SOME TIME BACK, the authors of this Manifesto came together in London to write 10 case studies on innovation in 20th century recessions. We found ourselves impressed by some of the innovations of the Great Depression, pioneered by companies that have since proved durable – companies including Nestlé, Penguin Books, General Electric and Texas Instruments.
But we also noted how times have changed. Despite sitting on the precipice of another global economic depression we could not see much evidence for any appetite for groundbreaking risk-taking innovation that became apparent during and after the Depression of the twentieth century. Instead, we noted how contemporary society shuns innovation while paying it lip-service.
What we believe
It is the belief of the BIG POTATOES authors that innovation and a culture that can nurture innovation needs something of a rebirth. We note how the elevation of the precautionary principle in science, the short-termist financialisation of business culture and the hostility that now exists to open-ended experimentation means, in effect, that our society has lost faith in progress through science, technology and human ingenuity.
This is why we came together to develop BIG POTATOES. We aim to provoke a debate that can challenge our contemporary culture of limits. We want to think the unthinkable, explore the unfathomable, question everything in the spirit of nurturing unexpected outcomes and place human endeavour back at the centre of the universe. Join us and help grow BIG POTATOES!
But what policies are you advocating?
We are not advocating any policies… at this point. ‘What policies are you advocating?’ is always the battle cry of the impatient entrepreneur or government official. This debate is too important for it to become enmeshed in policy discussions. We need this debate in order to clarify the issues at stake, and to scope what needs to be done to reinvigorate a culture of innovation in contemporary society. Innovation is not something that can be turned on and off like a tap. It is a complex interplay between economics, politics and culture – from how we inspire and educate younger generations, to our attitude towards scientific discovery and risk-taking, from the arts to long-term thinking and investment – and pursuing it requires clarity of thought and purpose.
We hope BIG POTATOES will help inspire a debate that illuminates the scope of this challenge. Only then will it be meaningful and practical to talk about the policy implications of these insights.
We hope you will join us on this quest. We do not proclaim to have a monopoly over the truth. But a collective intellectual exchange will bring us closer to clarifying what’s at stake and how we might start to get there.
Join us and let your innovative self free!