Coolfarming: Turn Your Great Idea into the Next Big Thing [Englisch] [Gebundene Ausgabe]

Everyone dreams of coming up with the next big idea that catches on and spreads like wildfire. But our dreams are often based on fantasy - of doing it all by ourselves. Peter Gloor, the author of Coolfarming, has written a very compelling case that clearly demonstrates that is not how it works in the real world. He describes the process of ideas going from the thought stage to the successful development stage as Coolfarming.

The stages of Coolfarming are:

The creator comes up with a cool idea.

The creator recruits additional members to form a Collaborative Innovation Network (a COIN).

The COIN grows into a Collaborative Learning Network (CLN) by adding friends and family.

Outsiders join, forming a Collaborative Interest Network (CIN).

There is a big difference between ideas developed in a command and control environment and a Coolfarming environment. "Coolfarming is a decentralized self-organizing process where each member of the COIN knows what he has to do."

There are plenty of examples of Coolfarming successes. Probably the best known are Wikipedia and Linux.

There is no question that command and control styles of management are fading away. Most innovation in the future will be by decentralized self-organized groups. The ability to connect using the Internet has allowed this type of innovation to flourish.

While the stated purpose of the book is to trace how big ideas catch hold and grow, there is a strong underlying theme to this book. The social structure is changing. "But the time of the regal leaders is over. To succeed in today's far more open and transparent economy, neither overpowering egos or narrow skills as a lawyer or turnaround expert lead to success. It is the combination of far-reaching vision combined with humility, modesty, personal warmth, and approachability."

The book is as much about our changing social/work structure as it is about the specifics of bringing new ideas to the market. For new ideas to take root and grow, there must be a new approach - Coolfarming.

Coolfarmers are a new breed. "They understand that the best way to reach their personal goals is to put the goals of the swarm ahead of their own interest because, in the end, it will also be most beneficial for each individual member of the swarm, too."

The book is important because it takes a very realistic look at the changing social structure.

My only complaint about the book was the author used the acronyms COIN, CLN, and CIN very frequently and I had to keep referring back to what they meant. I understand the goal to coin unique terms, but I felt the unique terms detracted from the core message.

No matter what term you choose to use, we will continue to more collaborative efforts. Wikipedia and Linux have shown what can happen when people collaborate. We are on this path and we cannot nor should we even consider turning back. So this book is a very valuable resource to get the reader up to speed on the changes taking place.

I have received this book and enjoyed reading. I further downloaded the software it was mentioned working on it. Wonderful book! I advise you all to get it and read it.

COOLFARMING: TURN YOUR GREAT IDEA INTO THE NEXT BIG THING shows readers how to identify and capitalize on trends by nurturing and developing a marketable idea tied to current trends. Real-life examples of 'coolfarmers' who have done this offer keys to innovation and linking such to market trends, making this a powerful, recommended pick for any business collection.