Erik Micheelsen on Simple Systems Innovation

What is peace? What does “getting the job done” mean when it comes to achieving peace? And one more question – do you need to be a saint to get the Nobel peace prize?

I write mainly about innovation and there is one specific topic where Obama’s prize is a great case. The topic is pattern-breaking.

Tradition has it that the Nobel peace prize is given as recognition for achieving peace where it was thought impossible. Obviously, this means a situation that has demanded a lot of work and struggle. A situation with suffering, pain and loss.

But what if you just happen to stroll in and people align and head in a commen and highly constructive direction. So no struggle, pain or suffering. This has to be the better option by far.

However, recognizing the individual with this kind of impact is difficult because you as the observer have nothing to compare with. All you see is peace. You will not have witnessed a situation with turmoil and then see that situation rectified. Nor will you have seen anyone who – like a saint – has “sacrificed” him or herself to alleviate pain and suffering.

The Nobel prize commity in Oslo must believe that they saw Obama strole in and instantly made this kind of difference to the benefit of all of us.

I heard that Barack Obama wants to rebuild the US with new infrastructure. Here’s my guess: I don’t think that anyone truly gets how brilliant that idea is and I’ll tell you why.

Infrastructure either makes things easier or makes things possible. I lived in London for a number of years and there comes a point where you suddenly see and hear that the London infrastructure either works brilliantly or quite like a 3rd world country.

The Tube can transport several million people during rush hour from zone 5 and beyond into the centre of the city. The electrical grid is ALWAYS on. You can ALWAYS count on water schrrrraaaachhhh! Weeeell no you can’t. I remember one Christmas while living on Charleston Street (W1), it was minus 6 degrees and I had NO water. The pipes had frozen. Actually, they had frozen all over the city. And when the broke, there was water everywhere. What a mess.

Now, what about Banks? In the Simple Systems description; Banks are a societal “accelerator”. Not unlike irrigation in ancient Egypt, roman roads or schools, they ensure the structure that allows extra-ordinary wealth. Until the administrators forget their societal “accelerator” role and turn the “accelerator” into a “business”. These kind of businesses will always be a monopoly and leave the whole of the society handicapped. Not because such “accelerators” have a business role but because they loose their infrastructural role.

That’s what Obama has seen. Building the US with infrastructure is not just about re-building smoldering bridges but doing so with new materials. new distribution systems, incorporating smart systems and much more. Any of these infrastructures from idea to delivery represents a value chain and as such can be exported.

I think we’ve all come to like the idea of Clean-Tech but we’ve also come to recognise it as a hype concept. Any Clean-Tech must be a part of an “accelerator” and can not be a business by itself. If it is possible to incapsulate what ever total package a Clean-Tech is a part of, well, that’s a different matter.

You see, if you go the other way around and define what Total Package you are looking for, you’ll find out that you might have some of the ingredients but you might need something else, something different, something innovative.

Ultimately, this is what CareCubicle is about. Considering any local need with a local community value proposition – what Total Package can deliver THAT value. The position is that if you can deliver that value you can be sure that many many others have the same basic need. It’s a brilliant suggestion and it will work.