lllCreativity in Action!
Using Creativity in
Developing the
Entrepreneurial Spirit
Learning in Action!
A Cross-disciplinary Problem-Based
Learning Environment for Entrepreneurship
The Case of the
Missing Mutual Fund
Test Version 1.0
(A Work in Progress)
(A Work in Progress)
R. Wilburn Clouse, PhD
Vanderbilt University
Duo-Cam:
The Convenience Camera of Choice
Storyline by Jada Ledford Daves
Introduction
Have you ever experienced “camera chaos,” as I like to term it, at your niece’s birthday
party, yearly family reunion, wedding, or other celebratory function? Sad to say, I have
endured this again and again and again and again. As a result of these experiences, I have
brainstormed for years on a way to reduce the amount of time, energy, and frustration
associated with getting just the right snapshot while keeping the video camera rolling.
The Creative Idea Defined
According to Michalko, every new idea is a modification to an idea that already exists
(2000). I think his theory applies to my idea. The marketplace is bombarded with every
kind of digital and video camera imaginable. There are also quite a few variations in the
digital/video camera combinations. I am personally fond of these combo units because
they provide an exceptional way for technologically savvy people to enjoy the innovation
of such an incredible system.
Nevertheless, these camera manufacturers have failed to recognize that only a very small
portion of the general public fit the “technologically savvy” template. The overwhelming
magnitude of us are running around with a standard 35mm camera and our family video
camera trying to capture a few memories of special events in our lives.
This brings me to my creative idea of developing the Duo-Cam (patent pending – ha).
This unit would operate as a fully functioning video camera and 35mm camera all in one.
They could both function simultaneously or as separate units.
There would be many benefits to this mechanism. The Duo-Cam would allow for easy
access to both mediums of memory making, provide the ability to capture both video and
photo at the same time, be especially convenient for travel due to the lighter load of one
unit as opposed to two, and it would save the photographer time by dovetailing both
processes.
Anderson has defined creativity as “…nothing more than going beyond the current
boundaries, whether those are boundaries of technology, knowledge, current practices,
social norms, or beliefs. Creativity is nothing more than seeing and acting on new
relationships, thereby bringing them to life (1992).
Alex Osborn, a pioneering teacher of creativity, identified nine principal ways to
manipulate a preexisting subject into something else (Michalko, 2000). He creatively
used the mnemonic SCAMPER to form this checklist of idea-spurning questions.
S = Substitute?
C = Combine?
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A = Adapt?
M = Modify? = Magnify?
P = Put to other uses?
E = Eliminate?
R = Rearrange? = Reverse?
My Duo-Cam idea is a result of the “combining” part of the SCAMPER process. My
basic premise is to take a standard 35mm camera and combine it with the features of a
video camera. No brain surgery required here. I’m taking two independently known
subjects and proposing to combine them into a mechanism that I think could have
tremendous marketplace potential.
Needless to say, I’m encouraged by the research in the area of combining preexisting
subjects to merge new products. Consider the Walkman radio. Sony engineers at first
tried to design a small, portable stereo tape recorder. They failed and ended up with a
small stereo tape player that couldn’t record. They gave up on the project and shelved it.
One day, Masaru Ibuka, honorary chairman of Sony, discovered this failed product and
decided to refashion it into something new. He remembered an entirely different project
at Sony where an engineer was working to develop lightweight portable headphones and
asked, “What if you combine the headphones with the tape player and eliminate the
recorder function altogether?” As a result of this creative move, the Walkman radio
became Sony’s leading selling electronic product of all time and introduced all of us to
the “headphone culture” (Michalko, 2000).
Taking the Duo-Cam to the Marketplace
A prototype for this mechanism could be as simple as strategically attaching (by tape,
glue, etc.) a 35mm camera to a video camera and operating them at the same time. Even
though this approach may seem a bit “homegrown,” it would serve the purpose of
demonstrating its combined use.
Nevertheless, it would take far more than creating a simple prototype to see this product
on the shelves of retailers across the country. According to Pollock (2001), the following
guidelines are extremely important when trying to see an idea: 1) know your audience; 2)
say what you mean; 3) take time to explain your concept fully; 4) establish rapport; and
5) avoid extremes. Overall, he encourages entrepreneurs to spend ample time on the
“benefits to the user,” not just “how it works” in the sales presentation.
Another interesting piece of research I came across was an article by Baig describing a
new arena to share nifty ideas. He stated that Ideas.com offers three ways to put a
creative idea on display. According to this piece, the first and probably least effective is
to post an idea for all to see. The strategy here is to reveal just enough to lure a potential
buyer into contacting you, but not to spill the beans so as to let some other person snatch
your inspiration. Indeed, if your idea has teeth, you’ll want to protect yourself with a
patent or copyright. Ideas.com also says it safeguards you during a dispute by time/date
stamping when you submit an idea at the site and claims the act of putting the concept in
writing and posting it on the Net may afford you some protection under copyright law.
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Ideas.com is not an agent for the buyer or seller and leaves the negotiating to you; it takes
a cut of up to 30% from companies who pay for concepts.
You also can direct ideas to specific companies that have not signed deals with
Ideas.com. There’s no guarantee, of course, that Apple, 3Com, General Motors,
Microsoft and others will review your submission, but Ideas.com claims it is alerting
them nonetheless. Ideas in this category are visible only to the companies you’ve
targeted.
The third way he suggested to submit an idea is to respond to requests made by the
companies themselves (they pay a fee to post requests). As it is, Fortune 500 companies
get stacks of unsolicited product submissions from the public, and Ideas.com provides
them a pipeline for communicating with folks outside corporate confines (2001).
Conclusion
For most people, the motivation for innovation comes largely from the joy of doing
something that has never been done before. Or at least in my case, this holds true. The
entrepreneurial spirit is the driving force in my life on a daily basis. It’s even hard to find
appropriate words to describe the exhilaration of creating a new idea, concept, or product,
and working toward advancing that mission.
The Duo-Cam is just one of many ideas I have brewing inside of me at any given time.
While I think it has merit to possibly be taken to the marketplace, doing so is not on my
agenda at this time. Nevertheless, I would entertain the idea of partnering with someone
who was interested in seriously developing this idea (research, business plan, etc.) to the
next level. Any takers?
References
Anderson, J. V. (1992). Weirder than fiction: The reality and myths of creativity.
Academy of Management Executive, 6, (4), 41.
Baig, E. C. (2001, January 3). A new market for nifty ideas. USA Today, p. 30.
Michalko, M. (2000, May/June). Four steps toward creative thinking. The Futurist, pp.
18-21.
Pollock, T. (2001, January). How to sell your idea. Supervision, pp. 16-18.
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