Ken Tencer

Oct 17, 2011

Innovation Insight: The Car Next Door

One of a series by Ken Tencer, Spyder Works CEO

At the World Innovation Convention in Cannes in September, a fascinating new British company came up in conversation: WhipCar. I had heard of the now global short-term rental phenomenon ZipCar, but WhipCar was new to me: peer-to-peer car rentals. The company describes itself as “the first service in the world where a car owner can rent out their vehicle for money, whenever they are not using it. WhipCar pairs approved drivers with spare car time. We screen all cars joining the service and all drivers booking cars.”

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Oct 10, 2011

The Innovation Challenge: Using Process Innovation to Help Fund Product Innovation

The recent round of negative economic news has many business leaders wondering if another recession is just around the corner. That could explain why a recent Gallup poll found that 30% of American workers are worried about their jobs – matching the paranoia level of mid-2009.

Wouldn’t it be easier if we could find a way to make budget without costly cutbacks and layoffs?

There is a way. Process innovation can enhance your company’s output, productivity and cash flow. But it’s important to understand the difference between cost-cutting and process innovation.

Cost-cutting is a simple accounting exercise – cut budgets, trim fat, do less – or do it less well. In tough times, cost-cutting can be ruthless and arbitrary; often, it’s done to appease stakeholders and the markets. Too often, companies “cut” their way into bigger problems as they lose marketing traction or reduce customer service and delivery satisfaction.

By Ken Tencer Blog, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurial Thinking, entrepreneurship, Innovation, Spyder Works, strategy, The 90% Rule No comments Tags: Entrepreneur, Innovation, Ken Tencer, process, product, strategy, The 90% Rule

Dec 8, 2010

Is distance learning innovative or regressive?

I recently had the opportunity to guest lecture at a major university. The topic was new media. In the middle of the lecture, it dawned on me that here I was talking about a trend in media that heightened the opportunities for interaction, communication and discussion … but I was talking to a half-empty lecture hall! The other half of the class was either watching me from home or taping me to watch at some later date when they had a minute (I know this because an exam question was going to be based on my lecture).

Huh?

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