Generally speaking, I wouldn't cross-post a blog on environmental issues to Built in Chicago, but after the collective swelter of the last few days, well, it actually does speak to innovation and opportunity.
Hot Topics: On Weather, Preppers and the Promise of a “Blue Economy”
The second half the post focuses on the work of Gunter Pauli. If that name doesn't ring a bell, he's a treat. Gunter cut his teeth as an entrepreneur with a company called Ecover, among the first eco-friendly detergent companies.
Long before anybody had heard of Lean Startup, he had to do a bit of serious pivoting. He landed a teaching gig at UN University in Tokyo (bet you didn't know they had one of those), which led to him meeting Honda (of Honda—he was his mentor), which led to the founding of ZERI (Zero Emissions Research Instititute), which led to the Blue Economy Initiative...and a whole bunch of TEDx talks along the way.
Okay, a teaser for why you might want to read about him: the battery-less cell phone that powers on body heat, sound waves and microwind.
The take-aways from the BiC crowd (BiCsters?):
1) Think about supply chains
2) Think about generating multiple, cascading revenue streams (Steve Jobs did it in a very different way, but a good idea is a good idea)
3) Think about the opportunities "problems" present. It's not just about identifying a need and figuring out how to fill it, but also looking at a byproduct as a potential input for another product. It's a little like discovering that donut holes have value, too.
The section on Preppers also suggests all kinds of entrepreneurial potential, but it's so off the charts, I'll let you discover on our own. A real, "Who knew?"
Like most of my posts, it's loaded with links.
Best read with a cold glass of lemonade (okay, beer) by your side...
