An Open Mind, Not An Empty One

"An open mind is perhaps the most important asset anyone can bring to emerging markets." This seems like a very apt quote from the Harvard Business Review article to wrap up the course with. I think open minds, "beginner's mind", is a common thread that runs throughout the concepts we have looked at: frugal engineering, conditional cash transfers, government in innovation, even the idea of innovation itself. This is not to mistake an open mind for an empty mind. Far from it. The article "New Business Models in Emerging Markets" sets out a systematic way of uncovering unmet needs. Instead of sitting in an office thinking up ideas you think your target customers want, you need to get out there! Study how customers use products, look at substitutes, observe what jobs are being done poorly, and uncover root causes for consumers' behaviors. In a way, this makes the job of social innovators easier. Freed from having to have all the answers themselves, they can access a wide and observable knowledge base-- that of real consumers. I love the way that the ChotuKool fridge was designed, with 600 village women working on a co-creation event. But you can be sure that this process was carefully thought out and managed, by providing the co-creators with prototypes, members of the design team on hand, and feasible options on the table. Ironically, "organic", bottom- up innovation benefits tremendously from careful planning and management beforehand. Social innovations don't come from haphazard free-for-alls. They are the result of careful preparation that assembles the right mix of people, ideas, and options in the right place at the right time. To me, an open mind means seeing the possibilities and being flexible with final outcomes, but clearly defining what your underlying goals and interests are. Otherwise, it's too easy to get lost along the way.