Forget Realestate - Intellectual Property Development is the Investment of the Future!
Friday, January 29, 2010 Ever had a good idea? I bet you have. Millions of napkins have given their lives in pursuit of the next big idea! Yvonne Adele of Ideas Culture recently challenged me to go a day without saying the word "idea" - I lasted about 17 minutes - it's impossible (give it a try). Ideas are the spark that turn dull dinner conversations great, they can change the world, and they can change your life. That said, I wonder how many good ideas are lost? Not captured, not acted upon, not funded - not given their time in the spotlight ...
We talk about knowledge workers, and an information economy, but do you know how to capture, develop and commercialise an idea? Matt Church does. If realestate property developers take a piece of undeveloped land, see its potential, build on it and commercialise it - then Matt Church is an intellectual property developer. Just like realestate, some ideas need to be constructed from scratch, some ideas need renovating, and some ideas just need some rented furniture to prep them for sale.
Matt is obsessed with ideas and has produced a methodical process for developing them and creating thought leaders. On the back of being one of Australia's most successful professional speakers, Matt founded Thought Leaders - whose mission is to "inspire thinking and facilitate conversations that rock the planet" - a lofty but worthwhile goal ... and he certainly walks the talk.
Ideas are becoming a new currency, and there are other innovators building businesses around the concept. Yvonne Adele, who founded Ideas Culture is one of them. Ideas Culture teaches creative thinking techniques and facilitates brainstorming sessions - even taking it a step further and tapping into the ideas of others, with a crowd sourcing product called "ideas while you sleep". Businesses are starting to appreciate that fostering and developing these talents inside their organisations pays dividends. Innovation is certainly on the corporate agenda.
If you are a knowledge professional, I would encourage you to start thinking about your assets - your personal brand, your expertise, your experience, and your ideas - they are the components that represent your value in the market - and surprisingly enough are probably where your passion lies.
What do you think about the future of intellectual property development? Do you think there is a conflict between the corporate view of IP versus the individual. What impact do you think the "open movement" has on the commercialisation and development of knowledge?





