Had a wonderful time at the New Industry Leaders Summit in Sapporo, Japan. On Hokkaido, the northern-most island, it is the non-trademark infringing Web 2.0 event for Asia. The leading indicator of their latest bubble was the $8k tuna that was reduced to sushi with the efficiency of a Toyota manufacturing line and ritual of the cow sacrifice in Apocalypse Now.
In my presentation, I described Enterprise 2.0 and wikis as consistent with the wabi-sabi aesthetic:
- All things are impermanent
- All things are imperfect
- All things are incomplete
Embracing the constant state of change and finding beauty within the mess is something easier for Easterners than the Western mind-set. So too is the role of social capital in the enterprise. And even among strangers, a different pattern of cooperation emerges with social software. Conversation begins on the Discussion pages of the Japanese Wikipedia and when a draft has consent, it is moved to the Article page. Not only is there appreciation for initial structurelessness in tools, but in their practices.
The leading edge of location and mobility is being crafted by startups in Japan. With one widely deployed GPS network, requisite billing systems and advanced consumer behavior -- it is an ideal testbed. Next year two other networks will provide support for a true mass market and Europe and the rest of world will follow. Startups are benefiting from a Venture resurgence, with diligent firms remaining after the crash, most subsidiaries of trading houses, and an increasing focus on earlier stage investments. The funny thing is I don't think these startups are on the Where 2.0 radar, but they have time relative to Valley startups and incumbents, so some are patiently fueled by Angels while prototyping the future.
