Is innovation a first-world problem?
I often wonder about the effort put into first-world problems versus third-world problems.
The first time I ran into this head on was at an environmental conference in which an American was arguing with a Siberian Inuit. The American, whose Gortex outfit cost more than the Inuit would see in 3 years, was outraged that the Inuit was wearing fur. After the American finally stopped her diatribe, the Inuit looked at her incredulously and simply said, "Do you know how cold it gets there?"
So, when I look at new companies, new products, I wonder whether or not it solves a basic need or is just a cool thing. I also wonder whether the audience is "first-world" (in this case, people in Silicon Valley who bear a resemblance to the people building), "third world" (the world most of the developed world lives in) or "real world" problems so fundamental, that they get solved without thinking about it in the developed countries (like clean water, electricity, medicine).
The great thing about humans is that we are endlessly needy. So, "basic" is a sliding scale. The reality is that there is a fundamental drive to communicate with others hardwired into human beings (it being one of our great defense mechanisms). This drive is met online, but you can't consider it a "need."
Given the University of Chicago brainwashing I received, I do believe in the power of incentives. Those incentives usually line up to money. Which is to say, solutions will flock to where there is sufficient reward for developing those solutions. Which is to say, societies which have taken care of their basic needs will tend to continue to develop solutions at a higher rate than societies that haven't because they can pay for them.
So, yes, the first world operates on different "needs" than the third world. But how do we create the incentive to leverage first world solutions to third world problems? I mean, Google likes to talk about their "Moon Shots" - meaning Google Glasses or the self-driving car - why don't they have a "Moon Shot" to enable global education or to resolve basic problems of infrastructure or to solve world hunger.
I'm excited about the likes of Ideo, Kiva and Toms and even WarbyParker. I also like the thinking that's going in the drone space, as noted in the NY Times article from last week:
For example, Airware is integrating its technology into drones that will be used to prevent poaching of rhinos in Kenya. Mr. Downey said its technology will help the drones fly autonomously and locate rhinos by tracking radio frequency tags on them. The company is also working on drones for skier search-and-rescue operations, vaccine delivery in remote parts of Africa and Southeast Asia and inspections of open-air mining operations in France.
But, it does seem like we can do more and do better by getting back to necessity as the mother of invention.
Now, before I get attached for Technological Solutionism*, I am not suggesting that Google can save the world. All I am suggesting is that we are focusing an incredible amount of talent on the development of clever solutions that are increasing quality of life by minor increments for a small percentage of the world. How do we take some of that energy and turn it toward making major improvements for a larger part of the world? While these are not problems you can code your way out of, the brains hard at work on coming up with the unibody design for the iPhone or the self-driving car or even new data center designs, deal with real-world challenges every day.
I'm not naive enough to believe that these are simple problems or even physical problems. These are historical and geographical and economic and societal and really knotty issues. However, it seems that a government refusing a simple solution that will improve the public welfare in its nation - in the full visibility of the world - would be harder than simply allowing the issues to continue. It doesn't mean it won't happen. But it seems like it would be worth the effort.
Do you know of innovations that are helping out developing nations deal with fundamental issues? I'd love to hear about them.
* For the record, I don't actually even believe that Technology can solve most business problems. I believe that technology is a tool. For a company to improve, it needs to combine process, policies and tools to achieve the goals that it sets for itself.