making a difference. Justin Knabb's blog

New gadget for Christmas...

I regret that I haven't blogged in the past few days.  I've been pretty occupied setting up and playing with my new toy:

It's great to be part of the 21st century.  Who thought you could ever truly keep your life on a device like this?  Thank you, Apple.

Mike Huckabee, Part III

You really gotta hand it to Mike Huckabee.  The guy has courage, and the guy cuts through the political mumbojumbo and speaks his mind honestly.

Contrary to his sarcastic ad starring Chuck Norris, his eloquent response to the human evolution question was right on target...

S+ARCK genius

I have been absolutely fascinated with design concepts since hearing Philippe Starck speak for the first time last week.  The man lives and thinks on his own wavelength... designing and creating wild objects and places and things... buildings, toothbrushes, toilet brushes, women's clothes, lamps, motorcycles, watches... everything that man could use.  The broad scope and genius of his work is astounding.

In his self-depreciating manner, he playfully deems his role as a designer is "worthless" and "shit," yet proudly evangelizes that his work fits into our "grand life story."  He reminds us that "we are mutants" living at one point in time on a long, progressive continuum of human evolution.  Finally, he believes that "God is dangerous," and that we are, in fact, "God, here and now."  Hence, he designs and builds and shares his products with a remarkable, romantic reverence not of this world.

I can't say I aspire to view God and life through his lens, but nevertheless, I really, really like this guy.

• Check out this new condo complex that he designed in NYC.  Fascinating website to browse through: Gramercy Starck
• Check out his Wikipedia biography.
• Check out his powerful, inspiring "Why Design?" talk from this year's TED Conference.

Google's information (overload) universe

This week's Business Week headliner is mind-boggling!!

It's about the likely future of "cloud" computing, and the astounding impact this will have on both (a) the scope of information available to the world and (b) the means to efficiently sort through this universe of information.  Of course, who else is leading the charge but Google and IBM, who are partnering in this new endeavor.  In the words of an IBM software engineer: "Compared to this, the Web is tiny. We'll be laughing at how small the Web is."

The Web, as we know it today... just the tip of the iceberg?!?  The web, which is so vast, seemingly second only to God... just the tip of the iceberg?

Google would literally add mountains of additional data on top of the Web.  Millions of super-computers across the earth would unite to process millions of more data requests faster and smarter.  Scientists who once needed to somehow tie-together thousands of individual disks to form coherent hypotheses, would now have all this information ready at their disposal for efficient testing of statistics, patterns, etc.   Oceanographers could now track, all at once, the zillions of receptors they have planted all over our oceans.  They, too, will process zillions of silos of information, all at once, and ultimately find better ways to predict weather, the oceanic impact on crops, and understand life in our oceans and earth.

Just when Google doesn't seem it could grow any bigger, any faster... it does.  Google no doubt rules the Web.  In a few years, they might truly rule the earth.

Old English Sheepdog business partners?

Imagine how much happier people would be at their 9-to-5's if they could just take Old English Sheepdogs to work.  A step further, imagine how the love from a dog might remind us to think more... about ethics, about corporate social responsibility, about camaraderie among our co-workers, about loving life.

Fortunately for us, Lola the Sheepdog has that impact on our team at Specialty Design almost everyday.  My grandmother, Shirley, who helped my grandfather to found the business in 1967, proudly brings Lola in each day as her business partner.  The positive impact that Lola has had on our employees, our interested customers, and overall morale in our plant has been immeasurable. 

Again, how much happier would we be if dogs sat by our side each day?  Working with dogs is not just good for morale but good business as well.

Lola helping to complete my work

Reading Eagle photo of Lola heading a meeting with Special T employees.  Lola was the star of the weekend business section feature, "Corporate Dogs and Cats."

Let's not manufacture the next billion dollar T-shirt!

Without a doubt, my favorite writer of 2007 is Seth Godin.  Seth keeps a tremendously informative, thought-provoking and often entertaining blog at sethgodin.typepad.com.  Not a day goes by at work that I don't check my RSS feed for his latest post.  As I'm working on fresh marketing solutions for our manufacturing business, Seth's ideas always help give a little push in the right direction.

Seth's post today is about the "billion dollar T-shirt" that he and his team made during the rise of the Net in the early nineties.  While Seth has certainly contributed his share of innovative web and marketing advances to the world (Yoyodyne direct marketing, Squidoo, Permission Marketing, etc.), he isn't shy to publicly reflect on the opportunities that passed by him and so many others: search engines, auction sites, etc.  Instead, he admits, he focused on writing books and t-shirts to promote the books... thus, today he presents us (at least in terms of opportunity cost) the most expensive shirt in his closet... the shirt that reflects the missed opportunity to become a market leader just as curiosity of this new idea, the WWW, was starting to take root.

This inspires me to reflect now on my own mission with my current business.  In focusing so much on being better at what we've always done (build machines, sell rain gutter), we CAN NOT keep our heads down and forget to pay attention to the evolving opportunities around us.  I think back to my post from a few weeks ago on Shai Agassi's gamble on the future of the electric car.  I'm thinking about the Google guys who capitalized on a new concept (web search) at the right moment, as people were gravitating away from AOL and to more freeing web browsers.  Or Chad Hurley (who is from my hometown) who capitalized on popular streaming video services by building communities around his own, which we know today as YouTube.

In our business, we're building special machines for our customers.  We're engaging our Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines to carve useful parts out of otherwise useless blocks of steel.  In our building products business, we've become the best in the world (at least the world of our customers, based in eastern PA) at providing rain spouting products.  Yet, how can we push ourselves outside of these boxes?  How can we grow our current operations to more actively participate in today's fast emerging technologies?

I look at a concept such as Project Better Place (Shai Agassi's brainchild), and think, is this the next transportation revolution?  Is this the solution that will loosen the noose that the Middle East keeps tight on our economy?  Is this a solution that will sweep combustible-engine cars from our highways, across the world, and provide safe, clean, cheaper transportation alternatives for all?  And if not Shai, than who else will lead the charge?

Regardless, I hope we can position our business to be a part of the ride.

My dear alma mater - Transforming Minds and Hearts

In just my short life so far, there are many choice I'm proud that I've made, and some not-so-proud.  One choice that, by far and away, I am proud to have made was my decision to become a Villanovan. 

My time at college was absolutely outstanding-- life-transforming, exciting, empowering, and memorable.  I have no doubt that other universities are remarkable places, and I have visited many... however, I just wish I could describe to others the genuine passion that students, professors, administrators, and alumni have for Villanova. 

It's the Augustinian tradition of community that permeates life on campus; it's the natural beauty of the grotto that stops you to admire and reflect; it's the goosebumps that line your spine as the Pastoral Musicians sing "O Holy Night" at the packed Advent mass in the fieldhouse; it's the anticipation as the plane taking off for another Latin American service break trip; and it's the  beautiful people, inside and out, who walk its grounds each day and carry the torch on and on.

I have been thinking a lot about Villanova these past few days for some reason-- I think in the quiet of my home last night I found myself missing our Wednesday night pub crawls where everyone could be found somewhere on Lancaster Ave.  Times have changed.  For me, at least, but not for Villanova.  The magic continues down there.  The magic continues across the alumni network that spans the world.  This article, about the $300 million raised by alumni in the Transforming Minds and Hearts campaign that started in 2001, hits home this fact.

What VU alum could ever express their love this school as well as our Alma Mater...

When the twilight shadows gather, out upon the Campus green,
When the blue and purple night comes stealing on the scene
Loyal heirs of Villanova, sing a hymn of praise
To our dear old ALMA MATER, and our College days.

Villanova, Villanova, when we leave your shelt'ring walls,
We shall leave an echo ringing through your treasured halls
We will leave an echo ringing, in the silent night
While our memories are singing of the Blue and White

When the last big game is over, and the last roll call is heard
When the oldest pedagogue has had his final word
We shall come to ALMA MATER, in our dreams again
With prayer for Villanova and a sweet amen.

Painting courtesy of Nicholas Santoleri.

Gratefulness

Life is a miracle and a blessing.  This short clip, narrated by a Benedictine monk, reminds us of just that.