The pace of change...

from a previous post over at philly pharm bio

What we do is different from manufacturing a product. We deliver a service, and we like to think that “Service” is higher up the “Value Added” chain than a “Product” and maybe it is.

I was in the check-out line at the local food store the other day... they sell digital cameras in line at the food store!!! This was a cool new technology just short time ago...now it's a commodity on display along with the skittles

It made me glad that I'm not designing electronics and fighting the back side of the technology curve...or trying to invent the next item on the "bleeding edge"...

There's been a lot of talk about the out-sourcing of the service industry...and yeah, there is a lot of pressure on the commodity services...

I still see the need for high-end service...the Client's need it...if you're good at it...you'll get paid

unless, of course, I see "How to Be an Architect" book/ software on sale at the Thriftway...

Like-minded-ness...not getting it done...

(is that even a word?...)

I had heard a story when I was in school that one of the partners from SOM made a statement along the lines of "if we all agree with each other, we don't need three partners..."

If you are surrounded people that agree with you, how are you going to get anything done? The discussions that accompany different viewpoints are where all (most...some...) of the good ideas come from...

I heard that someone from Washington, DC was presenting their ideas to a group of people... who already happen to agree... How does that change anything? or move anything forward?

These aren't the people who need to be convinced...
these aren't the people you could learn from...
Not too unexpectedly, this is a deadlocked situation with litle to no possibility of progress...

Lesson Learned: Don't surround yourself with people with agree you...especially if you want to get something done.