Lean machine

Good ideas don’t guarantee success; otherwise, we’d all be millionaires, at the very least. But the key isn’t having the most money. It’s about speed, execution and adaptation, says Eric Ries, entrepreneurial expert and creator of the Lean Startup methodology. And because most failures are caused not by risk-taking, but by mismanagement, he argues that entrepreneurship needs to be treated as an industry in its own right with its own set of best practices. Read the full interview on our website, in which Ries talks humility, analytics and playing the numbers game.

More … Save for later with Instapaper

Show me the money

Congrats to the winners of our Cash for Ideas bumper edition—you’ve scored both parts of the IP Guide, all in one handy volume! Here are the five winners and their assorted reasons why they deserved to win.

Melissa Burt: Because every time I enter for something for free, I get told I’m too old, too young, wrong gender or wrong country … and I know you wouldn’t do that, right?
Anna Gervai: Because I believe in giving to receive, so attached is my recent white paper that I thought would come in handy.
Alexandra Donaghy: Because I’m awesome. Seriously now, I love homegrown success and NZ entrepreneurship.
Kate Gordon: I think I have about six really good ideas on how I can expand my business but I’m overwhelmed with current workload and need help to make that next step.
And last but not least (flattery will get you everywhere),
Peter Clews: So I can become financially secure using the tips and then inject further investment into Idealog.

So watch out for these names in the near future; they’re going to be big!

The wait is (nearly) over

Good things take time, but the good news is, a brand spanking new Idealog is just a few sleeps away.  Subscribers’ copies should arrive on Wednesday and it’ll be on sale from Thursday. There’s plenty to look forward to, including the winners of the AUT writing competition, New Zealand’s latest film industry success stories, and the Kiwi who’s outsourcing, well, innovation itself; plus Celsias, our guide to sustainable business practices. We’ll have a full rundown in next week’s newsletter, so be sure to check back for all the latest.

More … Save for later with Instapaper

Open entry

Kiwi designers take note: The 2010 Best Design Awards, the Oscars of the New Zealand design world, are open for entries, boasting a shiny new logo and a brand new category. Now in their 22nd year, the awards recognise excellence in product, graphic, spatial and now interactive design. Formerly a subcategory of graphic design, this includes everything from moving graphics to apps and websites of all scales. Entries close on July 9 and the winners will be announced at a black-tie event in October.

More … Save for later with Instapaper

The height of efficiency

This Chinese concept train takes efficiency to a whole new level … it never actually stops. Instead, passengers board and alight via connector cabins, which the train slows down to pick up or drop off at each station. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9Ig19gYP9o

I for innovate

Here at Idealog we’re big fans of that other I word  —innovate—and so is Massey University’s business development arm, the e-centre. So much so that it’s putting on a workshop next month to help companies up their game. On the agenda: how to create a culture of innovation, measure and improve performance and become an organisation which markets unique, attractive products and services. Find out more and register on their website; as with all good things, the early bird gets the worm.

More … Save for later with Instapaper

A playground for the grownups

Creative nonprofit D&AD and YouTube have partnered to create a space for the most inspiring, groundbreaking and other generally awesome videos in commercial creativity. Check out The Inspiration Channel, which anyone can upload content to for others to browse. Regular guest editors will pick out their favourites, starting with D&AD CEO Tim O’Kennedy, who hopes it will become “a playground for the creative community and a source of inspiration and fun”.

More … Save for later with Instapaper

Conference with a difference

Question: What do you call an annual conference run entirely by students, for students?  Answer: Tech Hui. Featuring keynote speakers and presentations from attending schools, followed by taster courses at Wellington universities, it’s a unique approach to learning more about the IT industry. And although it’s held in the North Island, that doesn’t mean the South is missing out—organisers are aiming to host representatives from all over the country this June.

More … Save for later with Instapaper

Worthy cause

Six young photographers from around the world received awards in Cannes this week as part of a joint venture between UNICEF and the World Photography Organisation; each submitted an image and written pledge to mark the 20th anniversary of the United Nations convention for child rights. Among them was 15-year-old Rachita Castelino of New Zealand, who was selected for her photograph “Selling for Survival” portraying a young boy on the streets of Mumbai. Along with five other winners, she’ll be flying to Ethiopia later this year for a one-off workshop with renowned photographer and humanitarian, Reza.

More … Save for later with Instapaper

Get the message

What kills more people than AIDS, cancer and war, and yet keeps you alive? Short, powerful and to the point. http://vimeo.com/10756110

Modern manners

Public transport is fraught with unspoken rules, perhaps none more so than the New York subway, which carries more than 1.5 billion passengers a year. But for those who don’t know how to behave (or don’t care), a series of unauthorised posters gracing train carriages are about to provide an in-your-face reminder. Fed up with his fellow passengers’ lack of consideration, artist Jay Shells created 40 different signs on subway etiquette, covering everything from seating priority to noise and physical contact. They even resemble the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s regular service notices, down to the lookalike logo.

More … Save for later with Instapaper

Quote of the week

“I’m told New Zealand doesn’t have much of an entrepreneurship culture, and then everyone I meet is running their own business, or wants to.”

— Eric Ries on the pathological humility of Enzed culture