Innovation is a new solution to an old problem :: Dr. Robin Gaster

Dr. Robin Gaster, President of Incumetrics, Inc., a data and program evaluation consultancy, and author of Behemoth, Amazon Rising: Power and Seduction in the Age of Amazon share his take on innovation at Amazon and beyond. More about our guest: Robin Gaster, PhD is a visiting scholar at George Washington University Institute for Public Policy and the President of Incumetrics, Inc., a data and program evaluation consultancy that serves clients seeking to understand the intersection of technology, innovation, economics, and politics. From 2004-2014, Dr. Gaster was the lead researcher and principal writer on a 13-volume series of reports published by the National Academies of Science and Engineering on the U.S. government’s premier innovation program for small businesses, as well as for a major report on the Manufacturing Extension Partnership. ------------------------------------------------------------ Episode Guide: 1:58 - What Is Innovation   2:25- Invention vs Innovation 4:13 - Working with the government and Small Business Innovation Awards 4:57 - Problem of getting into the market 5:55 - Inventive people and being linear 9:38 - Great Man Theory and the multibillion founders of modern culture 11:12 - Is there regression in Amazon? 12:51 - Amazon, Innovation, Consumer-centric 14:20 - AWS, innovation and internet giant 17:30 - AWS and Amazon 16:5 - Amazon and digital privacy 21:36 - Secrecy of corporations 21:55 - Regulating Amazon? Understanding websites 23:13 - Antitrust and court-proceedings 25:12 - Protecting consumers from predatory retailers 26:08 - Sunlight and Dogmatic traditions 26:54 - Book: Amazon Rising 28:57 - Judo and Amazon business decisions 29:52 - Amazon Prime's 2-day free shipping 30:40 - Customer-centric: Caring or obsession?   31:45 - Flywheel approach 33:02 - Going into advertising 35:06 - Groceries, Healthcare, Alexa, and Opportunities 36:34 - Amazon's Ring and working with police departments 37:21 - Collateral Damage and pervasiveness 39:58 - One goal focus 41:17 - 150 years of change from the 'race to the bottom'   42:12 - A proposed reset with corporate overloads 42:40 - Information access and new sets of standards 43:05 - Advice to innovators -------------------------- OUTLAST Consulting offers professional development and strategic advisory services in the areas of innovation and diversity management.