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When I read this pithy article by Rosabeth Moss Kanter, I found useful parallels between an evolutionary take on economics and innovation, and what she describes as the 15-minute advantage. That is, if you're too far ahead of the curve, you may make an evolutionary (or innovative) leap, but it won't "take" - it will be like a leap from one peak to another, without successful landing. Instead, you need those increments that allow successful leaps.

The Woody Allen backdrop story is such a great lead-in - makes her underlying idea very graspable, too. Moss Kanter lists 8 characteristics of innovation, some of which are straight out of our understanding of successful evolution:
1. Tria-able; 2. Divisible; 3. Reversible; 4. Tangible; 5. Fits prior investments; 6. Familiar; 7. Congruent with future direction; 8. Positive publicity value.

blogs.harvardbusiness.org/...-the-15minute-competitive.html - Preview

economics innovation competitiveness harvard_business rosabeth_moss_kanter evolution

Excellent interview by Anthony Tjan with Dany Levy, founder of Daily Candy.

blogs.harvardbusiness.org/...candys-accidental-entrepr.html - Preview

harvard_business dailycandy entrepreneurship dany_levy

Timely.
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Immelt exhorted Americans to give up the notion that the U.S. can make it as a services-led, consumption-based economy, where "a mortgage broker is pulling down $5 million a year while a Ph.D. chemist is earning $100,000."

The country must refocus on manufacturing and R&D and must strive to be a leading exporter, he said. He announced that GE was opening an advanced manufacturing and software technology center outside of Detroit near the headquarters of Visteon, the auto parts maker that recently sought bankruptcy protection.

Coincidentally, "Restoring American Competitiveness," an article in the July-August special issue of the Harvard Business Review makes the same case about the importance of manufacturing. It warns that the erosion of the U.S. manufacturing base is seriously undermining the country's ability to innovate. (So much for the idea that we can succeed by letting other countries manufacture the products we invent!)

In his speech, Immelt offered a vision for how the business and government together can revive the economy and solve grand challenges such as clean energy and affordable health care. "We should welcome the government as a catalyst for leadership and change," he said, calling for a "real public-private partnership." (This from a self-described "Republican and free market guy.")
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This article fits nicely with Konrad Yakabuski Globe & Mail article, "Canada's Innovation Gap." http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/commentary/canadas-innovation-gap/article1203108/

blogs.harvardbusiness.org/...ly_a_ceo_speaks_up_on_how.html - Preview

harvard_business steve_prokesch america economy renewal innovation manufacturing video

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This year’s HBR List includes ideas that we think are more useful than fanciful, more immediately practicable than speculative. Although we began compiling and winnowing contenders many months ago, we nonetheless did our best to anticipate the context in which you now read them. Thus some of the articles you’ll find here comment directly on the economic crisis, but most of them address other matters that business leaders must contend with: strategic decision making, tapping new markets, finding and keeping top talent, harnessing network effects, dealing with disruptive technologies and business models.
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hbr.harvardbusiness.org/...list-toc - Preview

harvard_business innovation ideas 2009

Umair Haque's Jan.7/09 piece, self-explanatory title. Lots of great ideas - and something about the reference to "symmetrical competition" made me think of Greg Lynn's rejection of symmetry in architecture (to maximize resources) and also of how waste is a major 21st c. trope.
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Where do new rules come from? Here are five questions every decision maker should kick off 2009 by asking - and five results summarizing some of the new rules we've learned over the last year at the Lab.
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discussionleader.hbsp.com/...ers_guide_to_21st_century.html - Preview

umair_haque harvard_business analysis economics symmetry