It's that time of year again for me–my annual multi-week work/play trip to Los Angeles. It's my favorite time of year, and it's my favorite place to be.This year is a bit different though. The price of rent has gone further through the roof, I am running a health and fitness studio by myself, and there seem to be some new innovations abound this year.
But why is it that LA is usually the first to see these innovations?
Well, two reasons I think:
- LA has one of the largest economies in the world.
- LA seems to be more densely populated with "early adopters," whereas a place like Fort Myers is more densely populated with laggards.
I've been here two days now, and here are some innovations I've stumbled upon:
- Bird - Bird is an electric vehicle sharing company that has placed electric scooters that go about 20 MPH all around the city. You just need to download the Bird app, scan the scooter you find wherever, and start riding. I just scooted across Westwood. In previous years, I would have had to call an Uber, wait five minutes for it to arrive, then pay $7 to travel two feet in a span of ten minutes. Or I could have walked ten minutes or more. Now, I pick up a scooter, pay $1.50, and reach the same destination in two minutes. Oh, and it's fun.
- The Halo Top Storefront - Not really an innovation, but super cool. They even have soft serve... ok, soft serve Halo Top... maybe that is an innovation. Then they put the ice cream in pink and blue waffle cones or tacos. They don't even offer cups or bowls, which reduces waste.
- Amazon Bookstore - Amazon has a bookstore in the century city mall. I saw it and was intrigued as I wondered if the prices would be like a normal bookstore. They were the same as a normal bookstore until I got to the register, where I could enter my Amazon Prime email and receive Amazon Prime prices... amazing. Instead of $30 for a hardback in a bookstore, I got it for $18.
The Innovation X-factor
What makes an innovation an innovation?Well, in Uber's case, it was not cars nor people driving cars that were innovative. Rather, it was the manner in which these cars were utilized in the name of convenience. Similarly, it is not an electric scooter that makes Bird so innovative. In fact, I rode electric scooters when I was five years old, 15 years ago. And it's not books that are innovative. Instead, it is the way Amazon distributes them that disrupts the entire industry. So, it's the manner in which these scooters are utilized in such a vast and crowded city that makes them so convenient and innovative.The innovation x-factor lies in the distribution of something already in existence, not all the time, but at least some of the time. It's like a quarter of a twist to the left on something.
