I always find it useful to synch up with folks on context and meaning when starting a conversation. Nothing worse than starting a dialog with a misunderstanding...
With that in mind, my first post is a brief explanation of the title of my blog: View From The Bridge
I'm going to list some definitions from answers.com and go from there (note in advance that I'm using bridge as a noun, so we'll skip the verb definitions):
bridge1 (brĭj)
n.
- A structure spanning and providing passage over a gap or barrier, such as a river or roadway.
- Something resembling or analogous to this structure in form or function: a land bridge between the continents; a bridge of understanding between two countries.
- Music. A transitional passage connecting two subjects or movements.
- Chemistry. An intramolecular connection that spans atoms or groups of atoms.
- Nautical. A crosswise platform or enclosed area above the main deck of a ship from which the ship is controlled.
You'll notice that the first 4 are similar -- spanning a gap; while the last definition is consistent in historical context but has come to mean the control center (i.e., it's called the ship's bridge because it spans a gap above the main deck; but it's come to mean the control center of the ship).
I'm a fan of clever word use and fancy my Scrabble skills better than most. So, it was incumbent upon me to find a title that could mean more than one thing and be a bit clever (in my own mind if nowhere else). So, net/net (as they say), the purpose of this blog is two-fold:
- Share, in an indexed, searchable and discoverable digital context, some open-letter musings on the role that Evergreen Innovation Partners is playing in bridging between inventors and BigCos. The gap between individual product ideation and the means of production and distribution is profound, and we're playing a very unique role in bridging that gap at EIP. It leads us to do some deep thinking, some scanning of the latest academic thinking, and even some possible publishing and theorizing of our own.
- Share some (hopefully) thoughtful musings on what it's like to co-captain a new venture like EIP with my other co-captains Dave Bayless and Vandy Van Wagener. The good ship EIP is navigating some new waters -- we're exploring some uncharted oceans, and sometimes the maps we map can be helpful to others (either to avoid shoals or to find the good trade winds).
I sense I've reached the end of the usefulness of explaining the metaphor present in the title. So I'll close this post now and start the actual blogging...
Onward!
