How Yahoo drives innovation - Brickhouse

Yahoo has launched an internal innovation team, Brickhouse. Run by a Flickr founder, seeded with lots of creative engineers, Brickhouse is designed to help keep Yahoo fresh (and avoid the Innovator's Dilemma that comes from complacency).

Check out the article at http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2007/tc20070209_179924.htm?chan=search and score an idea or two for keeping the fire bright in your organization.

Getting out - or hiding inside?

(Pam) It's my job to collect observations and apply them to our work for inspiration - which in it's simplest form is keeping your eyes open, and more complicated - it's about sensing culture as it is and how it changes. I'm finding it hugely hard to do what should be the most enjoyable part of my job. I have to be outside, experiencing life, culture, art, people as much as possible. I have to avoid sitting at my desk checking emails. And yet getting outside, ignoring the endless admin and meetings attached to my role is the hardest part.

Why is it easier to hide inside - is it because that's where you have a measure of control (whereas outside you open yourself up to the knowledge that you know nothing?). Anyhow, I'm amazed that I find it easier to check emails! must have something to do with habit, yes?

The importance of simplicity

(Scott) I was musing with a friend the other day about the importance of simplicity in both B2C and B2B environments. It leads me to wonder - which companies have done the best job of distilling their message to something crisp, compelling and simple?

Naturally, Google is known for simplicity in search (at least with respect to its interface). Southwest offers simplicity (with respect to fare finding) in air travel. Who else is being exemplary? In what industries?

As further food for thought... what if there was a financial services company that communicated their financial products / instruments in a clear, simple manner? An automotive repair shop that made the bill and repairs easy to comprehend? There's a lot of opportunity to out-simplify current business models... who is getting it right?

Keeping fresh vs learning the language

(Pam) I'm in the midst of a dilemma at work. On the one hand I want to learn everything there is to know about tv so that I can talk the same language as them, influence them, impress them. On the other hand I'm supposed to be an outside, fresh perspective that always inspires a new viewpoint specifically from a non tv background. I have to learn the tv language to be successful at influencing and inspiring people with trends, but keep over-steering and forgetting that I'm there not to conform but to challenge! Anyone experienced anything similar?

We need cynics!

(PAM) I heard someone once say that cynics are the best people to have on a project, and the worst are those who seem to agree and support, but are undermining the project behind closed doors. Far better to have a cynic who forces you to do due diligence, cover every angle and prepare you to know how to answer the inevitable cynicism that will arise.

On a project I'm setting up at work we've found a person to join who is a real cynical traditionalist. We get along really well, but he's brutally honest, and he won't be easily persuaded. So many people are positive towards us and our department, but we keep hearing that we have off the record critics too. I hope our resident cynic will make sure we face both the good and the bad so things don't get too ugly!