A brief intro to my new book, The Global Brain

In this blog I will briefly describe what this new book is all about. 

Most managers are aware of the vast creative potential that lies outside their company boundaries – customers, suppliers, independent inventors, academic researchers, innovation intermediaries, and a host of other external entities that constitute the Global Brain. However, tapping the Global Brain for innovative ideas is easier said than done. There is still very limited understanding of the landscape of such external network-centric innovation or how exactly companies should take advantage of the dizzying array of opportunities to partner with external actors.

This book is to help companies address this “execution gap” in network-centric innovation. Here are a few key questions that this book addresses: What are the different approaches or models of network-centric innovation? How should companies evaluate and select the most appropriate approach vis-à-vis its particular industry and market context? How should a company prepare for network-centric innovation? What types of organizational capabilities and competencies would be needed? How should a company integrate its internal and external innovation processes? What benefits can be expected and how can they be measured? What are the implications of global network-centric innovation for companies in emerging economies such as India, China, and Brazil?

As I often tell my executive audience, each company has to find its own path to successfully pursue externally-focused innovation. What works for a P&G or an IBM may not work for your company. So it is up to you – the innovation executive – to systematically analyze the network-centric innovation opportunities out there and to identify, prepare for, and pursue those opportunities that make most sense in your company’s particular industry/market context. I hope this book will help you in getting started on this effort.

Comments

[Nick Holt]

Satish: I read the article in Knowledge at Wharton and have purchased the book. so far so good! I have placed a reference to your book, including a link, on the Wikinomics blog regarding Worldsourcing, suggesting they look into your material.

I posted on the following link:

http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/index.php/2008/03/26/worldsourcing-a-new-global-enterprise-model/#comment-106230

Best

Nick Holt