There was an interesting symmetry in Apple announcing its native integration of Twitter with iOS5, the new version of the operating system that runs on its mobile devices. There are 200 million iOS devices in use in the world today, and 200 million Twitter users. But who would have imagined that 200 million people (and growing) would ever want to use a service that constrained communication to 140 character chunks.
If market researchers had been engaged to determine the need for Twitter, I imagine the research report would not have been encouraging.
Nobody asked for Twitter. Now 75% of B2B companies in the US use Twitter.
Nobody asked for butterflies. Yet at Singapore’s Chiangi airport you get a real butterfly garden. It is the most applauded and awarded airport in the world.
Nobody asked musician Peter Gabriel to set up the WITNESS Human Rights charity to champion the less fortunate and oppressed. Now WITNESS is using technology to open the eyes of the world to human rights violations.
Nobody asked to pay $3.00 for a coffee. With 16,850 outlets in 40 countries, Starbucks uses 2.3Bn paper cups a year to serve the 87,000 possible drink combinations.
Nobody asked Paul Greenberg (@pgreenbe) to start CRM Idol, a contest designed to give an opportunity to up-and-coming CRM technology companies. But because of Paul’s generosity – because he thought it was a good thing to do – 60 companies you might never had heard of get a chance to display their wares in front of some of the influential analysts in the world. You might benefit.
Nobody asked Nils Bohlin at Volvo to invent the 3-point seat belt for cars. In the interests of safety, Volvo made the new seat belt design available to other car manufacturers for free. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that in the U.S., the seat belt saves over four thousand lives and prevents over 100,000 injuries a year.
I’m encouraged by these examples of vision; particularly on the days when some of our customers say of Dealmaker.
Hmm, that’s really very helpful. I’d never of thought to ask for that.
I’m not even in the shadow of the examples above, but I am inspired by these examples of unfettered vision and leadership.