Whilst doing some research around Bitcoin and the Blockchain I have come across some fantastic ideas and innovations on how this technology has the potential to disrupt some pretty well established institutionalised ways of doing things.
Bitcoin itself is probably not the revolution itself. Looking beyond the digital currency and at the mechanism that is being used to enable it we find a system of decentralised trust. The Blockchain, a public ledger that holds account all transactions undertaken on the peer to peer network. Let's now abstract that concept away from currency transactions and think of the Blockchain as a risk transfer vehicle. Individuals on the network want to exchange trust. Trust that Alice will provide Bob with something of value to him in exchange of something valuable to Alice. Essentially, swapping contracts of trust. The article that crystallised these thoughts for me was in a recent Bloomberg Markets magazine.
There is a lot of activity in the Fintech space at the moment around these concepts of using the Blockchain for streamlining asset management. Take a look at Everledger using the technology to track Diamonds, making this precious commodity traceable back to the stone's origin by building a ledger of assets.
One of the ideas I'm interested in is that of an "Insurance Risk Exchange”. By decentralise the risk capital held by large insurers and reducing capital costs there must be some benefit to pass on by reducing premiums to users on the network.
I'm sure you could continue to refine these ideas and start to create some real positive disruption. There are many hurdles along the way, with financial regulation and a few other elephants in the room. I hope we do not stifle our innovation for the sake of the status quo.
Saturday, 26 September 2015
Saturday, 19 April 2014
Education
I don't usually like taking guidance on disruption from big consulting companies, especially when the title of their piece is somewhat of a paradox (Disruptive Entrepreneurs). Though I cannot help but listen, when a nerdier looking Seth Rogen is out to flog their book.
In essence, all entrepreneurship should be disruptive. If we are not out to create new markets and ways of doing business or innovate new technologies, products and services, in this day and age, we are truly not being entrepreneurial.
This leads into a question of disrupting education.
One of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) aims to "Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling"
The current structure of education systems that children, and adults alike, are forced into around the world fail them to be able to delivery upon this ideal and don't prepare them for what they need in the future.
I agree that the fundamentals, arithmetic, language, reading and writing, are essential foundations that we cannot do without. It is what we do with these foundations, how we leverage the building blocks and take the students to the next level, developing them into disrupters of the future. This is what needs to change.
How can we achieve this?
The answer is not by throwing more teachers at students, sorry teachers. I feel it is with the curriculum and delivery methods that there is potential for change.
Moving from a textbook based, rote learning approach, into a more practical, hands on, first principles, implementation and experience based approach.
To facilitate this, children need to be exposed earlier to subjects like problem solving and algorithm design, computer programming languages, foreign languages, entrepreneurship, business start up experience, idea generation and industrial, digital, graphic, bio-nano tech design.
Google glass has so much education potential, let's just hope it doesn't travel down the one dimensional road of social and can open up horizons to youth for experiencing the above mentioned subjects from a first person perspective rather than a master/slave classroom situation.
The same goes with Facebook's recent acquisition of Virtual Reality company Oculus. Besides from stepping into a virtual Facebook world (what a nightmare!), Facebook, could turn its Dr Evil like power into Dr Good efforts and create a Facebook university, joined by peoples education and skill profiles and use Oculus as a 'Sim City' type tool to mentor and train users.
Some of the positive uses of technology in the education space are the likes of the Kahn academy. Opening a whole range of learning to everyone for free! A great initiative that should be apart of every child's schooling everywhere in the world.
Other different methods of educating and solving problems are being spurred by local governments. A good example of this is seen through Big Data solutions and initiatives like NYC big Apps, Hack-a-thons, Mentoring and partnerships with industry. These types of initiatives generate solutions for the future and involve the community whilst incubating the skills needed for the next generation to be successful and sustainable.
With the use of innovative techniques and technologies an educated youth should not be far off reaching their full potential. By increasing the penetration rate of technology to underprivileged youth we increase the ability they have to become leaders in their communities and help develop and advance their nations. It starts with education.
In essence, all entrepreneurship should be disruptive. If we are not out to create new markets and ways of doing business or innovate new technologies, products and services, in this day and age, we are truly not being entrepreneurial.
This leads into a question of disrupting education.
One of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) aims to "Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling"
The current structure of education systems that children, and adults alike, are forced into around the world fail them to be able to delivery upon this ideal and don't prepare them for what they need in the future.
I agree that the fundamentals, arithmetic, language, reading and writing, are essential foundations that we cannot do without. It is what we do with these foundations, how we leverage the building blocks and take the students to the next level, developing them into disrupters of the future. This is what needs to change.
How can we achieve this?
The answer is not by throwing more teachers at students, sorry teachers. I feel it is with the curriculum and delivery methods that there is potential for change.
Moving from a textbook based, rote learning approach, into a more practical, hands on, first principles, implementation and experience based approach.
To facilitate this, children need to be exposed earlier to subjects like problem solving and algorithm design, computer programming languages, foreign languages, entrepreneurship, business start up experience, idea generation and industrial, digital, graphic, bio-nano tech design.
Google glass has so much education potential, let's just hope it doesn't travel down the one dimensional road of social and can open up horizons to youth for experiencing the above mentioned subjects from a first person perspective rather than a master/slave classroom situation.
The same goes with Facebook's recent acquisition of Virtual Reality company Oculus. Besides from stepping into a virtual Facebook world (what a nightmare!), Facebook, could turn its Dr Evil like power into Dr Good efforts and create a Facebook university, joined by peoples education and skill profiles and use Oculus as a 'Sim City' type tool to mentor and train users.
Some of the positive uses of technology in the education space are the likes of the Kahn academy. Opening a whole range of learning to everyone for free! A great initiative that should be apart of every child's schooling everywhere in the world.
Other different methods of educating and solving problems are being spurred by local governments. A good example of this is seen through Big Data solutions and initiatives like NYC big Apps, Hack-a-thons, Mentoring and partnerships with industry. These types of initiatives generate solutions for the future and involve the community whilst incubating the skills needed for the next generation to be successful and sustainable.
With the use of innovative techniques and technologies an educated youth should not be far off reaching their full potential. By increasing the penetration rate of technology to underprivileged youth we increase the ability they have to become leaders in their communities and help develop and advance their nations. It starts with education.
Sunday, 13 April 2014
Introductory post
The initial idea of this blog came to me reading an article about the US pay TV provider Comcast. Why is this man smiling? He's smiling because he monopolises entertainment content in the US. Then I thought wouldn't it be nice if there was some technology and business model that would break the traditional methods of business in the entertainment industry????
Then I thought, hang on, why don't we extend that thought to any industry, like; Health care, Insurance, Banking, Transport, utilities, food and agriculture, etc.
What interests me and this blog are ways of challenging the norm. Thinking outside the box. Almost all these thoughts will involve technology. New technology, new ways of using old technology. Here in lies my passion. Using technology to disrupt the status quo. So, I encourage you all to post your experiences, ideas, thoughts and take part in the wider debate.
What would I like to disrupt the most?
The Universe.
How would I disrupt it?
By coalescing the ideas of the individuals online into a powerful community for change.
Then I thought, hang on, why don't we extend that thought to any industry, like; Health care, Insurance, Banking, Transport, utilities, food and agriculture, etc.
What interests me and this blog are ways of challenging the norm. Thinking outside the box. Almost all these thoughts will involve technology. New technology, new ways of using old technology. Here in lies my passion. Using technology to disrupt the status quo. So, I encourage you all to post your experiences, ideas, thoughts and take part in the wider debate.
What would I like to disrupt the most?
The Universe.
How would I disrupt it?
By coalescing the ideas of the individuals online into a powerful community for change.
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