Surfing the Waves, and Finding the Trends....

> I like to go down to the beach sometimes,
> when the weather is nice. Surf some
> waves....

> Well, I'm not really a board-surfer. But I
> do like to body surf....

> Even though my Dad is from Michigan, he
> loved the ocean, so I grew up living in
> various cities around the world. Apart from
> Ithaca, NY (my birth place), they were all
> by the ocean.... So I've enjoyed
> body-surfing since I was a little kid.

> These thoughts of surfing remind me of
> something I once read about Bill Gates.

> Bill Gates isn't usually there at the start
> of a wave. There's usually up to a few other
> riders surfing the wave already, before Bill
> Gates gets there. But Bill paddles furiously
> to catch up. He usually does, then stands up
> and surfs to the front of the wave.

> A good example is Internet Explorer and
> Netscape. Netscape made the first commercial
> software program to surf the internet.

> But Bill Gates saw what was happening, and
> saw that this was a big wave coming. So he
> paddled furiously, and then managed to get
> on the same wave. Eventually, he surfed past
> Netscape.

> (Whether he did it legally or not is not for
> me to decide here....)

> As the years go by, there are always
> changing trends. Sometimes these are to do
> with changing technology, sometimes to do
> with changes in society. However, these
> changing trends are a gold mine of
> opportunity.

> If you can see the trend early, you may be
> able to catch it.

> Some trends remain hidden, and you can surf
> them all by yourself for a while before
> others realize and try to catch up.

> Other trends are more obvious, and you don't
> have the trend to yourself for long....

> I'll be writing more about this in the
> future - especially about what a well-known
> and respected business authority says about
> SOURCES OF INNOVATION in business, and how
> to find those trends....

> Happy surfing!

> Dien Rice

Very insightful, Dien. I just want to let you and Gordon know you've breathed new life into my daily internet experience. I've really missed Gordon's posts on the boards. I truly believe you're on to something with this web site. I know I'll be checking in on a regular basis.
If and when you're ready I'll be happy to spread the word about this site through my "editor" affiliation with Briefme.com. The reviews really do get read by loads of folks. Anyhoo, keep up the good work.

Continued Succes!

Gary


Q+