Palo Alto knOwhere Store
October 12, 2002 | | The knOwhere Store is a new kind of retail space. It was conceived by Gail and myself in 1976. We opened the first store in 1996 and, between then and now (2002), experimented with three locations and a variety of venues. | | It is now, in the fall of 2002, that conditions have coalesced enabling the full vision of the knOwhere to begin emerging. The history of this heuristic path is documented elsewhere. We will know, in six months, if the vision of knOwhere can take root in the post dot.bubble environment of Silicone Valley. | | The knOwhere Mission is a direct extension of the MG Taylor Mission. It is the retail PLACE of the growing MG Taylor ValueWeb. | | The knOwhere VISION is based on the concept of collaborative business. The IDEA that there can be a creative relationship between consumer, investor and producer; that such a relationship, when facilitated by the appropriate process and supported by an effective system and method of work interaction, will out perform traditional ways of making and exchanging value. | | The network architecture that is intrinsic to the knOwhere experience is the basis of the true new economy that is just beginning to emerge from the ongoing creative-destruction of the old Industrial Economy. What was paraded, in recent years, as the “new economy” was, in fact, the old economy on steroids - the equivalent of putting a 500 horse power engine in a go cart. The structure wasn’t there and neither were appropriate rules-of-engagement. | | The knOwhere Store is a market. It is a deliberate experiment in new business relationships and structures; it is social R&D; it is all this and it is a business. When knOwhere is profitable, scalable and sustainable, this will mean that a new form of business has passed proof-of-concept. | | | | The next 6 months are critical for the development of this idea, this iteration. The conditions for advancing are perfect; not easy - IDEAL. The economy is on pause - it has no direction. It is times like this that new ideas have a chance. The dinosaurs are in retreat and guarding their nests. | | | |
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