Creative genius inspires and fascinates simultaneously. There have been those few in the world who have lived up to the mantra of a "creative genius." Both Thomas Edison and George Washington Carver are great examples of this. Still considered as one of the most prolific inventors in history, Thomas Edison holds 1,093 patents in the United States alone. Similarly, George Washington Carver was a great inventor in his own right, applying for approximately 300 patents alone for products relating to the peanut. In fact, it is still widely accepted that Carver was the originator of peanut butter. He's Jiff's bread and butter, so to speak (pun intended). But, what do these great men have to do with your organization? What can we learn from them as we continue to develop, morph, change, and innovate in the world of business and, in our case, digital signage? If the answer is not apparent, let me me spell it out: some innovate on such a minute level, their expertise in that niche is unfailingly questioned. G. W. Carver was such a visionary. In contrast, others realize product innovations are a result of imagination across a broad spectrum of creative ideas, each of whose discovery simply aids all fields of endeavor. Thomas Edison could be classified as such a innovator. The minds of both these men can help us understand our own pursuits and development projects.

Is your organization more like George Washington Carver or Thomas Edison? In other words, do you deal in peanuts or the "eureka" of a light bulb?

Are you a "one-stop-shop" who can take care of whatever a customer asks because you simply make it happen by adding it to your product set with some development time. Or, are you almost entirely attune to your niche market segment? We'll not only discuss why these questions are important, but why it is important for your organization to know how you fit into the spectrum.

Benefits to "Thomas Edison" Organizations

Platforms beat applications. Geoffrey Moore summed it up nicely:

"Applications are what an end user sees. They can readily gauge the benefits of them .And if the application fixes a broken, mission-critical business process, they can insist on its deployment in spite of an IT department’s reluctance.

Platforms, by contrast, are multi-purpose by definition. They are infrastructure and as such are the domain of the IT community. Charged with maintaining the security, reliability, and performance of the current infrastructure, this group is not quick to adopt disruptive technologies which require widespread re-engineering of systems."

Thomas Edison created platforms. His ideas were breakthrough, never-before conceived technological jumps. And not only did Edison see the vision of his work, he also exhibited the spirit of determination to see them through to the end. Edison himself commented on the long road to finding a proper filament for the light bulb, "I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won't work." Such a spirit of determination could, in some instances, be considered a liability. In the case of Edison, it was his crowning characteristic.

Tom Edison also advocated the principle of work. He is known for such statements as, "everything comes to him who hustles why he waits" and "genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." Such an attitude would never leave any organization--large or small--completely devoid of success. As you consider your development processes, what role does your organization play in comparison to others? Are you working on what Evan Williams calls "the echo chamber" or are you creating something of value without the "me too" component?

Benefits to "George Washington Carver" Organizations

Although platforms beat applications, it doesn't leave the G. W. Carver organizations out of the loop. Expertise to the nth degree means the competition can do almost nothing. Playing catch-up, especially when the competition has already climbed a veritable Mt. Everest, is a pain in the butt to say the least.

So, whether you're building a digital signage solution from the ground up or you are simply creating an custom application for use across a single advertising network, you may wish to consider the lives of the great innovators of the past. Their demeanor and game-plan can help you determine how you want to go about development of your tailored signage project.

From my perspective, focusing on a refined and wholly specific niche is not as ludicrous as it may initially sound. In fact, it may be one of the greatest methods of differentiating your business from the "echo chamber." There are several advantages for building an organization founded on one solid principle with countless branching off-shoots.

1. Niches are the places to target. It's much easier to succeed when you know what you want. Going after potential clients at random is hurtful and foolish. Finding a niche and exploiting it, although often counter-intuitive, is sometimes the best way to ensure survival and success. LevelVision is an excellent example of focusing on a niche. They have done an excellent job of specifically targeting college campuses. And, more specifically, college campus bookstores. Niche targeting at its finest people!

2. The competition will have a hard time climbing your mountain. As an expert in your particular niche, you will be motivated and obsessed and continuously refining your knowledge and skill-set. Consequently, it will be extremely difficult for any one organization to trump your place in the industry. They could, but during the lost time, you will have made an exorbitant amount of sales in comparison to the competition.

3. You'll get leads. As an expert in peanuts, I'm sure Carver was the foremost on peanut facts. If he were still alive and I wanted some information on peanuts, I think I would either consult him directly or go to some of his written work. The same applies in any field of endeavor, including narrowcasting. Your expertise will become very known in your particular niche. Simply put, people will contact you for your expertise and advice in the niche market you represent.

Whether you decide you fit a mold of genius encompassing multiple fields of endeavor like Thomas Edison, or you feel your team represents the obsessively narrow-focused mind of George Washington Carver, you each have your place in any industry. Understanding your specific skill set, your role, and your company goals for development and marketing is vital for survival as well as defining where you stand between your competition in your industry. Often when you struggle it is because drifting from the fundamental strategy and skill set of your organization has crippled your known strengths. Exploiting your strengths is much easier when you are familiar with them and adhere to them religiously. Ignoring them may make Washington and Carver stir in their graves. Who knows...