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'Innovation doesn't neccessarily mean profitability'

Guy Kawasaki, one of the founders of Apple Computers and founder, Garage Technology Ventures, was the moderator of a panel titled 'Technology Innovation in the 21st century' at the 9th Annual TiE Conference.

Garage Technology Ventures is an interface between investors and entrepreneurs. Expressing his concern over the fact that now is a very difficult time for companies to raise venture capital, Kawasaki compared the current period to 1987 when a great company like Cisco was started amid similar difficult times.

At this conference, panelist Rajeev Motwani, director of graduate studies and professor of computer science at Stanford University, said people need to think beyond gadgets and pure technology innovations. He also said that the second technology where there will be innovation is search technology.

Motwani emphatically stated that garage-based start-ups or innovations are a great myth of the Silicon Valley. "I don't believe any deep innovation comes from there (garage). They only slap together a piece of code there," said Motwani.

To this Kawasaki questioned, "So where does it comes from then?" While his question had the audience in splits, Motwani was caught off-guard.

At the end of the conference, Kawasaki asked the panel comprising of speakers like Joseph Bajani, CTO, Roche, Dr Telle Whitney, President, Institute for Women and Technology and Howard Shao, Founder and CTO, Documentum why none of them had mentioned nanotechnology, MEMS technology and bluetooth where future innovations would take place.

In his last book, 'Rules for Revolutionaries: The Capitalist Manifesto for Creating and Marketing New Products and Services', Kawasaki wrote, "If I had to describe in one word the perfect person to start a revolution, it would be evangineer (combination of the words engineer and evangelist)".

Kamla Bhatt caught up with the charismatic 'evangineer', after the conference.

How do you define innovation?

Innovation is an improvement by at least a factor of 10. Not 10 per cent or 20 per cent or 30 per cent, but 10 times. It is jumping to the next curve or creating the next curve.

You seemed surprised that none of the panelists mentioned nanotechnology. Do you agree with Professor Motwani when he commented that new innovations will occur in database and search technology?

There are infinite smart people working on infinite technologies. The frantic, almost random nature of innovation means that it's impossible to predict where it will come from.

What are some of the areas where we can expect to see growth and innovation in the next decade?

My previous answer precludes a good answer to this one. I'll go on record as saying that semiconductors are an out of favour sector right now that will come roaring back because of breathtaking innovation.

Do you think innovations always have to be profitable?

If only it were true. Innovation doesn't necessarily mean profitability. The "fast second" company can often win.

What did you come away with after moderating the panel?

I should be in the keynote track, not just the concurrent track.

Your comments about Indian entrepreneurs in the Valley…

I don't want to sound like a racist, but I never met an Indian entrepreneur that I didn't like.

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