We're switching platforms for our blog. While we don't anticipate any problems... We thought we'd let you know, just in case.

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There was a fire today across the street from my office.

I was sitting working... looked out the window and saw flames erupting from the top floor of the building across the street.

I called 112 (the 911 of the Netherlands) and a few minutes later there was an explosion powerful enough to blow-out the windows of the floor above my office. Firefighters arrived swiftly and contained the flames before they spread.

Nobody was hurt, but the building is a mess. Demolition guys are out there now (10 pm) tearing down the loose, dangerous chunks of building.

Coincidentally, my street is named Jan van der Heijden - a famous Dutch Baroque Era painter and innovator who in 1672 invented the fire hose and improved pumps used for firefighting.

Here's one of his sketches called "A Comparison of Old and New Firefighting Methods" I found (with caption) on the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam website.

Van der Heyden compared traditional firefighting methods with his new fire-hose. on the left in the foreground is an old fashioned pump: a large barrel filled with buckets of water. A fixed nozzle is attached to the pump to project water. On the right stands Van der Heyden's invention, which pumps the water directly. The long hose enabled firemen to penetrate deep into the burning building. The insert shows two combined pumps.

Luckily no one was injured today, just property damage and a few people who had to spend the night in a hotel.

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It is with pride that I share with you Idea Sandbox has joined a short list of great looking logos on the Logo Design Love website nominated as one of the best logos! (Way cool!)

I am proud of the Idea Sandbox logo, it was designed by Jen Sukis at Principle Design. She did a great job... The fact that it joins this short list of 10 sites is an honor.

Check out the competition, and if you agree the Idea Sandbox logo is your favorite VOTE, VOTE, VOTE! (You pick your top three leaving your votes in the comments section).

If you don't agree that it's in the top three... Still vote! A lot of love went into each of the designs!

I'll keep you posted regarding the results!

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I couldn't resist posting this TV ad from Jeep... Part of their "Have fun out there" campaign. And you can see... what's more fun than playing in a sandbox? (I can tell you, nothing is better than that!)

Their vehicles are four-wheeling in a huge sandbox. Equipped with oversized steam shovel, pails, plastic shovels, rakes and sand sifters.

Here's a shot of the creative from the website...

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categorized as behind the scenes

I received an email from a friend who works at Starbucks. In the auto-signature of her e-mail was this "Love What You Do" graphic.

It is just one element hiring teams use to communicate enthusiasm for working at Starbucks. Potential candidates see this 'badge' in the emails from Starbucks as well as in other materials... Candidates begin to experience the passion partners (employees) have for the company and their work partly through this e-mail bumper sticker.

Starbucks is one of those companies that has a thick culture. I'm sure you've heard this before, but "cult" is the root of the word culture.

Working as a partner at Starbucks is a lot like working as a cast member Disney (the theme parks and resorts)... Working in the cult, you either you "get it" or you don't.

Both Starbucks and Disney, before you ever start your actual job, spend hours immersing you in the company culture and history. At Disney, these classes are called Traditions.

In fact, Disney makes sure you "get" what it means to provide excellent Guest service before they even assign you a job. They can teach anyone to operate a theme park attraction or work the front desk at a hotel... But what they can't teach is that gut understanding of how to work with customers... and loving what you do.

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I love this logo. It is on a souvenir t-shirt purchased a few years ago at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.

The logo - cracked and worn from repeated washings - is based on the old Disneyland entrance marquee.

For fun, I decided to give Idea Sandbox the Disneyland treatment.

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The last stop before returning to Amsterdam, is Palermo, Sicily. My family is originally from Sicily... The old fishing village of Termini Imerese to be exact.

Palermo, Sicily
Source: Flickr

Termini Imerese
Source: Flickr

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As I head south along the Italian coast during my vacation... I wanted to share with you what I hope to see. Enjoy!

Positano on the Amalfi Coast
Source: Flickr

Amalfi Coast

Source: Flickr

Next on my trip is Palermo, Sicily. I fly out of Naples directly to Palermo.

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Saluti!

While on my vacation I plan to visit Pompeii. Pompeii was buried during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The ash buried and smothered the city - basically wiping them off the map until around 1600. The ash actually preserved the forms of people, artwork, and painted walls.

Pompeii
Source: Flickr

Pompeii, Mt. Vesuvius in Background
Source: Flickr

Tomorrow? The Amalfi Coast!

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Buon Giorno! from Naples, Italy.

This week I'm taking an Italian Sandbox Holiday. These images represent a few of the bites I hope to enjoy while visiting Naples.

Naples Entree
Source: Flickr

This is a delicious flaky pastry I look forward to enjoying...

Sfogliatella Dessert
Source: Flickr

Next stop... Pompeii.

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Hello from the road!

This week I'm on holiday in Italy. I'm going to be traveling from Rome to Naples and over to Palermo, Sicily.

I'll provide you with a preview of the monuments I plan to see...

Trevi Fountain
Source: Flickr

St. Peter's Basilica
Source: Flickr

Colosseum
Source: Flickr

Next week, I'm heading south to Naples and the Amalfi Coast.

(See more images tagged "Rome" on Flickr)

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From the moment the spark of Idea Sandbox was sketched on a napkin... I have shared the behind-the-scenes, remained transparent, and have adopted an 'open source' approach. I've enjoyed sharing as I go... And it has proven that more brains are better than one...

In that same spirit... I'm sharing another work in progress... an updated version of the Idea Sandbox platform...

These are the services, products, and key topics at the core of Idea Sandbox.

My metaphor is a Table of Contents... If I were to publish the Idea Sandbox: The Book, this may be how the content would lay out...

As always... this is a work in progress.

As always... your thoughts are very welcome.

1. Creativity

• tips/techniques/discussion (Sand for Your Inbox)
  • in problem solving/innovation process (see Innovation below)
• measuring and improving creativity
• importance of having the right:
  • people (expertise) and creative leadership,
  • place (conducive & creative space), and
  • things (tools/process)
• asset-based thinking

2. Customer Experience

• putting the customer first
• focus on all of the touch points
• retail/restaurant environment

3. Meaningful Marketing

• being remarkable / remarkability
• substance first, then sizzle

4. Innovation

• Discussion

• The Process

  a. monitor

  • trend spotting sources
  • following trends
  • suggested tools, reading, and resources (monitor: wiki)

  b. anticipate needs

  • noticing change, knowing what to do with it
  • suggested tools, reading, and resources (anticipate needs: wiki)

  c. identify needs

  • focus on the problem, not the symptoms
  • how to frame your problem/opportunity
  • suggested tools, reading, and resources (identify needs: wiki)

  d. generate ideas/brainstorming [has its own category - see 5]

  e. evaluate/decision making [has its own category - see 6]

  f. champion/being a champion

  • how to lead others
  • organizational change
  • how to sell/pitch your ideas
    • presentation skills
  • Brand Called:YOU
  • suggested tools, reading, and resources (champion: wiki)

  g. implementation

  • suggested tools, reading, and resources (implementation: wiki)

5. Brainstorming

• how to generate ideas, techniques and tips (as an individual/in a group)
• suggested tools, reading, and resources (generate ideas: wiki)

6. Decision Making

• how to select the best ideas to solve the right problem (as identified the 'identify need' step)
• suggested tools, reading, and resources (decision making: wiki)

7. Branding & Identity

• Discussion

I. Appendix

Additional Business Resources/Tools (to avoid Wheel Reinventing)

• Recommended Reading / Resources
• Tips, Tools, Techniques, Templates
  • Presentation Tools
• Jargon Buster (glossary of terms)

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categorized as behind the scenes

I mentioned my mom in the previous post. Speaking of mom, she's always looking out for me. A couple times a month she'll send an envelope with interesting print clips and articles for me to check out. She's my remote correspondent.

Here's one she sent me a while back that I thought you'd appreciate. (Click the image for a larger version).

Her sticky note states...

I wasn't depressed
until I read this ad...
but then I got confused,
disoriented and felt...
well... thlessorguilty...
and tedorblue...

YM

She's right. Just trying to read this ad makes you feel like you have some of the symptoms they're trying to describe.

By the way... She's signed "YM" for years now... stands for "Your Mamma" an expression from an old Saturday Night Live sketch.

Apologies to CNS Healthcare, hopefully they got a credit and/or a re-run of this ad.

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Geoffrey Moore author of the new book "Dealing with Darwin," as part of his book tour, was in Seattle today and spoke at Starbucks HQ...

Geoff introduced the book by explaining many companies (especially technology) focus on innovation during the start-up phase - to get a product created - and ride the wave from there. But, he added, innovation needs to take place at all the stages in the category life cycle.

Some quotable quotes...

Companies run into trouble when they spend more time in the mind of the business and not enough time in the mind of the customer.

and...

"What is (your company name here) about?" What is your identity? What do you represent to your customers, your employees and to yourself?

His Return on Innovation diagram (below) illustrates four types of innovation.

Differentiation

This is innovation that truly sets you apart from the your competition... makes you the "preferred choice" in the market place.

Neutralization

This is innovation that catches up to what a competitor is doing, and eliminates the differentiation. An example, when the first airline added an electronic self-check-in kiosk - they became a differentiated airline. But now all airlines have them - so that innovation has been neutralized. In the book he mentions "Citibank achieved differentiation with ATM machines in the 1970s; then all other banks achieved neutralization." It's now what's expected from consumers.

Productivity

This is the innovation that takes place behind the scenes. The inner operation that isn't necessarily visible to the customer.

Waste

Waste is productivity that doesn't add value or create additional return. It's innovation for the sake of innovation. More features were added, but not more value.

Want more? Additional slides may be downloaded from his website. Also check out Geoff's blog!

He is super smart, down-to-earth, and an awesome presenter. If he's in your town - I highly recommend listening to him speak. Geoff's schedule can be found on the TCG Advisor's website (in the right-hand column).

Look for the continuation "Dealing with Innovation: 2" posting tomorrow.

Geoff has also written: Crossing the Chasm, Inside the Tornado, The Gorilla Game, and Living on the Fault Line

Material is © 2006 TCG Advisors, LLC

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I sent an email last month about my departure from Starbucks to my now full-time gig as lead sifter at Idea Sandbox. Chris Pirillo was one of the recipients of my adieu announcement...

He was nice enough to post comments on his site:

Paul Williams Leaves Starbucks (Chris Pirillo)

Thanks for the juju, Chris!

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The original title for this was "Origin of the word: NEWS" - a post about a novel way I just learned the origin of the word "news." Then I did some research and found out I had bum information.

My 2-XL* told me a trivia question today.

He said that the origin of the word NEWS comes from the points on the compass. N, S, E and W. I thought that was very interesting - and pretty cool that I learned something from a kid's toy at 36 years old...

Then I did some fact checking... and the origin of the word NEWS is NOT from the points on the compass.

According to a website called the Word Detective:

The theory that "news" is an acronym whose letters stand for the four points of the compass -- North, East, West and South -- is an attractive, superficially plausible theory, but, like many attractive theories, it is nonsense. In truth, "news" in English seems to have come about because someone noticed that the French word for "news or current events" is "nouvelles" (which is simply the plural of the French word for "new") and decided we should do the same thing in English. So there's no acronym in "news," but we do get to blame the illogic of the word on the French, which is better than nothing.

I guess we've made some discoveries since the late '70s.

*Who or what is 2-XL?

2-XL was a kids toy in the mid/late-70s made by Mego, which helped kids "to excel" (2-XL) through trivia and facts. I never had one as a kid, but had played with one. A couple years ago I found one on eBay...

2-XL's voice is what I clearly remembered and what drove me to find one. It's some guys voice from New York, spoken robotically and slightly sped up. Has a thick accent for a robot.

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Seth Godin has provided advice on how to proceed with my Idea Sandbox location in Seattle considering the recent discovery that there is another creative meeting space opening up in Seattle.

In case you missed it... Here's Seth's advice:

this is the best thing that could have happened to you... they have all the hassles and the overhead and you have the ability to be their best client!

negotiate a bulk rate, then package the service. Don't be in the space rental business [read: commodity], instead, use the space and your talent to create an effective off-site day for companies large and small.

your ability to run a workshop, to push, to facilitate, to consult... that's where the profit is and what you have to sell.

And you don't need any capital to get started

Thanks Seth for your thoughts!

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Thanks for your comments... your great comments... You're hired!

You are totally right in your suggestions... Slow cooked chili is better.

However... I've not given up... I'm re-examining.

I have confidence that I would put together a phenomenal, buzz-worthy place...

This development (of a competitor getting there first) has added a huge factor into my business equation... I'd be a fool not to re-consider my original plans...

When I did my market analysis... it was pretty clear the idea was
even stronger because there's nothing like it within 2000 miles. Now
there's a place within 20 miles.

I'm not chickening out... I'm being smart about my plan. I want to work smarter, not harder.

Does it make as much sense to open a brainstorming place in a town that's got a brainstorming place?

I met with Kevin Hoffberg, the CEO of ThinkSpot yesterday afternoon. I had to. We are too like-minded. They've got some big plans over there at ThinkSpot and are in a different position than I am in (both financially and with an existing customer base).

But meeting with Kevin opened a different set of doors as well...

So now I'm in a spot to explore these options...

1. In Bruce's words... "Be the first in the mind of the customer. Do it better, or not at all."
2. In Adam's words... "Offer something that they don't to differentiate."
3. In the words of the old adage... "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

In the words of Snagglepuss... "Heavens to Murgatroid!"

Thanks folks for your well-thought words.

I'll keep you posted.

• For more context on this post... please read the comments to the "Idea Sandbox: 'Plan B'" post.
  

• For background about the Idea Sandbox, please read my original post.

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I received an e-mail today, forwarded from a friend, announcing that ThinkSpot in Seattle is having their Grand Opening Gala next month.

What is ThinkSpot?

"ThinkSpot is a brand new meeting and event facility... We are housed in an artist loft studio building, and our spaces have been specifically designed to encourage creativity, collaboration, and forward-thinking."

Sound familiar?

Yep. Same concept as the Idea Sandbox project I've been discussing.

"The Idea Sandbox will be the most creative meeting space on the west coast.

One step inside this idea wonderland, you’ll understand how Idea Sandbox is inspiring businesses and entrepreneurs alike to dream the unthinkable and do the impossible."

What's better? The real estate I was planning to lease is literally 10 seconds from where they are opening in June.

I'm sure the folks at ThinkSpot did the same research as I...
Determined that Seattle could really use a creative meeting space... A creative meeting space. Not two. Especially not two across the street from each other.

So now what?

What do you do when competition beats you to the market? (Perhaps this is a post for another day).

Here's what I've done so far...

• I've sent a note to the founders, inviting them to coffee.
  The CEO and co-founder Kevin wants to meet. We're going to see about
  working with each other vs. against each other.
• I pulled out my newsprint pad and fine point Sharpie and am using my brainstorming and solution providing expertise to come up with a stellar "Plan B."

Keep your aggregators pointed here.

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