Decentralized Innovation

Before we get started exploring the different types of decentralized innovation systems, what makes them work and how you can apply this to your own work, we first need to talk about the core principles behind all of this.

Explore decentralized innovation (and the varying degrees of “decentralization”) through six real-world examples.

A few links to accompany the stories:

• Awaken your inner beekeeper with the Flow Beehive.
• Solve puzzles for science and fun with FoldIt.
• Laugh about the 2009 “Crash the Super Bowl” Doritos ad.
• Ride alongside Jay Leno and Jay Rogers in a Local Motors Rally Fighter.
• Build your own furniture with the IKEA Hackers.
• Explore the wide, colorful world of Open Source.

Decentralized Innovation’s impact is far reaching and sometimes surprising. We explore the core attributes.

One of our favorite scholars in the field is Karim Lakhani (Harvard Business School). Find his papers here.

Here are the five core questions you should ask to create your own decentralized innovation strategy.

→ Download a visual recording of this course.

Recommended reading:

• Ori Brafman and Rod Beckstrom: The Starfish and the Spider
• Clay Shirky: Here Comes Everybody
• Eric S. Raymond: The Cathedral and the Bazaar
• Eric von Hippel: Democratizing Innovation
• Karim R. Lakhani and Dietmar Harhoff: Revolutionizing Innovation

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