I read an amusing article in Forbes last week about Symbian, the world's most common and least interesting mobile phone OS ( link ). The journalist's contention is that by ' crowdsourcing ' (a repulsive management term that makes me flinch every time I hear it) Symbian produces an engaging and multifaceted product. My opinion is the opposite. To me, the wisdom of the crowd is a con that excuses lazy or untalented product designers from their responsibilities. The great leaps forward in human understanding have almost all come from the inspiration of a few individuals, not from some loosely democratic design-by-committee. Even giant technological feats like the Manhattan Project were driven by a core group of smart people who had the vision and ability to see and accomplish their goal. To take a more relavent example: Apple's design team consists of a small group, working out of California. Sure, they have great understanding of the needs of the crowd, but they certa...
Thoughts on strategy in a Digital Economy