Palo
Alto knOwhere Store
October 12, 2002 |
| The
knOwhere Store is a new kind of retail space.
It was conceived by Gail and myself in 1976. We
opened the first store in 1996 and, between then
and now (2002), experimented with three locations
and a variety of venues. |
| It
is now, in the fall of 2002, that conditions have
coalesced enabling the full vision of the knOwhere
to begin emerging. The history of this heuristic
path is documented elsewhere. We will know, in
six months, if the vision of knOwhere can take
root in the post dot.bubble environment of Silicone
Valley. |
| The
knOwhere Mission is a direct extension of the
MG
Taylor Mission. It is the retail PLACE
of the growing MG Taylor ValueWeb. |
| The
knOwhere VISION is based on the concept
of collaborative business. The IDEA that
there can be a creative relationship
between consumer, investor and producer; that
such a relationship, when facilitated by the appropriate
process and supported by an effective system
and method of work interaction, will out
perform traditional ways of making and exchanging
value. |
| The
network architecture that is intrinsic to the
knOwhere experience is the basis of the true new
economy that is just beginning to emerge from
the ongoing creative-destruction of the old Industrial
Economy. What was paraded, in recent years, as
the “new economy” was, in fact, the
old economy on steroids - the equivalent of putting
a 500 horse power engine in a go cart. The structure
wasn’t there and neither were appropriate
rules-of-engagement. |
| The
knOwhere Store is a market. It is a deliberate
experiment in new business relationships and structures;
it is social R&D; it is all this and it is
a business. When knOwhere is profitable, scalable
and sustainable, this will mean that a new form
of business has passed proof-of-concept. |
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| The
next 6 months are critical for the development
of this idea, this iteration. The conditions for
advancing are perfect; not easy - IDEAL.
The economy is on pause - it has no direction.
It is times like this that new ideas have a chance.
The dinosaurs are in retreat and guarding their
nests. |
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