Curiosity = Innovation

Why is innovation important?

Because people are curious.

Geraldo Rivera opens Al Capone’s (empty) vault in 1986.  Millions tune in (and a career is launched).

27 years after the first season of The Real World, the Robertson family has made duck hunting the subject of the top rated show on TV.

We want to know what other people are doing.

Sometimes our curiosity outweighs our better judgement.  Helps explain why the Chicago Tribune printed a story on page 1 of their Sunday newspaper about the family of a young diplomat killed in Afghanistan deciding to finally see what was in her tote bag.  Heartbreaking.

We want to know what could be in there.

We want to know how to fly further, what could taste better, when will we get there…?

Every question reflects curiosity and leads to an answer. Every answer leads to an idea.  Every idea can be an amazing innovation.

If you’re always curious, you’ll always be innovating. 

Confidence = Generosity (Part 2)

“Six months into the business, we got one of those Starbucks coffee machines here in the office.  If I had realized the morale boost that would come from having a free coffee machine in the office, I would have got it Day One.  It’s almost more exciting than medical benefits.  We have one on every floor now.”

So says Darrell Cavens, co-founder and co-owner of Zulily, in a great recent piece in Inc magazine. 

Zulily is a daily deals site for moms and kids with membership of 10 million and recent valuation of $1 billion.  Early on, he learned a valuable lesson:

It’s amazing how simple it can be to make a person happy. 

In every ad agency in which I worked, there was more excitement around half-day Fridays than year-end bonuses.

Free is good. 

Never underestimate the power of generosity.

Because nothing is ever given away that isn’t somehow eventually paid back.

Like free lattes. Or free pizza.

Every one of those cups of coffee and sausage slices fuels internal human positivity, and that’s something you can’t put a price on.

Because it leads to happy brains.

Which leads to ideas being created.

Which leads to business improving.

Which leads to more free pizza and caffeine.

It’s the most productive and delicious virtuous circle in the history of the world.