The December 6, 2009 New York Times article, Apple's Game Changer, talks about how much the app store concept is changing technology innovation. What is more compelling is the fact that it could change a lot more than just the technology industry. Consider what would happen if say ANY industry developed a way for ANYONE to submit ideas, applications, or innovations.
Thomas L. Friedman's, The World Is Flat takes on a whole new meaning. Not only could India and the US be on level playing fields, 12-year-old Jenny Genius could solve the water problem in Atlanta, Georgia, and even Africa for that matter. Why? Because Jenny is the only person who happens to live in Atlanta and go to Africa every summer with her family who is from Uganda. She also happens to be studying about the water crisis with a teacher from her school, Mr. Granola, who has gotten special permission to concentrate on this area of interest to him.
The infinite variables of life come together in sublime Jungian synchronicity. No longer bogged down by the bureaucracies and hierarchies that paralyze individuals so the big bucks CEO can keep his mansion and Mercedes, a little girl with a clear mind can pool together what she's seen, what she's learned, and what she can imagine into an idea that changes the world. And it doesn't even hurt the CEO, it just makes the company stronger - kinda like David Ogilvy's "Russian dolls" philosophy.
Granted, as the New York Times article explained, with over 100,000 apps and new submissions coming in all the time, submitters are looking at 396-day waits for even the slightest response from Apple. The review process and other hurdles are becoming a huge factor. However, this has proven to foster even more creativity to "get around" all the obstacles.
As far as the seemingly overwhelming task of reviewing stuff like a little girl's idea about solving water problems, it wouldn't be so daunting if we change our paradigm of what's important or who is important. "The meek shall inherit the earth," is a prediction from one very old religious text. If this girl were a renowned CEO or International Water and Sewage people would listen to her in a minute. But she's just a little girl so immediately we judge her and condemn her to a lower position on the "worth listening to" scale.
There are infinite solutions out there from an infinite resource of individuals who have an infinite set of unique experiences. As individuals we are meant to create. If we are not creating and building we die. Take for instance what Muriel Barberry suggests in the New York Times best seller, The Elegance of a Hedgehog, the difference between the game "Go" and the game "Chess". Go is about building and creating and Chess is about conquering. What do we want to do? It's our choice, but we've seen the results of conquering. Power plays, my dogs bigger than your dog, or better, my nuclear bomb is bigger than yours. What has that gotten us?
We are at the edge of a magnificent "game changing" opportunity for the whole world. Are we going to turn and look away? Or are we going to leap at the chance to create a win-win for everyone.
