Google Values On Display at I/O

I just got back from Google I/O, their developer conference.

As many of the graybeards in the crowd noted, this was unlike any other developer conference, because Google didn't really try to 'sell' anything. They weren't comparing their services, nor employing any heavy-handed tactics to convert people to their platform.

As they made clear in the opening keynote, they are sharing the tools they use internally to develop applications because they want to see more good web-based applications built by everyone.

While this certainly enhances their competitive position, it is such a departure from the traditional approach of the big software and services technology companies that it's almost incomprehensible.

Google is investing tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars in development tools that they are sharing into the open source community for anyone to use, encouraging collaboration on a massive scale.

As I wrote on my nuance intelligence blog last week, I was really impressed with their people, their community and the collaborative energy at the conference.

If you haven't grokked the different nature of Google, take another look.

Shifting Values in Entrepreneurship

I like to tell people that I was a social entrepreneur before they came up with the term. Now that the concept of sustainability has cross-pollenated with small business, a new business form is emerging. Some thought leaders have begun to call this form a For-Benefit corporation, or BCorp for short, and are evaluating businesses on a broader set of values.

One of the founding BCorps is eConcsious Market, an ecommerce site focusing on not only selling ecologically sensitive products, but in donating 50% of their profits to non-profit companies with sustainability-focused goals. Mathew Gerson, co-founder and President of eConscious wrote a good blog post titled the Tao of Jones, where he begins to describe the values behind the founding of the company, exemplifying this shift.

What do you think? Are BCorps and their ilk here to stay? Will the values associated with sustainability begin to drive a different evaluation of business?

Breaking the Silence

This is a very insightful NY Times article on inheritance, values & the meaning of wealth. It strongly suggests that the current emerging conversation around values in investment and philanthropy is timely and relevant.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/18/business/businessspecial3/18family.html?_r=1&ref=businessspecial3&oref=slogin#

Here is a representative quote:

Patricia Angus, principal of wealth advisory services at Shelterwood Financial Services in New York, said that many of her clients were changing how they define wealth. “The definition is broadening to include not just financial capital but human, social and intellectual capital,” Ms. Angus said. “Professionals used to think it was just, “How do I transfer my financial assets at the lowest tax costs? Now people are asking, What is the purpose and meaning of what I’m doing here, and how do I pass those down? It’s not about death. It’s about an experience in life, an opportunity to talk as a family about purpose and values that might not otherwise come up. For people who just write a document and put it in a drawer to be opened on their death, I don’t see that opportunity coming up.”

This article is available as a NYT reprint

Your Company's Face and Your Company's Voice

Well, here goes my first Blog ever, inspired by my participation in a very informative discussion on "De-mystifying the Blogosphere" sponsored my colleague Greg Berry of nuanceintelligence.com The discussion was led by Bill French of MyST Technology Partners.

Here is Bill French's quote which inspired me:

"Your website is the face of your company. Your Blog is its voice."