Writer, Agilist, Elder Geek
So Borders is bankrupt. No surprise, no one is saying, “oh, I didn't see it coming,” and no one is really saying much of anything. We knew thugs weren't good, we suspected the worst, and were pretty much getting it. There's just no surprise, just a kind of sadness.
So I'm asking myself this; what happens next to Borders?
Are you a lab rat?
Chances are good that if you're in America, in these troubled times, your state is probably engaged in some kind of experiment. It might be the changes in Florida () or Wisconsin's cuts (and the weird statements on the National Guard), or California's cut-and-confront budget. You're probably seeing a lot of very experimental things.
I've ranted on this before – we're seeing a lot of social and financial experiments in the Great Recession. Some of these are legitimate, a great deal seem to be ideology over practicality. The thing is they're being done.
After talking to friends in different states, I've come to two conclusions about this:
Be careful. Apply all those geeky relocation tips we've discussed here over the years. Right now it's a pretty unsure time, and that ideal city or state you live in now could end up being the site of a failed experiment.
This applies even to me. I love California and Silicon Valley, but I like to have a backup plan or too. I just don't want to USE them.
* Bonus question – what's the inspiration for the post title?
So as the smoke clears from the Microsoft-Nokia deal, one word stands out – Ecosystem. Microsoft and Nokia outright discussed of creating an Ecosystem of technology in the mobile space.
This doesn't surprise me in the least. The reason for my lack of shock is that the importance and interest in building technical ecosystems of products has been building for awhile. It's been heading this direction for years - several companies bilding ecosystems of products and services.