Revenge co-working spaces (for refused job applicants)

I’m in San Francisco this week and I’ve met some people here who dream of working at one of the major tech companies. It’s not easy to get a job interview, neither is it to get hired there. When I stood outside of the Adobe building, I started talking to a guy that was refused a job there. I told him him he rather starts up his own business or at least continues to solicit. (He was quite upset and sad about his interview). I tend to believe the best revenge a failing job applicant can make is to startup a business and prove the world leading tech companies wrong. So I want to facilitate a co-working space when you only get access to with proven failures of obtaining a tech job. A couple of mentors/coaches do an entry interview and gives each guy a three month period to find an idea, hook up with potential partners and create some material to just go for it. After which you are redirected to startuphouses. As Frank Sinatra said: “Success is the best revenge”; Revenge co-working spaces.

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Parking made social: Rent out your own(ed) parking spot. #oipd

Whenever you walk through a city or even in small towns, you see these sign on driveways, garage doors and sometimes even on windows: DO NOT PARK HERE! Often they are accompanied by a car license plate that makes it clear there is one exception…

Most of the time, this potential parking spot is unused and takes up a lot of the potentially available parking space. I want to make this space available again with a simple piece of hardware. Everyone can order this piece of connected hardware and secure it on their wall or garage door. This ‘take my parking’ display type of thing displays a code people can interact with through an designated app (or sms). They can retrieve information until when the parking spot is available. where the nearest available parking spot is, etc.

This way people give away or sell parking time to other people.

In the marketing of the product and service I would go the social route (that medical practicians, social service workers (police, fire brigade, etc) can use available parking spots for free) and the money-making potential a unused parking spot.

Innovation for the people, by the people.

>>> For the EYIF people: Download this post as PDF. <<<

I will be talking in favor of the democratization, and thus lowering the threshold, to participate in innovation to close the innovation gap. I am a strong believer of people who take responsibility and a government who facilitates a context in which ‘things’ are happening.

Innovation is the successful commercial exploitation of new ideas. I always thought that innovation was doing things differently, and better. Innovation comes from simple ideas and great executions, accidental or planned. It creates endless opportunities when ‘new’ becomes ‘normal’ but mostly we don’t have to be that revolutionary. It’s a given that a poor strategy greatly executed is worth so much more than a great strategy poorly executed. Everybody has potentially innovative ideas. I believe they are omnipresent. But I believe even more that realizing ideas makes the real difference. It shouldn’t however be as tough as it is today to get to that point. I hereby suggest 3 practical things the EYIF and the European Union could organize that would actually make a difference.