AN INNOVATION SEARCH

AN INNOVATION SEARCH

IN AMSTERDAM WITH FIEKE SLUIJS AND TEAM PLUS

An innovation search in Amsterdam, with Fieke Sluijs and Team Plus. This story will include several trips to all kinds of innovators in the midst of Amsterdam. Fieke took us on a ride of new ideas and mind-blowing pioneers in (mostly) the tech world.  

We started in an oasis in Amsterdam east that is called Freedomlab. The building by itself was already an innovation within office buildings, but we are not here to talk about that.

We talked with a lot of companies, finding out what they were doing. We talked with, pacmed, veylinx, ruigwerk and jam. To top it off we had a challenge that we got from the Fork. Firstly we talked with this super cool just graduated student who built a big data startup: Pacmed. Why was this innovative? Instead of what the normal health care is doing, checking drugs on a big group of people, they use data from all research that has been done to check what the best medicine is to give to: for example, an 80-year-old grandma with diabetes. Not only cool to see that students started Pacmed, but also that they work closely with hospitals to get the company growing. Then we got taught from a lovely gentlemen about veylinx. That instead of asking questions how much customers would pay for your products. They use their bidding platform to actually see what people would pay for it. The highest bidder gets the product. Ruigwerk showed us how they make from verbal presentations an experience centre. They are doing cool and new things in the experience economy that we live in now. How is that not innovative? 

Lastly we got to hear from Jam that being innovative is not walking with the crowd. No, you make the crowd walk behind you. When Jam first started making drawings from verbal conversations within corporate environments, they were the first to do so. Now they have multiple crowds that are following them.  

The challenge that we got was from the Fork: they make the food chain interact with block chain. These ladies have gold in their hands, even though they might be a little bit too much pioneering in this industry. Also funny how we got a challenge about making more people few their webinar, when a webinar is not innovative at all. Yet the business is. That is also why I am not reading a book on block chain, because if the world really is going there. I do not want to just walk with the crowd, I want to walk in front of the crowd. 

In startup village we talked with a lady from ACE and she showed us around the container village. Again with Aiir innovations we talked with a just graduated student. They use AI to for maintenance purposes. Why innovative? I had no clue you could use AI for that. We learned from them that having data is the most important. Then putting into graphs for people to understand. That is also how my reputation lab talked to us about their business model. They give concultency for social media. Yet they are innovative with data. They accuratly track everything the customer wants to hear, and why it is important. After that we walked into the smallest office space I have ever seen. An indian man, with an indian smelling office space and a really cool idea. Hologramic marketing tools for companies. Insanely cool and the first time people can show products in 3D via a digital platform. Yet the office space was the opposite of innovative, or maybe if we look at the tiny house movement, not that much. 

After the startup crawl we went and talked to an ex-hippy that told us about AI. In his crash course we came up with our own idea on how to implement AI in a company. We looked at retailers and e-commerce. Mostly looking at supermarkets. The coolest idea we came up with was a combination between social entrepreneurship and making the most sales. I was in the supermarket the other day, they did not have any cucumbers left. Went to another supermarkets again no cucumbers. I was like what?! When this AI challenge came up I thought about that again. How can we make sure we have enough cucumbers and not throw them away also? With AI, using the growing calendar and the supermarkets sales on fruits and veg we can calculate how much we we need to grow and with AI predict in the future how much we need. 

I think combining best of both, like social and tech entrepreneurship there is real innovation happening. Looking at what the world needs. 

On the 3^rd visit we stayed in B building. This was the least innovative that I have experienced. Was it because it was in a known territory? Or were the ideas the saw just not that innovative? The most interesting person we met was this guy with long luscious blond hair. The most innovative part was the way he structured his company. There is no hierarchy, everyone manages themselves. Nobody gives out tasks. There are no limited amount of vacation days. However, he is not the innovator with this structure. It is more that in the Netherlands that is very innovative to do. Like the task driven country we are. It is a bold move to make.  

We then had a challenge from start-up boot camp. In itself not very innovative. Just a start-up incubator. However, they do accelerator programs now in AI as well. We had to look at HR companies that use AI. I was astonished by the amount that popped up. We almost couldn’t pick which ones to talk about because we saw so many. 

AI is probably the most innovative thing that is happening now in the world. When I was at the next web this was almost like a swearword. AI is the best thing. AI in tech. AI in Food-innovation. AI in sports. AI in music. AI in the fashion industry. Wait in the fashion industry but how? Well via creating a perfect matching profile with your personal style. Then when you go to the Bijenkorf you show your profile, and do not have to search endlessly again. The seller will give you matching outfits. Easy, peasy with help from AI.

On the last day of our trip we got to do a course with mister 6foot7. The course was a workshop with physics and lights and cords and electronic stuff. I had that in high school. (hated physics, so this did not really fit with me either). However I was still very much inspired by sir himself. He showed us a little bit how his brain works. especially with the crack cocaine warnings and his idea on this with a scene from pulp fiction. This was really cool. Gamification at maximum. 

What can I say? Reading about blockchain now. kNowing what AI actually does. Understanding that gamification and the experience economy is really the time we live in now. Well, actually I do not really mind. Also, I might start a company in this.