Open Source solutions have the potential to revolutionize product and service development for brands, but also create real, lasting change on a global scale in the face of serious problems like sustainability and other issues. Does it sound too good to be true that a technology advancement and adoption can help put a dent in world hunger? It might not be. Here’s what to know.
One of the more recently accepted truths that now seems obvious to most people is that more minds working together create better ideas. People with different backgrounds, experiences, and skillsets are needed to create real innovation. Businesses discovered that when they hired from the same colleges or worked with only one creative agency, a lot of their results were too similar, or worse, boring, unappealing, or not truly useful.
This concept goes beyond just hiring a more diverse IT department, but also is meant to encourage people working across departments with more regularity – letting marketing have conversations with product designers who will have meetings with technology teams – all meant to inspire and think creatively rather than just kickoff a project or discuss a timeline. The open sharing of ideas and the gathering of input from disparate groups seems to be crucial for businesses to truly create and innovate.
This is the beauty of open source solutions. While open source software is not a new way of developing, it is becoming a more mainstream solution for businesses looking to solve problems or disrupt an industry. It’s narrowly defined as “something people can modify and share because its design is publicly accessible” with Linux and Firefox being popular examples, but has come to designate something greater. Open source solutions create partnerships between organizations, each with a certain set of skills, resources, or knowledge, working together to solve a problem or identify a gap and develop an answer. The principle of open source assumes that more ideas from smart people are better than less, because more collaborative thinking, as opposed to competitive thinking, provides more win-win solutions for everyone. HP and Ikea made news by joining forces with Next Wave Plastics to develop sustainability solutions, with each business bringing a unique strength to the table to create something greater.
What are your thoughts on open source, either as it’s related to software or larger scale business innovations? No matter what kind of industry you work in, businesses need smart people capable of creating and executing good ideas. And that’s where we come in. Let us help you fill your team with smart, resourceful people to help take your business to the next level.