The 20 Most Innovative Startups In Tech

ZocDoc is a way to book doctor appointments online.

I find this brilliant! I am an avid user of Opentable, which allows you make restaurant reservations, there are few things more frustrating then trying to match up your schedule with someone else’s during the phone, it an area where human interaction is simply not needed, booking online through a graphic schedule is so much simpler, see the open slots, click on the one you want, and that’s it, plain and simple. Brilliant, they should do all schedules like this. They should invent something that integrates your personal outlook calendar to anyone else’s and sets up and appointment. Google should get on this!

TaskRabbit is creating an on-demand workforce. It creates jobs and supplemental income.

This takes craiglist the next level, it’s great for people looking to make some extra cash without a long term commitment, a person may have an extra day off here or there.  Same thing for someone who needs a one time assist, not an expensive contractor with giant OH to pay for.

MoviePass is an all you can eat movie ticket solution. Pay $30 and see as many as you want per month in theaters.

Netflix for movie theaters, I like it. But will Movie theaters and studio be as willing to give up big box office revenue?

H.Bloom is a subscription service for flowers. It delivers to hotels and apartments, as well as to husbands who need help remembering anniversaries.

This has similar aspects to one of the projects in class.

Skillshare lets anyone teach a class to anyone who's willing to listen.

This is also similar to a project in class.

Joor makes it easy for boutiques to buy wholesale from designers.

It’s like a Wholesale Marshall’s, I like it.

Kickstarter is a way to raise money from the community

I was actually made aware by this site from one of my friends who is an aspiring film director, it’s actually a cool way of raising money, if the goal isn’t met, then all the donations get returned.

The Age of the Consumer-Innovator

I found this article interesting; it was always a concept I was aware of but never actually saw any data, much less a stud on it.  It makes perfect sense that most innovations arise from people trying to address their everyday needs.  The example that the first dishware was around as yearly as 1886 is fascinating.  

            The article mentioned how it is easier to create a prototype nowadays than it has ever been how design technology is available and companies with manufacturing resources are available to produce individual custom parts for a reasonable fee.

Some of the companies we’ve been looking at such as Yahoo and Facebook, and in its early stages even Apple, where the results of consumer innovation originally designed for personal use.  Netflix came about because its founder (Reed Hastings) was sick of paying late fees, and the delivery method of the USPS, which Netflix still uses today, was prototyped by him driving around mailing DVDs to himself and timing how long it took.

 The greatest motivator for innovation is need and no one is more intimately aware of need that the consumer.

I've innovated some custom parts and contraptions in my day usually to address an urgent need I was facing.  For example, when I closed up my windows for the winter I don’t use the DIY heat shrink insulation kits, but instead I use a roll of self adhesive plastic rolls (I think it is meant to be something you place under plants so the moisture doesn’t ruin the surface) its much faster to setup and works better, not too mention cheaper!

Some companies, like Google, have mechanisms in place for people to send feedback, thoughts and suggestions, there by acquiring perhaps novel ideas of functionality that they may not have come up with.

Any company that wants to remain successful must constantly be on the lookout for the next innovation if they want to continue to remain competitive.