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Anatomy of Monsoon Storm In relationship To innovation
ecosystem
Using common weather phenomenon to describe innovation process not only helps
the practitioner to understand the methodology, it also helps to internalize the
methodology since weather elements are what everyone see and feel daily.
Monsoon is characterized by two key
elements:
- Regular, fast and furious storm,
and
- Constant strength and direction
trade wind (North Easterly and South Westerly)
Within the storm, there are several
key components:
-
Air Pressures, which represent the forceful
environmental trends, is the background to form a storm. When a low air
pressure system meets a high pressure system, the differences in pressure
creates winds, aggregate clouds, and eventually forms the storm and
precipitates rain. Like any prevailing trends, which will gather adopters or
users, it will eventually gather sufficient momentum to become a norm.
-
Dusts, which are the various components of an
innovation, are usually floating aimlessly in the air. Dust allows clouds to
gather around it and eventually form bigger clouds and hence denser dark
clouds that signify a pending storm. If there isn’t sufficient dust particles
in the air, it will have less cloud, and hence less likely to have a storm.
Hence in order to start a storm, artificial dust particles such Silver Nitrite
could be used to seed the cloud and ignite the storm. Like dust, individual
components of an innovation could be attracting its own supporters (cloud, or
crowd, see below) and eventually gather sufficient momentum to start a storm.
If there aren’t enough components, dense clouds could not be form and no storm
will be ignited. Manual insertion of components would be needed to spark the
innovation.
-
Cloud, which represents the crowd, is the key
driving force of the storm. All monsoons’ rain precipitated from dark dense
cloud. Without dense cloud, there is no storm. Seeing clouds gathering means
a storm is pending. In the same grain, people gather in masses will provide
ready market for an innovation, and crowd mentality is what drives web 2.0
where word of mouth viral marketing helps to propel the acceptance of an
innovation. Without crowd acceptance, innovation will never take off.
-
Rain, which represents the money, is derived from
cloud. It is the ultimate nutrient of the ecosystem. Only when the cloud
precipitates into rain will the storm cease. The darker the cloud, the heavier
the rain. Rain water eventually carries all the dust particles in the air to
nourish all the vegetation when it flows through. The best form of money
(rain) is the revenue collected from customers (cloud). This is the form that
can sustain the innovation indefinitely, as compared to venture funding (like
small cloud, small crowd), which would only last as long as the burn rate
allows . Money is eventually used to sustain (nourish) the business that
produces the innovation.
-
Lightning, which is sparking ignition of the
storm, represents the Eureka Moment, which fuses the dusts, clouds, and rain.
Lightning thrives with darker clouds, creating deafening thunders, stirring up
greater whirlwinds which eventually carry the dusts into the air before
depositing them elsewhere. Not all lightning are dramatic in appearance. Some
are just seen as flashes behind the cloud. Like such lightning, Eureka moment
could be in slow genesis starting within conversation with the crowd (cloud)
or studying the trends. Once ignited, the flow of ideas will grow
exponentially and eventually build up to a mega-storm. The expression
"Lightning never strikes twice in the same place" is similar to "Opportunity
never knocks twice" in the vein of a "Once in a lifetime" opportunity, i.e.,
something that is generally considered improbable. Hence most humans would
think that Eureka moment is unlikely to happen with them. Monsoon Methodology
is the systematic method to spark the lightning and create the storm.
-
Thunder, which represents the loud noise making of
marketing, is the result of lightning. Lightning causes thunder which
announces the arrival of the storm to everyone, even to those who are not
looking in the direction of the storm. The louder the thunder, the bigger the
storm, which has greater potential. Marketing and communication, although
happens naturally with the excited innovator, usually does not reach far and
wide. It is only those loudest ones that are able to spread their innovation
for greater adoption.
-
Trade Wind, which represents the launch platform
of the innovation, is the constant speed and direction of air movements that
carry the dusts, water from the rain and deposit them along its path.
-
Spores, represents the genesis of a new business
created by the innovation, or an old business rejuvenated by new innovation.
Pores are being carried in the storm together with dusts and rain. They
eventually settle on some new grounds and are ready to germinate and blossom.
Mushroom pores are the most common in nature that feed on the nutrients
carried from the rain. Businesses gain new lease of life with innovation, and
blossom with good support from the crowd. Some may be new, while most could be
new divisions sprouting from old dying businesses. This is similar to
mushrooms feeding on dead-wood and growing after the monsoon shower as
described in the popular phrase, “… like mushroom popping up after the monsoon
shower …”
Note:
Stormaker – the monsoon practitioner who has the ability to create, accelerate
and ignite a storm against nature’s cours
Stormpede – the perfect storm that accelerates on growth
and eventually sweeps the whole market
Stormination – the
process of creating the storm
Next: Formation Of Storm
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Project
Wild Mushrooms