Diversity, future, Korea

One of the key points James Surowiecki makes in The Wisdom of Crowds is about the value of diversity in groups. A related statement is William Gibson's:

"The future is already here. It's just not very evenly distributed."

A friend of mine attended an MBA class about innovation last week; her experience brought about my associations to Surowiecki and Gibson. When the class was brainstorming payment and banking, the attention quickly centered on mobile phones. Ideas flowed on how a proximity interface could enable quick payments in shops and on transport, how money transfers could be as easy as sending text messages and how the phone could be used as a means of identity. Towards the end, a girl who had been quiet until then plucked up the courage to tell the class that all of what they had come up with was already part of life in Korea.

Hopefully, globalisation and flatness of the world will distribute some of that future to Europe and North America. When it happens, the finance sector is up for a rethink and massive change.

Tags: Wisdom of Crowds James Surowiecki William Gibson mobile phones finance banking MBA brainstorm diversity future

Comments

[Doug Ransom]

A North American Company located in Victoria (my hometown, which is why I am familliar with the story), BC is working on commercializing the same technology currently used in Korea: http://www.keyzap.com/.

[Doug Ransom]

A North American Company located in Victoria (my hometown, which is why I am familliar with the story), BC is working on commercializing the same technology currently used in Korea: http://www.keyzap.com/.

[Caroline Lennox]

Yes, KeyZap is bringing the technology to North America, and is currently validating the market readiness. There are some differences with regards to regulation, culture and partnerships but we see the path opening quickly to a liberated mobile lifestyle. Comments and critiques are welcome.
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