Build to Test

There's a stage we have in running an Innovation Engagement that's called Prototyping or Engineering. This is the culmination of our work to that point where we give our team the opportunity to take everything they've collected, learned, and observed to that point and put that into a workable model.

The simple road out is to just build a plan, cast a vision, give a powerpoint presentation, or something that covers the concept but doesn't necessarily lay out a good model and example of exactly what you're thinking. It's the difference in an architect showing someone blueprints and then creating a fly through of the building. Some people can construct the idea in their head from a blueprint, but most of us need more visualization.

This is where our principle comes into play. Why do we prototype? We prototype (or build) to test. The better we build a model the more critically and accurately we can assess it's viability and determine how it resonates with our teams and clients.

My encouragement for everyone here is that no matter what you're working on (program design, product development, etc.) there is always an opportunity to prototype well and allow your audiences to evaluate accurately on a good idea of your proposal. Yes, it's simple... but it makes a big difference. Just remember that the more you can show the better your opportunities for success in the long run will be.

Creating Wealth

As we've been working through issues of social justice I've had time to think about certain perspectives surrounding this whole idea. Now, social justice can certainly be a good thing. But it can also be a bad thing if it's based on the wrong foundations and if it doesn't truly help people in the end. I wish to address the first point here.

The right foundation. There's a perception that if some people are to become wealthy then some others are to be taken from. The perception is such that there's only a certain amount of wealth in existence and for one to have more is for another to have less. And let's honestly consider what social justice means in terms of economics... a level playing field. But here's the marvel of capitalism... it's not about taking wealth from another, it's about creating wealth. This is simple, just think about the establishment of the United States and it's economic power over the past 5-7 decades. Where has that wealth come from? We created it.

The reason I bring social justice into this discussion is that we are careful to define our spheres correctly. If we have false perceptions of wealth and capitalism, then we're responsible to align those correctly to truth.

I'll leave with this thought. We often as, how it is that poverty is created? Shouldn't we be asking how wealth is created first?