Erik Hersman

Recent Activity

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  Erik commented on the article | almost 3 years ago

  "Scale" vs. "Diffusion"

  First off, Nathaniel, thanks for hitting on this topic.  It's much in need of discussion, not just among the implementors and idea creators, but by funders as well. 
  
  From the creators angle, it's always tempting to think big - as you should.  But, I think where most of us go wrong is in thinking that "big" means centrally controlled "scale".  the incentive here is for so you can show how important you are to the equation and get more funding. 
  
  On the funders side, there is this pressure to get behind "big" projects that you can claim all kinds of PR goodness out of.  It's a lot easier to track and measure a centrally run operation than it is one that has a multitude of users that you neither control (or might not even know of). 
  
  I think the trick is getting our egos out of the way and trying to build something that makes a difference.  To hell with what is expected of you - take the road less traveled here. 
  
  Make sure that those local NGOs can use it without any training needed.  Make something that might be talked about outside of your tech circles.  Create your idea, your platform, your change agent.  Let it go and see if your virus spreads.
  
  (Lastly) There is nothing more powerful than an open, simple platform.  We see this on the for-profit side of the equation too, it's that simplicity and ease of use that let's normal people get involved.  That's when you see real change happen, when non-technical people can get involved and start experimenting on their own.  FrontlineSMS is a good example of this on the non-profit side, as is something like Microsoft Office on the for-profit (love it or hate it!). 
  

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  Erik commented on the article | almost 3 years ago

  "Scale" vs. "Diffusion"

  Charles, I'd say that the losing control might be the best possible outcome.  Losing control means that there is a community that madly involved with and supporting a platform.  That's what we all strive for.

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  Erik commented on the article | about 3 years ago

  The Cellphone That Could Change the World

  Wow, that is impressive.  I'd agree with your takeaways too, create a way to aggregate the data and then have a visual system on the other end to better plan and distribute around whatever findings you have.