When we’re learning, its important to have that window into your creative side, to question things, to be curious and explore all aspects of a subject, both related and unrelated to what you may be studying because after all, everything is ultimately related to one another in some capacity.

So, just as much as these core classes and skill sets are important, so are all the other potential opportunities that arise when at school or college, and we just need to make that extra effort to engage in them because they are truly priceless.

In September of this year I’ll be attending the Masters in Global Innovation Management (MGIM) Program though NC State University. I feel this is a great example of the shift that more schools need to make to enhance our creative side, while still providing a solid foundation to build from. The combination of business with innovation adds an entirely different component to the equation, which is invaluable and I’m looking forward to see how the program transcends more traditional masters programs. To say the least, I’m quite excited and I’ll be sure to keep you updated on my experience in the program!

1. RSS Feeds/Readers

This is the most straight forward resource. Truly its just following daily articles, websites, and blogs that are on topics of interest. Organizing them into an RSS Reader just gives it more structure, but the end result is the same. You can find websites on everything and a great way to start is visiting AllTop.

2. Academic Earth

Want to watch lectures from some of the top universities around the country? Then Academic Earth is the place for you! You can find video recorded lectures on numerous topics from universities such as Harvard, Michigan, Stanford, and Yale, all aggregated in one place.

3. MIT Open Courseware (OCW)

Can’t afford MIT tuition? Well now you don’t have to with the development of Open Courseware! OCW gives anyone access to MIT lecture notes, exams, and videos related to a number of MIT courses and all for free! So if you’ve always wanted to study at MIT, here’s your chance.

4. iTunes U

iTunes U is part of iTunes and is a collection of audio and video lectures from a number of universities including: Duke, Stanford, Cambridge and Oxford. Like MIT OCW and Academic Earth, iTunes U is a great resource for college level lectures that are streamlined through the iTunes interface.

5. TED

If you’re not familiar with TED, it stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, and is a conference held during the year where the top minds from a variety of industries congregate to share their wisdom and network. The format revolves around lectures and all of them are subsequently recorded and posted online. If you’re looking for some inspiration or what the newest trends and ideas are, then check out TED immediately!

At this rate, is it REALLY worth it to shell out 100 grand for college??

What types of books should I read?

Everyone seems to have an opinion on what kinds of books you should read. Some think that non-fiction is the way to go and fiction is a waste of time. I personally enjoy both types of books, as I think you can learn lessons from either and having a good balance between the two, in all their forms, is important because it allows for the intersection of ideas, but in the end, its just good to be reading whatever it may be.

Creating a habit of reading

When I turned 23, I set a goal for myself to read 50 books in that year (which will end on May 2nd). Currently I’m on book 34, so I’m getting there, but I’ll need to focus on reading a bit more these last few months. Even so, I think setting this quota has really motivated me to take the time during the day to read frequently and I’m quite happy I have.

Taking notes

One thing I can’t do without when reading a book, especially non-fiction, is taking notes. From taking note of an interesting point being made by the author or an idea that just floated into mind, I take notes on everything. Sure it takes me a bit longer to read , but I find it a fantastic resource to look back to when its no longer so fresh in my mind.

Determining whats to come

Now to really get the mind working, its a fun exercise to try and outline what a book will discuss before you read it. This practice helps you think about the possible problems, solutions, and ideas that are to come. The whole point is to try and formulate ideas of the situation prior to them being presented. Such practices are invaluable in thinking abstractly and moving away from the more straightforward process of what reading is.

How do you read books?

1. The average age was about 31 with approximately 50% of entrepreneurs being from age 26-35.
2. Average education level was a college degree.
3. Sixty percent were bringing in revenue of less than 100K
4. Their general outlook on life was very optimistic

Now I think this shows a lot about what entrepreneurs are all about, and I especially love the question about level of optimism. Shows that its definitely not easy to be an entrepreneur and having that positive mindset is almost a necessity in creating a successful business. You can find the full survey below… what do you think about the results?

And a special thanks to Grasshopper for the Survey!

1. Working On Other Things

Whenever I feel I’m putting off a more important task, I’m never really being unproductive, rather I’m just working on things that are not as urgent. Now, if you’re still doing work that is of value, that is actually productive, then can that really be called procrastination? You’re not really putting it off, its just not your focus at the moment. Furthermore, until the deadline is passed, there is still time to spare…

2. Incubating

Even whe we put off the more important task and focus on other things, is that task still not lingering the back of our minds? Are we not consciously thinking of how best to approach that task and coming up with ideas, plans, and ways to take it forward?

Truly, instead of saying this is procrastination, it is more like a process of incubation, where although we are not physically doing the task at hand, we are mentally preparing for it, which plays a big part towards its successful completion.

In the end, I know that as much as I may procrastinate, I always leave myself enough time to get the job done to a level of which I would be happy with. A definition of procrastination is: deferring or delaying until the opportunity is lost.

I would never say that it comes to this point, although our habits may result in added stress as we work to meet a deadline, we are still usually able to achieve work up to our own standards.

So be it working on other things or incubation, if this is the type of procrastinating we are practicing, is it really procrastination at all?

Planning is all good and great when you’re doing it, feels valuable, but the fact of the matter is, nothing ever turns out quite like you expected it to, no matter how much you plan, which is truly why planning is guessing.

There is of course value in understanding the core of your business, having a clear vision, and doing research, but everything that deals with projections in particular I feel are a waste of time when it comes to the actual success of your business.

The only value I can see for creating these types of plans and projections is when it comes to funding for your business. It seems like they want to see a plan to put them at ease and show them that the company they are investing in knows what they are doing and will use this money wisely.

Aside from this funding factor, there appears to be no true business value connected with extensive planning that we so often see in startups.

What do you think? Is planning worth your time? And if so, to what extent?

Ok, so we focus in one area, we become experts and we know our field inside out, right? Well yes we know everything, but only to the extent to which we learned about it. We have adopted a mindset of all experts in that field of how things should work, of what is possible and what is not. Essentially we have formed boundaries around our field that make it very difficult to think outside the box.

Now, think about why we often see breakthrough innovation from non-experts in a field. Those that know little about the intricacies of how things work. Why are these breakthroughs not from one of the many experts who should know the full exten of what can be done?

I think it is clear that the boundaries that come with this level of expertise make it very difficult to establish these creative, unexpected connections that often result in innovation. If it takes 10,000 hours to become and expert, how much time would you need to spend in a field to be able to innovate? 1,000 hours? 2,000?

It’s definitely something to look into because truly this is the extent to which I would want to learn about various fields, which don’t create barriers to innovation. Now I’m not saying that experts can’t innovate in their fields, but it takes a conscious effor tto break these boundaries that we’ve created.

Which would you prefer? To be an expert that would create boundaries, or just getting familiar enough with a field to be able to make connections and combinations that lead to innovation? Obviously there are benefits to being an expert as well, but are they worth it?

At the end of 2009, we here in Dar es Salaam decided to put together our own TED event named TEDxDar. TEDx is a program promoted by TED that allows for the independent hosting of events based on their model. This allows us to bring together the local talent and give them a voice to share their stories, which will hopefully spark further ideation and collaboration! Check our our website here and if you’re interested, you should definitely look into launching you’re very own TEDx!

Our conference will be held on May 22nd, 2010, so be on the look out for updates!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Courtesy of Focus.com, the following is an overview of the Open Source concept from its origins to more current applications. Enjoy! (references: Focus, Architecture for Humanity, Open Source)