Comments on: the importance of executing ideas http://timkastelle.org/blog/2009/11/the-importance-of-executing-ideas/ Tim Kastelle & John Steen Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:10:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: uberVU - social comments http://timkastelle.org/blog/2009/11/the-importance-of-executing-ideas/comment-page-1/#comment-3230 uberVU - social comments Mon, 11 Jan 2010 07:48:48 +0000 http://timkastelle.org/blog/?p=777#comment-3230 <strong>Social comments and analytics for this post...</strong> This post was mentioned on Twitter by timkastelle: #innovation lessons from Charles Darwin http://ow.ly/E9Qy... Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by timkastelle: #innovation lessons from Charles Darwin http://ow.ly/E9Qy...

]]> By: Networks and the Information Glut « Complex Systems « Innovation Leadership Network http://timkastelle.org/blog/2009/11/the-importance-of-executing-ideas/comment-page-1/#comment-3206 Networks and the Information Glut « Complex Systems « Innovation Leadership Network Sun, 10 Jan 2010 04:27:55 +0000 http://timkastelle.org/blog/?p=777#comment-3206 [...] with the idea of evolution through natural selection instead of Alfred Russell Wallace is that Darwin’s connections within the scientific community at the time were more numerous, more widespread, and [...] [...] with the idea of evolution through natural selection instead of Alfred Russell Wallace is that Darwin’s connections within the scientific community at the time were more numerous, more widespread, and [...]

]]> By: Picking winning innovations « Innovation « Innovation Leadership Network http://timkastelle.org/blog/2009/11/the-importance-of-executing-ideas/comment-page-1/#comment-2401 Picking winning innovations « Innovation « Innovation Leadership Network Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:43:18 +0000 http://timkastelle.org/blog/?p=777#comment-2401 [...] winning innovations Tim has written a bit on Charles Darwin so I thought I would follow along this theme with another idea. As Tim says, the first big test of [...] [...] winning innovations Tim has written a bit on Charles Darwin so I thought I would follow along this theme with another idea. As Tim says, the first big test of [...]

]]> By: Tim http://timkastelle.org/blog/2009/11/the-importance-of-executing-ideas/comment-page-1/#comment-2376 Tim Sun, 22 Nov 2009 06:45:40 +0000 http://timkastelle.org/blog/?p=777#comment-2376 I think that's pretty much true Sam! I think that’s pretty much true Sam!

]]> By: Sam http://timkastelle.org/blog/2009/11/the-importance-of-executing-ideas/comment-page-1/#comment-2373 Sam Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:17:16 +0000 http://timkastelle.org/blog/?p=777#comment-2373 Social structure most certainly seemed to enable Darwin's ideas to spread rapidly once formulated, but I wonder how it might have also constrained him? I don't know a whole lot about the detailed history, but with a little wikipedia, Dodgson and theory I'll speculate. One other thing I hadn't appreciated about Darwin until I saw Mark give his talk on Wedgewood (http://www.thinkplaydo.com/modules/content/index.php?id=31) was how well Darwin had been embedded in the establishment. Natural selection challenged many of the ideas that existed within this network. Therefore an extra detail within this story might be that the reason Darwin spent so much time (maybe an excessive amount) researching and developing this idea of his was that the social constrains he faced were higher than others (e.g. Wallace). Thus the social risk Darwin faced to his status within the establishment provided him with extra incentive to collect evidence of his theory and be more cautious about its wide dissemination via publication. Wallace did not have these limitations and so moved more rapidly to market his work. Therefore although Darwin's legitimacy and centrality within the network might have been helpful to disseminating his work once it was complete, it hindered him in some ways up to this point. So we can see that social structure both constrains and enables, different network structures and positions are most effective for different stages in the innovation process. So I suppose the the role of strategy is figuring out where you are and what the most effective network structure or position will be given these conditions. Social structure most certainly seemed to enable Darwin’s ideas to spread rapidly once formulated, but I wonder how it might have also constrained him? I don’t know a whole lot about the detailed history, but with a little wikipedia, Dodgson and theory I’ll speculate.

One other thing I hadn’t appreciated about Darwin until I saw Mark give his talk on Wedgewood (http://www.thinkplaydo.com/modules/content/index.php?id=31) was how well Darwin had been embedded in the establishment. Natural selection challenged many of the ideas that existed within this network. Therefore an extra detail within this story might be that the reason Darwin spent so much time (maybe an excessive amount) researching and developing this idea of his was that the social constrains he faced were higher than others (e.g. Wallace). Thus the social risk Darwin faced to his status within the establishment provided him with extra incentive to collect evidence of his theory and be more cautious about its wide dissemination via publication. Wallace did not have these limitations and so moved more rapidly to market his work.

Therefore although Darwin’s legitimacy and centrality within the network might have been helpful to disseminating his work once it was complete, it hindered him in some ways up to this point. So we can see that social structure both constrains and enables, different network structures and positions are most effective for different stages in the innovation process. So I suppose the the role of strategy is figuring out where you are and what the most effective network structure or position will be given these conditions.

]]>