Hello, my name is Emile Petrone. I responded to Philippe’s previous post, and here I am! I started Knowble.net, a community for researchers, scientists, and scholars to connect, communicate, and collaborate, around common research areas and methodologies. I recently graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, majoring in Political Science. My interests are basically anything that has to do with shaking up traditional processes & industries through online technologies. Think Wikipedia, Open Access, Creative Commons. I am also a fan of connecting people online for great, hilarious, innovative ideas.

But to get this first post off with a bang, the title of this post may have caught a few of you as a double entendre. I was referencing the first Apple ad for the iPhone. Why the iPhone? Isn’t it closed? Well yes, but just recently it was cracked by George Hotz meaning it may now be used on any network. So technically it is half open. Now no matter what your stance is towards Apple or cellular providers, you have to admit that the iPhone is one of the largest leaps in technology in a long time. You can drive down the street and literally surf the web (minus a few Flash applications and other black areas)(and it is a giant leap over the Blackberry’s internet). When I was a kid, surfing the web was like exploring the unknown. Now I can do it wherever, whenever. You can access the world’s information in your pocket. Utterly amazing.

So why am I mentioning a semi-open phone in this blog for my first post? For two reasons: it is the first phone to unite a global community and it will become the first computer in your pocket.

Just as exciting as the technology, is the community which has self-organized around the iPhone as a crowdsourcing platform. BarCamps are being organized around a phone. It is a phone and you have people meeting each other, sharing information, and creating new websites and software. Ten years ago my mom had a phone in her car, and I promise you there were no communities organizing around its black, plastic box. So the crowdsourcing around the iPhone cannot be ignored or underestimated.

Now out of those communities will come the first computer for your pocket. I say “will” because right now it is closed, but you and I both know that, that which is closed, is always meant to be opened. And when that day comes, when apps start being thrown around like they are on Facebook, is the day the world will change. Everyone already went into a tizzy after Facebook opened their community for user generated applications, just think of the hysteria that will erupt when you can do anything and everything in the palm of your hand! I will consider that an innovation.

Already I do not bring a laptop with me on trips because I can do my basic work through my iPhone. But to be able to download applications or widgets, would mean I could work from the park or while on a bus. Think of a widget for Google Analytics; I could keep track of Knowble’s traffic in real time no matter my location. Every person could literally work while walking.

I hope this first post raised a few iBrows. The iPhone will become the open innovation of our lifetime and I can’t wait for that day! But thanks again to Philippe for welcoming to the blog. I hope to write many, many more posts!

Keeping it knowble,

Emile

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Because there is so much going on in the world of open innovation and crowdsourcing, we don’t succeed in covering all interesting new initiatives or trends at this moment. Therefore, we are looking for enthusiastic co-authors with a passion for crowdsourcing, web 2.0, mass customization, open innovation… (professional experience not required, enthusiasm will do). Please let us know if you are interested…

Writing articles from time to time, getting to know other people with similar interests, working together on crowdsourcing business projects… Anything is possible.

Email: philippe@openinnovators.net

Hope to get to know you soon!

This week, I came across an interesting thought on OpenBusiness. It concerned finding an open business model that would directly compete with the franchised business model. A sort of Open Franchise or Franchise 2.0, based on collaboration and without franchisee & royalty fees.

An introduction to the Franchise 2.0 model: there’s a central platform from which future franchisees can ‘download’ the business concept, guides, marketing support etc. Once established, franchisees can work out additional features that fit their needs: a new marketing video, a standard letter to suppliers, pay schemes… Those new features are made available to other users/franchisees through the central platform, let’s say a wiki. Mainly, open source principles are applied to a franchised business model, including of course a kick-ass community. As a result, the distributed business will most likely be much faster to react on market changes and new consumer needs, creating a competitive advantage as such.

Does anyone know a business like this? Any thoughts on how this idea could be implemented?