We fool ourselves into thinking that the spreadsheets that capture our financial projections are something different than what they are.

I use the term "fool's gold white space" to highlight a common problem for innovation. People see a market that doesn't exist, and assume that one should exist.

Most startup companies have two people, and they figure out creative ways to swarm problems. They move faster and have more impact.

So many people tell me that they aren't creative or they aren't innovative, and it's just not true.

I find social media as fun and engaging as the next person, but imagine if all the creative talent that was pouring into finding increasingly clever ways for us to broadcast daily banality (and then serve ads based on what is learned) instead focused on some of the UN Millennium goals? The world would be a better place.

People will try to copy what they can see, which is the final product or service, but it's much harder to see (and copy) all the intricacies of the business model that allows you to create, capture, and deliver value. And that's what you need to get right to really jam something down people's throats!

I've always found that working through ideas in written form really changes the thinking.