This is a reprint of the original interview I did with the popular innovation blog from consultancy PSFK. We talk to innovator, futurist, and author of the book ‘Econovation’ about how impermanence, gamification and sensory stimulation are crucial in today’s developing office culture. As part of our Future of Work Series, PSFK reached out to […]
Below is a transcript of a speech I gave on August 27, 2012 to NYU Stern’s 600+ incoming freshmen and transfers. I’ll post the video when I get it…if the quality is halfway decent. It’s exciting to see all these bright shining faces. You’ll look nothing like this after your first all-nighter studying for your
3 Big Lessons for College Freshmen: My Speech to NYU Stern’s New Undergraduate Class Read More »
In one episode of Seinfeld, Elaine finds out the birth control sponge was discontinued. So she buys up all available inventory and obsesses over how “Spongeworthy” her many suitors are. Like Elaine, we luxuriate in the abundance of the information age, but it also hides some uncomfortable scarcities. In watching the recent TEDGlobal event in
This is an abridged version of the original article I wrote for Business Insider. In a forgotten corner of the White House sits a huge, Parthenon-shaped cake. Nearby, Ben Bernanke and Timothy Geithner are dancing like Zorba and dripping with hummus. Why all the glee? It’s because Europe just gave the U.S. an amazing gift – the
America’s Last Stimulus: 5 Ways to Use Europe’s Crisis to Create US Jobs Read More »
Having led innovation at Amex, MasterCard and Citi, I know where the bodies are buried. I also know that payment wars aren’t just about fees anymore. That’s so 1990’s. Years ago, when Walmart threatened to enter payments and banking, incumbents nearly soiled their Hanes. After a little sword-fighting, providers slashed their margins so thin, big
Why Walmart and Other Retailers Are Muscling in on Mobile Payments Read More »
A great review of Econovation by Gregg Fraley. A quick excerpt: I wish I had picked it up sooner because it’s a fascinating, erudite, bitingly funny, well researched, and I think important book. Americans — Buy one now and send it to your Congressman. Tell him or her that if they don’t read it you’ll
Book Review: ECONOVATION, FAKTOR’S INNOVATION MANIFESTO Read More »
Just in: new review of my book Econovation. Funny, I never intended it for a European audience, but it still resonates. Maybe I am special, like mommy used to tell me…? Excerpt: “This book is a highly accessible description of the US- economic problems and opportunities. It offers a concise overview of causes and underlying trends. It
From a European POV: Econovation Book Review by Fred Zimney Read More »
I love the idea of this Forbes article, but it has all the comprehensiveness of a Twitter post. Yes, auto workers in Germany produce more and get double the pay of US workers, but this article narrowly attributes this to employer-union relations. A broader discussion needs to include things like: Variances in cost structures (eg
Why do German Auto Workers Get Paid Double & Produce Double of US Workers? Read More »
