This is my advice to you today Touristologists! Detect game-changers, rule-breakers, breakthroughs… two years before they happen. Learn about them, create a team, then begin to dream about your start-up and/or offer your services as a consultant and… wait. Usually, after two years you will find a niche or get some response.
Why two years? Innovation in technology, social behavior, economic rules… can appear early, BUT they only become important when they reach a critical mass (enough people using it).
Some of the companies I advise are big enterprises, usually they tend to be not as fast as SME (small and medium size enterprises) or start-ups in adapting to new technologies. As a matter of fact, start ups not only have to adapt to new technologies, they must use them to revolutionize their sector, break the rules and be successful (here we talked about the steps to follow in order to achieve this).
On the other hand, big enterprises don’t have any interest, whatsoever, in breaking the rules. At the end of the day, they are their rules! They have a consolidated business model , they usually have technology equipment (hardware) and software that fits the Business Model and they, usually again, focus on cashing-ing from this situation/scenario rather than try to search for “The new, new thing” ,by the way, a very good book about Jim Clark, dealing with innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. Let’s enjoy this video in order to learn a little bit more, shall we?
-What? Now we have to see and old video from the 90’s? I strongly recommend it Touristologist! You will realize how similar and timeless innovation’s rules are. As you know, I strongly believe that time isn’t linear, it is cyclical. Remember?
I recommend that you think /learn/prepare yourself for the new, new thing that will spread two years from now.
I developed (and hopefully I help you to do the same!!!) a kind of radar to detect breakthroughs. I try to pick up things that nowadays are not important but they will be. I train myself, set-up a team, dream about a company, offer my services as a consultant and… wait. Like Hermann Hesse’s character Shidrarta “I can think. I can wait. I can fast.”
Two years ago, it was mobile ecosystem (you know that I prefer a broader vision like ubiquitous computing, don’t you?) what appears on the radar. I try to convince big enterprises to develop a mobile strategy (you know me, always the two hands mindset/framework!).
They said - Interesting, Jordi! They use a tone very similar to the one used by my Touristologists when I propose an OPTIONAL study case!!!
So, I wait…I use the knowledge to seed the desire of being a developer to my children (you can read about the experience here. By the way, they also said…. -Interesting, Daddy!
I use the knowledge to improve my classes and the other way around. You know… "The best way to learn is to teach" Frank Oppenheimer
Finally, this summer I got a call from one big company. Can you give us a seminar about Mobile Strategy? It seems there is a big gap between creating easy apps and complicated ones. Can you help us to fill it? (We talked about the big gap here, remember?)
Of course- I reply! We can learn about how to create views both declaratively and programmatically. How to use Sqlite as a Data Base cache and how to use cloud computing feeding a big Data Base with web services and web scrapping. - I leave this in your hands, Jordi, but can you begin next week?
Do you realize, Touristologist? When they’re really interested they don’t say interesting! They just act…fast…faster!
Some of you put bizarre faces when I don’t express any desire at all to see the latest movie in theaters. How is possible that you don’t see the last film of…? Well - I calmly reply- I just wait until they pass it through television.
- What? I want to know now!
I hope that you have the same mentality with new technologies and the new Business Model they will bring, Touristologists. Do you want to meet me to see the lastest movie? I’m busy (or as you say -Interesting!) Do you want to discuss new technologies, the new business model that they will allow and foresee how to use it in Tourism? I’m all yours!
Like, for instance, how specialized tourism base on creation and management of specialized virtual communities will open wonderful opportunities for Touristologists, the lodging industry and Tourism destinations.
Or how the capacity of creating groups with an international scope can give us a competitive advantage!
Or how Touristology can train people and make them capable of creating, communicating and commercializing tourism products as we saw here.
We are living interesting times, things are moving fast and they’re radically changing our society and our lives on all levels (economically, politically, personally…) and that means opportunities but also threats. I will put all my effort into convey to my Touristologists how to make the most of the opportunities and how to avoid the pit-falls. We are game-changers, we are the best minds working in the best sector ever. We are Touristologists!!!!
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