Innovate Good Times, Come on!

 This week learning about Self-Reliance and it's place in a Gap Analysis was interesting. I especially liked hearing from Dr. Yunnus and hearing the difference between Emerson's view of self-reliance and the current accepted term.  The old-school definition - being independent of social rules - seems very American. But that's also the mentality, I think, that led to a type of toxic behavior. Some call it toxic masculinity, but I would say that anyone can achieve this level of destructive selfishness, one that shows a disregard for any rules or conventions.  Not to say that conventions are the best thing ever, of course.  Anyway. I appreciate the clarification on the current meaning of self-reliance as being able to lift yourself out of poverty, be it spiritual, physical, or otherwise. Identifying that the basic cognitions that lead to self reliance is having responsibility which gives action towards self efficacy, leading to productive activity towards a long-term pe...

 There were so many quotes I liked this week:  "We believe the free market system is the best means of generating good jobs, a strong and sustainable economy, innovation, a healthy environment, and economic opportunity for all." (Business Roundtable Statement of Purpose) "Private capital is critical to tackling the worlds most pressing environmental, social and governance problems."  I have thought and felt this way for many years, considering myself an Objective Capitalist, and having personal faith that people will choose to care for others when they find themselves with the means to do so.  I understand that most good investments require patience for payoff, and though investors have shorter horizons and lower risk tolerance, those who invest in impact investing are finding that payoff is coming nearly at the same rate as other investments.  And then, after researching some of the big Impact Investment firms and finding that the social innovation cause that m...

 I don't like the word "altruism."  To me it means to have disinterested self less concern for others. That's not how I roll.  If I feel concern, it is because I care. Caring makes me who I am. I serve my higher value and purpose by serving. Altruism would have me lay aside my love and serve with no feeling. That, I will never do.  That is the part of reading/videos that I didn't agree with this week. I don't think that the people Peter Singer cited were "altruistic."  I think they were loving, soul-self serving humanitarians who do what they do because they can and they love others. There is no disinterested-ness about it.  And that, too, is at the core of what make s a Hybrid successful: the heart. The wise business models, funded by like-minded investors who are willing to be paid off as long as the goal is met. The hybrid business model allows for goal to be at center stage in all transactions and activities. It allows the company to make money, ...

 This week we learned about Nonprofit Organizations and how they differ from the corporate Social models discussed last week. I was most interested in the comparisons made between the two, especially in managerial and purpose. Oddly enough, as I was reading, I kept thinking that the book was going to say that the business way was better for sustainability - but the message of the chapter seemed to be that businesses should operate more like nonprofits. But it was put more into focus when I watched the TED talk and Dan Pallotta talked about how nonprofits need to fiscally think and act like businesses, the public needs to change expectations of nonprofit spending, and that non profits cannot lose their passion or mission to the pursuit of funding or money. That offered a great amount of clarification for me. I found that I am guilty of looking at a nonprofit and thinking, "How do you think it's ok to spend money or pay that much to your employees?!" But now I feel I unders...

 Cancel culture is rampant, but is that really why corporations are engaging in more socially "woke" practices?  That's definitely what I thought before we studied this week.  I didn't realize that companies - like Hasbro or Adidas - have been working on improving their processes and human outreach for decades, not just the last few years where angry voices have called out gender or diversity issues regardless of the cost to the company to fix those things that they demand be "fixed." My husband thought it, too. I remember watching The Lorax with my kids a few years ago.  We watched it maybe 50 times; Dany Divito, Zach Efron and Betty White with catchy music: we were addicted. There was something that didn't sit well with their portrayal of "The Onceler" though.  Especially in the song "How Bad Can I Be?" I'm essentially a Capitalist, so I didn't appreciate them painting all businessmen as inherently BAD. But on the 50th viewi...

 This week was focused on learning about - you guessed it - Business Models and Lean Startups.  This included readings on why Lean startups were better and more viable than "over-planning" startups and the super confusing Business Model Canvas. Overall, looking at the Canvas made sense, I can see why it's useful.  But trying to fill one out for a company that I don't work for was confusing because I didn't know which piece of information fit where.  It's not like there was an area of Thorn's website that outlined all their Key information. And while I understand that doing the research to fill in these areas is educational - the perfectionist in me stresses about confusing vagaries' like that which make me worry that I can't complete the assignment to the teacher's satisfaction.  I do feel like I knew more about Thorn at the end, and that's definitely coming down on the "pro" side of the list.  Sharpening my business skills benefi...