Who are we and what’re we doing? |
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We’re technology aficionados, technology professionals, enthusiasts, academics and people who believe in and recognize the power of truly innovative ideas. The kinds of ideas that make us stop and say “you gotta see this.” Those are the ideas that have a way of reaching out and inspiring other breakthrough thinking. By listing, collecting and celebrating this kind of work, we hope it will reach out to others the way it reached out to us.
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How do we choose what goes on the site and what gets selected for Technology of the Day? |
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Usually it’s some form of wrestling. Each person embodies a technology. And he or she who sleighs the others...Okay, we research, we debate, we defend; we ask if it’s something that’s making a difference, or something that will make a difference; we also consider if it’s something that can be a gateway breakthrough for something bigger and better, meaning, someone in the technology or big ideas world will see this idea and recognize it as the first step toward the next better thing. That, in our eyes, is very much breakthrough technology. The truth is, in the end, there's very little disagreement - it's almost like math to us: there's right and there's wrong. Of course we expect, and want, others to disagree. Which is the beauty of letting visitors choose our Technology of the Week: you speak, we listen (and award).
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Where do we find all this stuff? |
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Mostly search engines and trade shows, but like anything one gets good looking for, clues show up; this lovely innovative stuff has started having this funny way of finding us. Everywhere we look, it seems like we see or hear about smart ideas. It's gotten to the point where it's no longer surprising that this constant flow of incredibly innovative and thoughtful stuff is everywhere. What is surprising, however, is the reaction to it all: that “are you kidding me?” response; the sense that “no way did someone think of that…” that sort of just stops everyone else in the room. That visceral reaction is in large part why we believe in this venture, and that visceral thing has shown up everyday we've been at this.
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What happens after we find it/it finds us? |
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We evaluate everything that comes in, whether it’s via the jumplication or someone walks it into a meeting. The idea is considered, questions are asked and then depending on the outcome, either more research is done or the idea gets voted in, or out. Surprisingly, and perhaps interestingly, once all the information’s in, everything thus far has been a unanimous choice, which lead us to the notion that perhaps there’s some truth to the idea that there’s something objective, rather than subjective, about a breakthrough. Once on the site, a category is chosen and it lives on our main page where it can be seen On The Radar. Attempts at condensing the breakthrough in a concise and intriguing way are made – not always successfully – where the breakthrough is intended to tease the reader to click on it via the ticker. As long as the innovation stays on the main page, it is eligible for either the Technology of the Day, Technology of the Week or Category Best awards. Breakthroughs move off the main page when enough new breakthroughs in that same category replace them. Breakthroughs come onto the main page and move off the main page together, so when enough new innovations come onto a category to replace the number that was there, the older innovations are retired to the archives, where they reside for six months.
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What do we get out of this? |
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Mostly, pleasure, and sure, some money. This is, after all, a commercial site. But we’re doing this because it’s fun. Imagine what it was like to be Benjamin Franklin’s assistant, Albert Einstein’s graduate student or the person who made Harry Houdini’s handcuffs. We get to find out about all this greatness and we get to share it with others, all of whom thus far have been happy we’ve done so.
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And speaking of money, how do we make it? |
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We charge those companies, those individuals whose technologies we accept to be on the site. We give them exposure on a site that limits those who can be here, so that they’re in elite company. This is all about making the visitor’s experience impressive. For that, we get money. We anticipate rare cases where the idea will supersede the fee, and we hope to be successful enough to waive the fee because the person or people behind the breakthrough deserve the break.
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What do we hope to achieve? |
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Happiness and satisfaction. Psst, don’t tell anyone, but we just started and we’re already feeling it.
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If you have any questions you’d like us to answer, send us an email and we’ll try our best to first answer it humorously, then we’ll try to answer it seriously. But, we make no promises. |
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