As I was sitting in the smallest room of my Tokyo hotel (you can figure out which room that was), I was thinking about what it was about Japan that made it such a kooky, dynamic marketplace and then it hit me like a blast of cold water from a high-pressure bidet! The Japanese take refinement of products to the Nth degree. Constant improvement, or "Kaizen" in the manufacturing world, is truly a way of life for the Japanese.   Finding inspiration in the most unlikely places! The Japanese are Ichiban (#1) at taking an existing technology and tweaking the hell out of it to make it better, smarter, more intuitive, benefit-rich and super user-friendly. Even the most mundane items get the treatment. Check this out - a remote controlled Toilet Seat! Seriously?! This baby does everything a toilet should do - it washes, it blow dries, it warms, it cools...thankfully it doesn't slice or dice like the Ginsu Knife but it does just about everything else. And these puppies are everywhere in Japan, meaning it certainly meets a need that we have overlooked for years - who doesn't hate sitting on a cold toilet seat in the middle of winter? - and that some cat made A LOT of money coming up with this solution. What are you sitting on (literally and figuratively) that can be improved, enhanced, refined in a way that creates a great new business! Don't overlook the little things because little things can add up to something big! And if you do you'll be sitting prettier...and warmer! Do you have any thoughts on innovation? Does it have to be the next iPAD-type home run or should companies find ways to refine average products in ways that are meaningful to consumers? Leave a comment and let me know! Thank you. 10 Comments Sushi, Sake and Sumo! Banzai from Japan! 05/16/2010
Check it! This is my video blog - first post from Japan, with more to come. Hope you enjoy! Let me know if you have questions about what's going on in the local economy. Japan is a kooky place so I hope you love it as much as I do! Banzai! Solly, me no speak Engrish so good! 04/28/2010
 "Solly, me no speak Engrish so good!" I jumped in a taxi recently and heard the above sentence. Yeah, I know, surprise, surprise, right? You can picture the scene - a funky beat up taxi, lots of artifacts dangling from the rear-view mirror, a guy with a name you can't pronounce and you think, "learn the language or go home, buddy!" The funny thing is, these words weren't spoken to me by a taxi driver in the USA but by a local taxi driver in China! Think about it. Here is a dude making the equivalent of US$300/month and he is apologizing to me for not speaking English when I am the foreigner in his country! Was he pissed off that I was butchering his 3,000 year old language? Nope, he smiled and apologized for not knowing English. But, he is studying it every day like so many of his countrymen! That is the attitude that will drive China into the future. The Chinese are committed to studying the best America has to offer and learning the skills necessary to make them a global power, whether it is speaking English or engineering a faster semiconductor. For the most part, they actually appreciate having foreigners in their country to help drive them along the "Super-Growth Expressway" faster than the average Shanghai taxi driver can fly through a yellow/red light on the wrong side of the road! I think we can all learn a valuable lesson from the attitude of my Shanghai cabbie! Are you receptive to new and better ways of doing things? To learning from other people and cultures? To moving forward at the speed of a Shanghai taxi? Or do we just wish things would stay the same and they would just "go home"? Let me know what you think below - go on, leave a comment! Talk about flying into the future! I recently rode the fastest train in the world, which is located in Shanghai! Over 430 kms/hour! That's smoking fast and you can see some details about the ride on the above video - yes, I know...James Cameron I am not! Asia too isn't trying to copy Mr. Cameron's "virtual" mind-blowing future universe in film. No, they are investing in real, killer infrastructure that will shoot them into the real future...and fast!  The amazing thing about technology is that it can take you into another time, a new world, not only at the movies but in real life. Businesses, cities and even countries can leapfrog rivals with properly directed, coordinated investment in new technology and infrastructure. These moves allow you to literally jump over multiple iterations of technology - straight from my friend here on the left (yes, that's my son on a water buffalo!) to the fastest train in the world nearly overnight! Skipping right over slow trains, cars, etc. This can happen moving from a heavy coal-intensive polluter to the leader of the green economy. Or from AltaVista to a Google. So I guess the message is that a country, a competitor or an entrepreneur can be light years behind today...but with a few strategic investments in the right places, in the right technology and in the right infrastructure they can zoom ahead. And it is happening in Asia. And did I mention, it's happening really, really FAST?! How can you, your company or your community better use technology and targeted investment to propel you into the future? Leave your comments below! Happy to have the Convicts, mate! 06/29/2009
As Americans get ready to celebrate our independence from British rule on July 4th, I think back to those exciting fireworks displays, grilling out with family and friends and eating some good Ohio sweet corn. I also remember a saying my grandfather taught me, “Knee high by the fourth of July and the corn will be good.” Unfortunately, this July 4 season Americans are knee high in something other than corn; yet another political sex scandal.  Thanks for checking out my first blog! I feel honored you are taking the time!
I stumbled upon an organization recently that was focused on strengthening “Brand America”. (http://www.strengtheningbrandamerica.com). Great goal! As an American who has lived overseas for +9 years working for a Japanese firm, I am very sensitive to America’s brand image. I mean, I have some serious skin in the game pretty much daily - whether I am enjoying sashimi in Tokyo with work colleagues, watching rugby with my Australian mates Down Under or trying to sell my company's services to a local Chinese manufacturer, that Brand-of-a-Motherland is stuck to me like a big Red, White and Blue band-aid. Luckily, Brand USA is going strong despite some people's best efforts to the contrary! Americans (now!) have a President that has rock-star status around the world, we make the most viewed TV programs and films (nearly everyone can quote "Seinfeld" or their kids can sing every line to “High School Musical”!) and our organizations continue to bring innovation and excitement to the world – Apple, Google and this year's Miss America tiara winner, Twitter! |  AuthorI live and work in Shanghai, China and this is my first blog! I've been in Asia for nearly 10 years and love the energy, excitement and growth! But I am still a YANK at heart! Archives |
