How disruptive innovation is created

Bestselling author Christoph Keese in Zurich.The Springer man Christoph Keese speaks to the guests in a carefree and relaxed manner, only occasionally "disrupted" by his smartphone - the Executive Vice President of Axel Springer SE apologizes. Even during his keynote speech, he is still preoccupied with an urgent matter. He appears at the Swiss Start-up Factory in Zurich to explain what Switzerland can learn from Silicon ValleyOpen communication cultureKeese's book "Silicon Valley - What comes to us from the most powerful valley in the world" is a bestseller. It was written under the impression of a six-month stay of the business economist and long-time journalist in Palo Alto - in the middle of the legendary valley, where groundbreaking digital innovations have emerged. Often, however, these are not actual inventions, but rather groundbreaking applications of already known technologies, such as streaming on Spotify, etc. In Keese's view, the prerequisites for revolutionary technology applications or, in other words, disruptive innovations are primarily of a social nature. The mission of the private University of Stanford is to help young people to develop innovations and become entrepreneurs. Added to this is the completely open communication culture in neighboring Palo Alto, where competitors discuss their ideas and development with each other. Other factors include the greater willingness to take risks and the associated increase in venture capital.What is most annoyingHowever, although Silicon Valley looks so open from the outside, Keese believes that the developments there are only accessible to people who are actually there and have built up a personal network. He also sees a strong start-up culture in Switzerland, albeit more in the evolutionary area with the further development of existing technologies. Keese's advice to those hungry for innovation is: "Pay attention to what annoys you the most and find a solution for it."