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We are all unique in so many ways.  Yes, we may fall into broad groups when it comes to religion and politics, but all you have to do to see just how unique we all are is to shop at Walmart or get your drivers license renewed in person.   We celebrate diversity on many levels … it is a strength of our country.

So, why should we settle for one smart phone out of a small handful of choices?  Some of us hunt and fish, others play strenuous sports, some are young and do not need nor should have features that mature individuals desire.  It seems so logical then to imagine phones designed from the ground up to fit these perspectives … especially if you don’t like being criticized for the addicting behaviors with which today’s smart phones are being associated.

Take a look at this infomercial on the Wall Street Journal and decide for yourself.

Is this altruistic or opportunistic?  Is this merely to defuse imminent or future lawsuits?  Or, is this truly insightful about who we all are and how different we all are?

You decide.

 

Anyone close to me knows I have been predicting that the next big evolution in digital engagement will be the elimination of keystrokes  and the move to voice based interactions.  A few weeks ago I blogged about the consequences to what we have historically defined as brand attributes.  If you did not read that one, please do because you are about to see the consequences in mainstream America.

It was only a matter of time before a TV will be able to interact with viewers using voice… well that time appears to be right now. Read what USA Today has to say. 

Everyone in the energy industry has been preparing, studying, and hopefully refining the customer journey through mapping and then team based problem solving.  But, have they really thought about how the journey itself will change as the customer stops using keyboards and smart phones the way we have considered in the past?

The reasons for all this are obvious as you consider the number of remotes you probably have in your TV area.  How many of us have pointed the wrong remote at the TV thinking it would give us the results we desired?  And, how many of you with ROKU or the Amazon Firestick have stopped clicking and simply gone to voice control to find what you wanted?

The train is about to leave the station once again.  Do you have a plan for voice?  If not, give us a call.  We can get you started and begin the next journey together.

I never thought I would be referencing Bob Dylan about the realities of technology.  But, the wind industry released a statement that says it all: Read what Wind Watch has to say. 

Anyone who is technically versed in power system dynamics knows just how hard it is to keep the lights on.  It is not simply about having sources of energy… it is all about ramping sources up and down to keep the voltage and frequency within the specifications required for our motors, lights and equipment to operate.

Batteries have been a part of the renewable dream and are certainly a key feature of making PV solar panels and wind work (the other solar renewable source – remember friends that wind is a result of solar energy hitting our planet). But, the scale of this requirement is staggering for batteries alone to make a dent… staggering… especially when wind is priced in to the mix without regard for these balancing costs.

Balance… something designed into the system a hundred years ago… assumed centralized generation.  Yes, that balance has shifted with new sources of energy distributed through the system.  But, the essence of the balancing model has never changed: select all sources of energy based upon the costs and benefits.

Wind may appear inexpensive from a source perspective … but it consumes balancing energy out of proportion to any other renewable energy source.  It is time to put balance in the equations again.

 

I painfully remember my first course in digital optimization theory where the approach was to increment variables to find the optimal solution.  The thought was that “as long as you are climbing the hill” you can always seek the peak and know you have found it.

Of course, this assumption rests on computational continuity (technically speaking … no singularities) and nothing more complex than parabolic curved surfaces.  Very simply, if there was only one peak and no other lesser peaks, the methods would probably find it.  However, if there was one big peak and other smaller peaks, you might not find it unless your staring assumptions were within the “mound” of the big peak.

What I am trying to point out with all this, is that continuous improvement in business processes assumes this is true.  But, what if there needs to be a leap of faith to the best mound?  Incremental thinking generally will never find it.

So, now my friends, let me ask you to read this announcement and see if you can spot the “stinkin thinkin” associated with incremental thinking: Read the Energy Voice article here. 

Can you see it?  Why offer a lower cost mortgage for a home like this?  Why not bundle in the energy costs and write a long term fixed payment stream that uses the energy efficiency to drive a better yield on your money?

Think I am way out ahead of people?  Nope.  Thomas Edison never thought you would be able to sell kWh.  He thought the answer was to sell heat and light.  He was right … and that is the golden opportunity in today’s market and on into the future.  Stop thinking you are selling electricity or fuel.

Almost all of us know the puzzle where you have to connect the nine dots with four straight lines … and the only way to do that is to go beyond the edge of the box itself.  The facilitator will often summarize this as “thinking out side the box” and it has become synonymous with creative thinking.

Well, Toyota has just recently taken that to a new level.  Autonomous vehicles have largely been extrapolations of what we already have the cars just driving themselves.  Jeff Bezos at Amazon startled everyone with his drone delivery ideas last year… everyone thought he was nuts because we all assumed the drones would start at the distribution center… not launched from the delivery van using a hub and spoke concept.

Watch this video and think about how disruptive this idea really is.

Then, please go back to some of my earlier blogs and ask yourself: “Why are we so afraid of the future?  Shouldn’t we be thinking beyond the box we think we are in?”