David Troy tells us how entrepreneurship really works, and I am especially pleased at how he strips down the phenomenal successes of mega celebrity entrepreneurs (Gates, Branson, Buffet) into the reality and the hype!

This also explains a few paradoxes that I have observed in my own entrepreneurship path, for example:

I take risks – yet I see myself as risk-averse.

OK, quitting a $100,000+ job without a solid Plan B is taking a risk. This was what I did in 2004, when I could not sit back and watch the industry I worked in (pharmaceuticals) conduct itself in questionable business practices.

Not having a completely written out business plan is a big risk. Not having customers already lined up (well… I wasn’t sure WHEN I would be quitting, or even IF I would be quitting, to be fair) – that is a big risk.

The Carnegie Mellon Portugal program is launching three new innovation networks, whose goal is to consolidate and expand the successful cooperation among all partner institutions and industrial affiliates.

For this purpose, three different thematic events sponsored by FCT, one for each innovation network, shall join corporate executives and members of the scientific community:

1) Innovation Forum on Security and Critical Infrastructure Protection (NET-SCIP), Coimbra, on the morning of Monday, February 22, 2010. read more

2) Innovation Forum on Future Internet Services and Technologies (NET- FIT), Lisbon, on the morning of Tuesday, February 23, 2010. read more

3) Innovation Forum on Services and Technologies for Interactive Media (NET-STIM), Lisbon, on the morning of Wednesday, February 24, 2010. read more

Internet is taking the rich media route and as per Cisco’s Visual Networking Index (VNI) Forecast, the sum of all forms of video (TV, VoD, Internet video, and P2P) will exceed 90 percent of global consumer IP traffic.

• Global IP traffic is expected to increase fivefold from 2008 to 2013, approaching 56 exabytes per month in 2013, up from approximately 9 exabytes per month in 2008.
• By 2013, annual global IP traffic will reach two-thirds of a zettabyte (or 667 exabytes). (A zettabyte is a trillion gigabytes.)
• IP traffic in North America will reach 13 exabytes per month by 2013, slightly ahead of Western Europe, which will reach 12.5 exabytes per month, and behind Asia Pacific (AsiaPac), where IP traffic will reach 21 exabytes per month
• Middle East and Africa will grow the fastest, with a compound annual growth rate of 51 percent, reaching 1 exabyte per month in 2013.

Mark Johnson, Chairman and Co-Founder of Innosight, is author of Seizing the White Space: Business Model Innovation for Growth and Renewal (Harvard Business Press: February 2010). He talked with Strategy & Innovation editor Renee Hopkins about why business model innovation is important and how companies can master it.

In your book, you say "disruptive innovation and business model innovation are opposite sides of the same coin." How did you get started thinking this way, and why is it important?

We start with the work of disruptive innovation, which says that when you go into a new market that offers an opportunity for new growth, you should come in with a simpler, low-cost approach. This way you can offer products or services the incumbent's not going to be motivated to match, because it's either too small a market, the margins aren't interesting, or it doesn't further the company goals.

Now, why doesn't the incumbent go after the entrant who does something disruptive? Clay Christensen noticed this phenomenon in the disk drive industry—that those who succeeded were not the incumbents, but a new set of companies, the disruptors. That's also what happened with Digital Equipment (DEC), in the minicomputer world. Strangely, DEC didn't go after the personal computer when it came to the consumer market and schools. Why?

Every two years, the eyes of the world are trained on the Olympics, with each participating nation hoping to take home the gold. Put simply, the games are an awe-inspiring event and, for me, a time of great national pride. This year, however, they are also a stark reminder of how America has lost sight of its competitive drive -- and edge -- when it comes to technology innovation.

The race to innovate the next Internet, renewable energy source, or GPS network is an ongoing battle that is real and one we ignore at our own peril. The global competition to capture the ideas and innovations will determine our standard of living and near-term economic stability. It is the real battleground for the future.

That is why all around the globe, governments are working hard to claim the mantle of being the next "innovation nation." China's indigenous innovation policies, which create unfair trade barriers to outside competitors, are a particularly onerous example of this phenomenon.

Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on February 17th, 2010
by Pincas Jawetz (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

March 3, 2010, Innovate in Canada: Bolstering Profitability in Greentech with Cross-Border Opportunities.

The Canadian Consulate General, representatives from the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, and the Vale Columbia Center are co-hosting an interactive strategy session on how companies can increase profitability by engaging in cross-border research collaboration. Companies including IBM, GE, Trilliant and Fasken Martineau will discuss cross border greentech projects during the session, including how to harness Canada’s agressive R&D tax incentives.

Karl Sauvant, Executive Director of the Vale Columbia Center on Sustainable International Investment will comment on the challenges of sustainable FDI, and the session will be moderated by Richard Bendis of Innovation America.

Date: March 3rd, 2010, 8:30am-10:00 am
Place: Reuters Building (3 Times Square, 30th Floor)
RSVP: charlotte at thepontgroup.com 646-552-5803

Karl P. Sauvant, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Vale Columbia Center on Sustainable International Investment
Columbia Law School – Earth Institute
Columbia University
435 West 116th Street, Rm. JGH 639
New York, NY 10027
Ph: (212) 854-0689
Fax: (212) 854-7946

Please visit our website - http://www.vcc.columbia.edu
____________

Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs is a project initiated by the European Union (EU). It aims at helping new entrepreneurs to acquire relevant skills for managing a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) by spending time in a business in another EU country. It contributes to improving their know-how and fosters cross-border transfers of knowledge and experience between entrepreneurs.

The specific objectives of the programme are:

• On-the-job-training for new entrepreneurs in SMEs elsewhere in the EU in order to facilitate a successful start and development of their business ideas;
• Exchanges of experience and information between entrepreneurs on obstacles and challenges to starting up and developing their businesses;
• To enhance market access and identification of potential partners for new and established businesses in other EU countries;
• Networking by building on knowledge and experience from other European countries between entrepreneurs.

Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs is financed by the European Commission and operated across 24 EU countries by the help of more than 100 intermediary organisations competent in business support (e.g. Chambers of Commerce, start-up centres, incubators etc.). Their activities are coordinated at European level by EUROCHAMBRES, the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry, which acts as Support Office.

Early in Mel Brooks’ “The History of the World: Part I,” Moses goes up the mount to see the burning bush and receive the word of God. Coming down with three tablets, Brooks as Moses says, “The Lord, the Lord Jehovah has given unto you these fifteen... [drops one of the tablets] Oy! Ten! Ten Commandments for all to obey!

My own experiences have gone in the other direction. When working with CIOs and their staffs to define the concept of the “IT Utility,” we proposed seven major attributes that a utility has. My CEO said that there were “Ten Principals of the IT Utility.” We asked him to describe the other three. He suggested he only knew that there were 10 and that we had to go back to work. With a little word-smithing, conceptual parsing and verbal padding, we got to the magic number.

It is with this jaundiced view that I recently read Brian Solis’ "Ten Stages of Social Media." If you haven’t read Solis, you might want to. He’s a very knowledgeable marketeer, especially in the realm of social media, its role in marketing and how corporations can take advantage. That said, I doubt there are “Ten Stages” of it (or much else). And, although the article has much to offer, it doesn’t lay out “stages” as much as a combination of things to do or accomplish (e.g., Finding a Voice and Sense of Purpose) and management concepts (e.g., Business Performance Metrics).

BELLEVUE, Wash. — Nathan Myhrvold wants to shake up the marketplace for ideas. His mission and the activities of the company he heads, Intellectual Ventures, a secretive $5 billion investment firm that has scooped up 30,000 patents, inspire admiration and angst.

Admirers of Mr. Myhrvold, the scientist who led Microsoft’s technology development in the 1990s, see an innovator seeking to elevate the economic role and financial rewards for inventors whose patented ideas are often used without compensation by big technology companies. His detractors see a cynical operator deploying his bulging patent trove as a powerful bargaining chip, along with the implied threat of costly litigation, to prod high-tech companies to pay him lucrative fees. They call his company “Intellectual Vultures.”

White hat or black hat, Intellectual Ventures is growing rapidly and becoming a major force in the marketplace for intellectual capital. Its rise comes as Congress is considering legislation, championed by large technology companies, that would make it more difficult for patent holders to win large damage awards in court — changes that Mr. Myhrvold has opposed in Congressional testimony and that his company has lobbied against.

In March, the Washington Biotechnology and Biomedical Association and Burrill & Company will together present Life Science Innovation Northwest, a conference that will bring together scientists, entrepreneurs, investors and partners, who, working together, have the ability to discover and promulgate technologies to improve the lives of people around the world.

We originally wanted to convene a meeting in Seattle because of the potential for tremendous growth in the biotech and life sciences industries in the region. But the Pacific Northwest offers so much more; renowned for being a leading and innovative region. Companies like Boeing, Costco, Microsoft, Amazon and Starbucks are just a few who call the Northwest home. Over the past several years, the Northwest has emerged as a leader in several emerging 21st century industries, becoming one of the nation’s environmental leaders, spurring startups and expansion in green technologies, as well as in the informatics, health care IT and personalized medicine. In addition, Seattle has become the nexus for global health. This fast growing sector is tackling some of the most challenging diseases known to man, many of which affect the citizens in the Northwest and around the world.

The Issue Brief stated that Governors are increasingly interested in entrepreneurship because of its key role in driving business innovation. While entrepreneurs face several common challenges, including developing business acumen and making connections with experts and mentors, often their greatest challenge is raising capital. Entrepreneurs’ emerging technologies are frequently viewed as too risky for banks, private equity firms and venture capitalists, yet many fledgling companies require more investment to grow than can be raised from friends and family. Angel investors are increasingly stepping in to fill this gap.

Angel investors are wealthy individuals with business or technology backgrounds who provide entrepreneurs with capital, connections, and guidance. They provide early-stage financing in a space once occupied by venture capitalists, who now invest primarily in larger deals and more mature companies. Angels invest in local and regional ventures, primarily in high-technology sectors, giving their investments local impact. In the past decade, many angel investors have formed and joined groups because investing through groups offers several advantages, most notably a large and more diverse portfolio, access to expertise, and higher deal flow.

Just do a quick comparison of the market value to the book value for public U.S. companies over the last two decades and you will see the dramatic upward rise in value attributed to intangibles – ideas, innovations.

In this new world, wealth creation is dependent upon the capacity of a nation to continually create ideas. In short, a nation without a vibrant creative labor does not possess the knowledge base to succeed in the creative economy, and must depend on ideas produced elsewhere.

The creative economy is a new a world in which people work with their brains instead of their hands. A world in which communications technology creates global competition. A world in which innovation is more important than mass production. A world in which investment buys new concepts or the means to create them, rather than new machines.

OTTAWA -- Canada’s venture capital market fell again in 2009 to its lowest level in 13 years, according to statistics released Wednesday by Canada’s Venture Capital & Private Equity Association and research partner Thomson Reuters.

Deal activity fell 27% to $1-billion over the year, from $1.4-billion in 2008, as did the number of VC-backed entrepreneurial firms, which fell to 331 from 388 the year before, the group said.

“The nationwide statistics demonstrate the lack of capital in the venture capital industry,” said Gregory Smith, president of the association.

Editors Note: Innovation America is a Supporting Organization for this Event

Jared Diamond, Robert Reich, Ray Kurzweil, Michael Porter, Larry Brilliant, Jacqueline Novogratz and Many More Participate in Inaugural Event at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business

LONG BEACH, Calif., Feb. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Because human progress relies on the advancement of the best ideas, The Economist is launching a new series of events that bring together top thinkers from around the world to discuss and debate the most important ideas of our time. By focusing on Innovation, Intelligent Infrastructure, and Human Potential, The Economist will frame an ecosystem where good ideas move from concept to implementation, fueled by the power of human ingenuity, and where only the best survive.

Some of your friends are doing it. People who do it are in the front pages and web almost every day. Even President Obama is talking about it. So should you do it? Should you join the millions of people every year who take the plunge and start their first ventures? I've learned in my own years as an entrepreneur — and now an entrepreneurship professor — that there is a gut level "fit" for people who are potential entrepreneurs. There are strong internal drivers that compel people to create their own business. I've developed a 2–minute Isenberg Entrepreneur Test, below, to help you find out. Just answer yes or no. Be honest with yourself — remember from my last post: the worst lies are the ones we tell ourselves.

1. I don't like being told what to do by people who are less capable than I am.
2. I like challenging myself.
3. I like to win.
4. I like being my own boss.
5. I always look for new and better ways to do things.
6. I like to question conventional wisdom.
7. I like to get people together in order to get things done.
8. People get excited by my ideas.
9. I am rarely satisfied or complacent.
10. I can't sit still.
11. I can usually work my way out of a difficult situation.
12. I would rather fail at my own thing than succeed at someone else's.
13. Whenever there is a problem, I am ready to jump right in.
14. I think old dogs can learn — even invent — new tricks.
15. Members of my family run their own businesses.
16. I have friends who run their own businesses.
17. I worked after school and during vacations when I was growing up.
18. I get an adrenaline rush from selling things.
19. I am exhilarated by achieving results.
20. I could have written a better test than Isenberg (and here is what I would change ....)

After not seeing the word patent in my daily information routine for a few weeks, I [Brad Feld] saw it twice today – first in an article titled Turning Patents Into ‘Invention Capital’ (in the NY Times) and then in Region Sustains Robust Patent Production in the WSJ.  Both stirred me up early this morning, but for different reasons.

If you are interested in patents, I encourage you to read Turning Patents Into ‘Invention Capital’ as I’m very interested in your reaction.  I’d love to hear what you think in the comments (anonymous is fine if you are concerned about attribution on this one.)  I have an opinion and this article didn’t add anything to my thoughts (which is partly why I’m looking for yours as I’m curious what others think.)  So I hit Ctrl-W and went to the next tab in Chrome.

There’s a place in business for concepts that can’t find funding to reach production. It’s called the “Valley of Death” and it’s where the carcasses of good ideas go to die.

Consider, then, the Pennsylvania NanoMaterials Commercialization Center an oasis in the nanotechnology desert, or--perhaps more aptly--a bridge over the harsh landscape of commercialization.

The center, based in Pittsburgh, is designed to fund nanotechnology startups that need money to develop promising research into marketable products. “We’re very early stage capital investors where venture capitalists won’t go,” says Alan Brown, the center’s executive director.

A looming foreign talent crunch has been pinpointed as a top factor that threatens to rob the Silicon Valley of its title as the world's innovation centre.

'There are clear warning signs suggesting Silicon Valley has entered a new phase of uncertainty and that our competitive standing is at risk,' says the 2010 Silicon Valley Index released on Thursday.

Although alarms are raised periodically about the Silicon Valley's vitality, this is the gloomiest outlook ever painted by Silicon Valley Community Foundation and the Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network which produce the yearly index and have been compiling and analysing a variety of economic and social data relating to the Valley since 1995.

Apart from voicing doubts about the area's continued ability to draw upon some of the world's best brains, the report has highlighted other trends that are furrowing brows - the declining levels of venture capital, inattention from the federal government and California's political dysfunction.

While cloud computing and cloud hosting practices seem like the hot new thing, they’ve actually been around for some time. And while many entrepreneurs are falling over themselves to jump on the cloud trend, the definition and clear-cut use case for cloud hosting remains elusive.

Sure, the promise of cost savings, “fair” usage-based billing and unlimited scalability are appealing, but before you make the jump, a background check is in order.

Many companies (large and small) have come before you, and today’s startups have many resources and case studies to help answer the question: “Is cloud hosting the right solution for my business?”

We’ve pulled together a list of pros and cons to help you decide: