How to Consistently Think Outside-of-the-Box for 10x Growth
Your boss tells you to create the next multi-million dollar blockbuster product. After all, you are the expert. Yet, no matter how much your team tries to think outside-of-the-box, your innovation iterations can’t seem to break through the legacy product. Sure it has better bells and whistles but at the end of the day, it’s still the same widget with a new name.
Scott shares that companies can systematically achieve better innovation outcomes by utilizing a combination of crowdsourcing and AI computation to create serendipity. Great ideas don’t have to occur once in a blue moon; it can happen consistently. Scott asserts that great ideas are inspired from other domains. Using a proven research-based methodology, Scott helps your organization to solve highly complex product development and innovation projects by utilizing the symbiosis of human-machine innovation.
Why Innovation Benefits from Dissent
How are decisions made in your organization? We like to believe that we make optimal decisions based on group consensus. According to research, even the best orchestrated consensus thinking is less creativity than the sum of their members. By definition, consensus is a general agreement among members of a group. In order to reach consensus, there are trade-offs. We start out with a complex problem with many dimensions, much like a heptagon with 100 sides. As concessions are made, the once jagged polygon smooths out to a simple rounded polygon with less sides. What we get is something not dissimilar from what others have already come up with, including our competitors. We fail to achieve a breakthrough.
Scott shares that in order to produce superior decision-making, organizations must embrace authentic dissenting viewpoints. Based on research, Scott indicates that when a team member shares a dissenting viewpoint, the creativity of the group increases. Dissent stimulates thought that is divergent, and leads to greater innovation and creativity. It improves the quality of decision-making. We become more independent thinkers and, more importantly, we think divergently.
Why Innovation Shouldn’t Start with Business Requirements
There is an exciting new project kicking off at your work. So naturally, you start with requirements gathering. You hold a series of requirements gathering working sessions with stakeholders and users. The questions are generally oriented towards “what do you want?” However, this is highly problematic, especially if this is a new product or service. Matter of fact, asking your target customers what they want might even lead to disastrous results.
Scott presents the concepts of benefit-oriented and emotion-oriented requirements methodologies that will not only sharpen your requirements process but produce a profoundly innovative solution that will be lauded and loved by your customers. A benefits-oriented approach summarizes the greatest user needs to the highest abstraction level. It forces us to lift our eyes up from granularity of feature set to see the big picture. An emotion-oriented requirements approach increases user adoption, engagement and ultimate success of a new product or service by focusing on the underlying human emotional goals.
Strive: How Doing the Things Most Uncomfortable Leads to Success
Find out how doing the things most uncomfortable leads to success. Pioneering thought leader Scott Amyx shows anyone striving to succeed, regardless of who or where we are, what we do or have done for a living, or how young or old we are, that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but doing the things uncomfortable he calls “strive”. Drawing on his own powerful story of an impoverished immigrant frequently told that he would mount to nothing, Amyx, now a celebrated venture capitalist and futurist, describes his meteoric rise from obscurity to prominence, which led to the hypothesis that what really drives success is not intellect, opportunities or even network but pursuing personal change that’s uncomfortable.
In this book, Scott takes readers into his defining life moments and stories from some of the most unlikely individuals who persevered through change to become outrageously successful. He also mines fascinating insights from history and shows what can be gleaned from modern experiments in high performance. Finally, he shares what he’s learned from interviewing dozens of high achievers—from corporate CEOs, unicorn startup entrepreneurs to global policy leaders. Strive shows how you can shape your life and your career, a life of fulfillment and joy, constantly creative and productive, one that always holds the possibility of delightful surprise.
(Scott’s feature Wiley book Strive is available for order.)
The Human Race: How Humans Can Survive in the Robotic Age
Scott explores the imminent net job loss from artificial intelligence, robotics and the Fourth Industrial Revolution and its impact on income inequality and rise in populism and nationalism that are sweeping across the globe.
AI-driven cyber-physical automation is expected to displace 50% to 80% of the human workforce by 2030. As the pace of convergence of exponential technologies reach near vertical slope, the trend of human displacement is unstoppable. What will be the role of humans?
For the structurally unemployed and underemployed, it will be bleak future with limited options. Only those with highly specialized PhDs in fields that create, train and maintain AI, robotic and advanced scientific and technical systems may have a place in the world of hyper-automation. Contrary to popular belief that only predictable physical work is automatable, as narrow AI continues to master new niches, it will amass a superset of capabilities that will not only replace tasks but holistic job functions. There is no senior executive, policymaker or subject matter expert that will be safe.
Scott explores the limitations of universal basic income and taxing robots. Instead, he proposes a vastly different, out-of-the-box solution called the Human Currency. It’s a global economy and a cryptocurrency based on human-to-human empathy services. Moreover, it has the resiliency and sustainability built into the system to ensure the viability of the human race for centuries to come.
Scott emphasizes the need to pursue job training and labor force development in human-to-human services that leverage our ability to empathize with the human condition. The empathy business models and services will become the bedrock of post Fourth Industrial Revolution.
(Scott’s second feature book The Human Race: How Humans Can Survive in the Robotic Age is scheduled to come out next year.)
The Impact of Climate Change & Innovation to Combat It
According to the United Nations’ recent report on climate change, the Earth is only a decade away from the tipping point of 1.5 celsius increase global temperature, increasing the occurrences of devastating drought, hurricanes, floods, extreme heat, and widespread poverty. Hundreds of millions of people’s lives are at stake. Some believe that it’s too late. Electric cars and clean energy aren’t enough to prevent rising oceans and massive global devastation. Investors and businesses are betting on life-saving innovations such as seawalls, indoor vertical farming, and emergency housing to deal with the expected rise in unprecedented crisis. Scott explores how to navigate the future of climate change, strategic investments, and innovation to survive.
Disruption from Exponential Technologies
Disruption is a great term, as long as it’s being applied to your competitors and not your firm. When blockchain began to show tremendous promise, from trustless transactions to making data more secure, startups jumped at the opportunity to use the technology to potentially displace core banking and capital market functions. Blockchain contains the seeds of the destruction for many established players in the financial services industry, since it does everything from allowing parties to draw up secure contracts and storing sensitive information to transferring money safely—all without the aid of an intermediary. There is (understandably) less excitement in the financial industry with businesses like public blockchain-based bitcoins and peer-to-peer lending, which allows users to send money to each other….for free or nearly free. FinTech and the Internet of Things (IoT) are creating disruption in other areas, as well: FinTech is expected to eliminate 2 million bank jobs and the Internet of Things is expected to disrupt almost everything. Current trends in FinTech are being driven by tech startups that aim to disrupt fundraising, mobile payments, money transfers, loans, and resource management. The Internet of Things and artificial intelligence (AI) are forcing leaders to take a hard look at business models and core competencies. FinTech and IoT are threatening to displace “cash cows” and prominent brands. Have you positioned your company to take advantage of the $22.3 billion opportunity that beckons? Or is your business at risk from the advances in technology? If your company is not planning on embracing technological change, it may be in danger of becoming obsolete.
How AI is Transforming Retail & Financial Services
Scott Amyx walks the audience through the lens of a customer journey as s/he interacts with retail and financial services powered by AI. From chatbots to human like digital assistants (AVA), Outernets’ computer vision technology that turns any windows and surfaces into interactive experiences, Endor’s social physics platform that applies AI predictive data analytics to human behavior, fraud prevention powered by AI to Digits that converts credit cards and debit cards into cryptocurrency cards for purchases, the AI evolution is just beginning.
How Your Country Can Lead the Fourth Industrial Revolution
The World Economic Forum predicts that the Internet of Things will usher in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Analysts forecasts between 34 – 50 billion devices will be connected to the Internet by 2020. In economic terms, nearly $6 trillion will be spent on IoT solutions over the next five years. There are many reasons for adopting IoT, including 1) lowering operating costs, 2) increasing productivity, and 3) expanding to new markets or developing new product offerings.
In his presentation, Scott Amyx provides an overview of the Fourth Industrial Revolution opportunity, quantifiable benefits for businesses and governments, and the role of the public-private-startup ecosystem to help stimulate broad-based adoption of Industry 4.0.
How to Transform a Nation
How to build a Fourth Industrial Revolution-driven nation to spur sustainable economic growth, to build new industries, to create jobs, and to raise the human capital of local citizens.
The World Economic Forum’s survey gives us hints on when the future will have arrived. When we have robotic pharmacists, when our clothes are Internet connected to when AI is seating on the Board of Directors. These disruptions cannot be stopped. It represents rapid and unstoppable evolution in the human innovation curve. With this massive automation and intelligence, many will lose their jobs — a net 7% of U.S. jobs by 2025.
So how can a nation instead of being disrupted become the disruptor?
Scott Amyx shares a is framework for transforming a nation. In his presentation, Scott shares the role of futurism, R&D, experimentation, investment, implementation, and knowledge transfer in the transformation of a nation.
Are You Ready for Disruption?
How do you turn disruption Into innovation? In PwC’s Annual Global CEO Survey, 62% expressed concern about the impact of disruption in their industry. Disruption is coming from all direction — from the Internet of Things, blockchain cryptography, AI/ machine learning, data analytics, decentralized computing to changes in consumer behavior.
According to an Accenture study of 1,000 large enterprises, big companies struggle with innovation. The biggest barrier is not a lack of vision but because, by definition, big companies are mature. Organizational structures and processes are in place to guide the company towards efficiency. Seasoned managers steer their employees from pursuing the art of discovery and towards engaging in the science of delivery. Employees are taught to seek efficiencies, leverage existing assets, and listen to their best customers. Such practices and policies ensure that executives can consistently deliver positive earnings to Wall Street, but they also minimize the types and scale of innovation that can be pursued successfully within an organization. No company ever created transformational growth by doing what they do a tiny bit better and a tiny bit cheaper.
The biggest barrier is not a lack of vision but because, by definition, big companies are mature. Organizational structures and processes are in place to guide the company towards efficiency. Seasoned managers steer their employees from pursuing the art of discovery and towards engaging in the science of delivery. Employees are taught to seek efficiencies, leverage existing assets, and listen to their best customers. Such practices and policies ensure that executives can consistently deliver positive earnings to Wall Street, but they also minimize the types and scale of innovation that can be pursued successfully within an organization. No company ever created transformational growth by doing what they do a tiny bit better and a tiny bit cheaper.
Realize the Promise of Digital Transformation Through Robotic Process Automation, the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence
“Organizations today are under incredible pressure to innovate, reduce costs, and increase revenue and market share. And that pressure is coming from all direction. CEO turnover has reached a record high. In 2015, 17% of the globe’s largest public companies saw their CEO leave, which is more than in any of the previous 15 years. Enterprises are confronted with significant pressures to embrace and optimize digital transformation; otherwise, they risk becoming commoditized and losing market share. Matter of fact there is even a metric called the digital quotient that scores the digital maturity of a company. Digitization gives organizations a major leg up. It enables you to use and manage your assets, processes and labor more efficiently to increase productivity and output.
The Power of 3: Robotic Process Automation, the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence
Rather than thinking of AI, the Internet of Things and robotic process automation as separate, distinct technologies, we need to recognize that they work together. The Internet of Things quantifies your value chain and provides real-time data. This data is then used by AI to generate predictive insights. Supporting your business processes, including IoT and AI activities, is the robotic process automation that automates your business tasks and activities to accelerate your digital transformation. ”
Exponential Disruption: Is Your Organization Ready for the Era of Human-Machine Innovation?
Scott Amyx explores exponential technologies that have the potential to transform human society in ways we can’t imagine. From cloud computing to quantum computing, speech interface to brain computer interface, conventional materials to graphene, oil & gas to nuclear fusion, robots to transhumanoids, we are embarking in an uncharted era of human-machine innovation. How can companies ready themselves? Or is your business at risk from advances in technology? If your company is not embracing technological change, it may be in danger of becoming obsolete.
The Future of Collaborative, Decentralized & Intelligent Robotics
The next generation of robotics are no longer caged programmed mobile arms performing repeatable or dangerous tasks. They are evolving to become collaborative, self-monitoring, and agile. They will operate in swarms with autonomy, decentralized control and collective emergent behavior as robotics, IoT, AI, data analytics, and blockchain converge.
The Future of Human Intelligence
Singularity University founder Ray Kurzweil predicts that AI will exceed human intelligence by 2029. That’s much sooner than he’s prior prediction of 2045. So the question is what do we do, so we’re not left behind?
So how can we ensure that we are not left behind by machines? Brain computer interface may help. Traditionally, this type of technology has been used to help people with dementia, strokes, and brain injuries.
But now startups such as Neuralink and Kernel are developing ultra high bandwidth brain-machine interface to measure the activity of neurons. They envision a network of tiny electrodes linked to your brain that can communicate wirelessly with the world. The Internet of Humans. The technology could enhance memory and cognitive powers and make it possible to translate your thoughts into text, images or commands.
The Future of Innovation & Jobs
The new marketplace for industries like manufacturing, energy, gas and oil, and construction is a far cry from that in decades past. The perfect storm of problems has been brewing, as novel challenges cut into revenue and force corporations to scramble to find fresh opportunities. Obstacles to growth come in many forms. For example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics noted that there has been a gradual slide in worker productivity, not over just the last few quarters, but over the last decade. However, just as some industries are struggling, there is little doubt that the tech sector is going strong—and that it is shaking up other verticals to create value and opportunities for expansion and growth. While it is not likely that a single solution can bring about significant change in the industrial sector, the appropriate application of advanced technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), data analytics, machine learning and robotics can result in a greater optimization of business workflows and processes, enhanced safety, improved research and development, and the creation of new revenue streams. The silver lining is that innovation also ushers in new types of jobs that didn’t exist before. Innovation coupled with continuous lifetime learning and retraining creates a flexible and adaptable labor force.
Superhumans: Technologies Moving Us Towards Transhumanism
We often highlight our frailties when we fail — we are, after all, only human. However, technology is quickly redefining what it means to be human. There is no denying that we are considerably different from the people who came before us, not only in that we successfully wield technology to overcome a range of challenges, but we also utilize it to enhance our current condition.
From artificial skin, limbs and organs to touchable holograms and gesture-controlled devices, the trend is quite clear: Transhumanism will very likely be the next stage of human development. Every element of human physiology — the senses, organs (including the brain), skeleton and muscles — will be enhanced. These improvements will be primarily driven by advances in wearables and the Internet of Things.
Transhumanism is the theory and intellectual movement that the human race can evolve beyond its current physical and mental limitations by means of science and technology. Its origins may be shrouded in the mist of sci-fi, but just as computers have become a part of everyday life, the ideas put forward by transhumanism will soon be commonplace. We already accept some of its tenets, such as the incredible rise in elective plastic surgery and the race to quantify and connect our world with the Internet of Things (IoT).
Wearables and the Internet of Things are pushing the boundaries to enhance human intellectual, physical and psychological capacities. While it cannot be denied that technology can make our lives better, we also need to address the serious ethical issues raised by modifying the human body. Is transhumanism what Francis Fukuyama called “the world’s most dangerous idea,” or are we scaling the heights of a new Golden Age?
