuals with all my knowledge, contacts, talents and abilities – to do whatever it takes – to move these innovative ideas forward and ultimately make the world a better place.

Having an entirely new innovative idea bestowed upon you is a blessing but moving it forward (especially if it represents a widely unaccepted concept) can be a long and fierce journey to be avoided by the faint of heart.

But know this

If you were the recipient of such an idea, God saw in you all the components necessary to bring this idea to the world. It is up to you to accept and step into your calling, or roll-over and go back to sleep.

If you do not accept the challenge to be one of His people that changed the world, it will be given to someone else.