Designers w/o Borders September 30, 2009
Posted by Sunil Malhotra in Business, Companies of the future, Design Thinking, Entrepreneurship, Globalisation, Innovation, Thought leadership.Tags: Design, Ideafarms, India, Indo-Dutch collaboration, Industrial Design, Industrial Designers, Innovation, International Design, New Business Models, Sunil Malhotra, Sustainability
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World Trade Centre, Rotterdam, 25th September 2009. Indo-Dutch collaboration summit focused on Industrial Design. Hmmm … (Design Crossover).
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- A view of the audience
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- That’s me on the right!
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- Raijmakers & Oberdorf
Why they invited me to speak is still somewhat of a mystery considering I dropped off the Industrial Design radar towards the end of the last millennium. I guess it could’ve been because my company, Ideafarms, has been able to maintain a growing relationship between India and Europe over the last 8 years through projects and partnerships with Dutch and German corporations.
I’ve never been a champion of networking – I’ve actually often criticised some of my friends for using networking to get ahead – but am quite overwhelmed having been in the midst of some of the most ‘conscious’ designers of today. Jeroen 
Raijmakers of Philips and Jos Oberdorf of NPK Design are inspiring to say the least. I’m grateful to Ruchita Puri for the opportunity to meet them at the event.
From whatever was presented, it looks like good design can be really good business. There’s a case to be made out for a design collaboration without borders. Couple of good reasons here …
1. European design reflects high quality, the idiom being minimalistic and functional. Whereas India’s design sensibilities are more embellished. Their combination will raise the aesthetic appeal without compromising design values.
2. Pure economic tenets come into play when we see the sheer number of people both on the supply side (design talent is plenty in India) and the demand side (India is emerging as one of the largest markets). Leveraging the ‘great Indian talent pool’ is an opportunity.
3. The life sensibilities of India’s cultural make-up have always been in the mould of sustainability, something the world has woken up to only recently. Add to this the rich craft-based traditions and you have a universal design paradigm that’s as powerful as Buddhism.
Jump into this conversation folks. You don’t want to be left out. Really!
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Shoe-throwing goes global April 29, 2009
Posted by Sunil Malhotra in Culture, Innovation, Innovation 101, Politics, Wisdom of the leaders.Tags: Innovation, shoe-throwing, spoof, tamasha
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Even in these uncertain times, the US can be credited for leading innovation and for its trend-setting ways. India has been the quickest to catch on and I’m sure we’ll see other countires following ’shoe’t very soon. Read the spoof here Frustrated minister throws shoes at public « The Daily Tamasha.
Fed up of recent shoe-throwing incidents at his last three election rallies, Minister of State for Leather Industry, Balwant Kelkar, today started his Jabalpur rally by throwing a few shoes himself. Unsuspecting supporters of Kelkar were in for a shock as he followed his garlanding with throwing five-rounds of shoes, hitting his random target three times.
and my BIG idea for innovation for shoe companies to steal. (I’m an open source guy!)
Here goes …
Shoe companies that can double their revenue with just a little repackaging.
1-2-3!
Concept: “To package each shoe separately (and not in pairs) targetted at the emerging shoe-throwing segment”.
1. This will open up new segments – shoe catchers, shoe matchers, shoe collectors – and also possibly inspire the fashion designers to come up with ‘walk the ramp with one shoe’ shows.
2. The idea-starved event management companies can then replicate this for re-use in the ‘Great Indian Wedding’ (of course this is rather seasonal unless they plan to go global).
3. Politicians and other public figures (beneficiaries of the new model) will be able to make early requests for which foot (not in the mouth variety) they prefer to be thrown. Eg. Left shoe is better ’shoe’-ted for Karat and co. It will also make it easier to switch loyalties – just exchange shoes!
Innovation 101 – Mouse Trap? February 25, 2009
Posted by Sunil Malhotra in Design Thinking, Illusions, Innovation, Innovation 101, Leadership Innovation, Perception.Tags: Albert Einstein, generalisation, Innovation, Innovation 101, JohnLennon, mousetrap, Next Practices, out of box thinking, Pied Piper
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Enough about money and the Oscars. And I’m still wondering why all the fuss about Slumdog Millionaire. Just like one swallow doesn’t make a summer, one event doesn’t make a nation. Sorry guys, but I’m getting sick and tired of diversions.
First it was Obama’s swearing in that we were waiting for. Come 20th January and we kept waiting for a miracle. Then came the Oscars and we’re all very euphoric that Slumdog Millionaire bagged 8 golds. Now we’ll wait for India to go to the polls and hope that the new government will right the economy. All we’ll do is wait.
The Pied Piper has driven out all the rats - now he’s after our children. And we continue to build better mousetraps while wondering why there are no takers. The ’smarter’ guys believe that if the mousetraps were cheaper, they would be able to sell. For me it is a no-brainer that a mousetrap is needed only if there are mice! Come let’s innovate they say. How about a GPS system that will show us where each mousetrap is located. Maybe some wheels to move it around. And a radio controlled wheelster on which to mount it. Gimme a break people - who’s going to ‘grow’ the mice?
We cannot solve the problems that we have created with the same thinking that created them. — Albert Einstein
The first law of holes: If you are in one, stop digging. — Anonymous (more…)
Leadership innovation – The beginning and the end of history February 16, 2009
Posted by Sunil Malhotra in Companies of the future, Culture, Entrepreneurship, Heart Capital©, Innovation, Leadership, Leadership Innovation, Thought leadership, Wisdom of the leaders.Tags: Chinmaya Mission, Culture, Ethical issues, heart capital, Innova, Innovation, Jagjit Singh, Kirloskar, Leadership Innovation, Next Practices, Society and Culture, Thought leadership, Toyota, Valentine's day, wisdom
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Wow, what an amazing Valentine’s weekend! Thankfully “The Consortium of Red-faced, Jobless and Retrograde Men of India” ( male counter to the Facebook group ”The Consortium of Pub-going, Loose and Forward Women”) was kept in check to allow India’s youth to celebrate Valentine’s day.
- Vikram Kirloskar (left) – Launch of the new TOYOTA INNOVA.
But that aside, I had a blast. My friend Vikram Kirloskar, Vice Chairman of Toyota Kirloskar Motors, invited us to the most memorable evening with Jagjit Singh, the Ghazal Maestro. His satin voice had everybody spellbound for a riveting two hours. In Vikram San’s words – “It is Toyota India’s heartfelt gesture of gratitude to our customer ‘family’”. The event was fraught with simplicity and genuine warmth. I wish some people would take lessons from Toyota and especially from Vikram on humility and the natural way to live and work.
In concert with Jagjit Singh
How business can ‘flow along’ with such warmth. And to top it, to be immersed in such soul-stirring music. What more could I have asked for. My take away was that the “Toyota way” goes far beyond shopfloor efficiencies and product quality. It is a statement of life and living.
Then came Spiritual Sunday at the Chinmaya Mission precincts on Lodhi Road in New Delhi. Before you start imagining yoga mats and a saffron-robed Godman, I must tell you that the event had to do with the launching of Anil Sachdev’s SOIL – School of Inspired Leadership. (more…)
7 years on and still a startup February 13, 2009
Posted by Sunil Malhotra in Business, Companies of the future, Culture, Entrepreneurship, Heart Capital©, Thought leadership.Tags: Business model, Culture, Culture of India, customer focus, Entrepreneurship, Ideafarms, Innovation, Next Practices, startup culture, Thought leadership, trust
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This post is based on a true story. The story of Ideafarms. We started among equally uncertain settings in the wake of the dotcom bust and 9/11. We had no funds. We had no product ideas. We didn’t know who we would sell to. All we had was passion and deep down conviction that we would make things work for us. Today we’re almost 7 years old and alive and kicking. Ready to take on the current gloom with renewed energy. We’re back to our start-up ways.
The most important thing then was - and I say this with the benefit of hindsight – that we had no past to weigh us down; nothing of a reputation either individually or collectively that needed to be protected. Both of which we have today. So we’ve decided to shrug the baggage off our shoulders. (more…)
