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IBM Uses Internal Kickstarters To Pick Projects

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the let-the-grunts-make-the-decisions dept.

alphadogg writes "IBM is readying its fourth internal Kickstarter-like crowdfunding effort over the past year or so to inspire employees to innovate and collaborate, often across departments and the globe. According to IBM Research member Michael Muller, IBM has embraced the crowdfunding model popularized in recent years by Kickstarter, Indiegogo and hundreds of other such platforms that match up creators and financial backers from among the masses. But IBM's 'behind-the-firewall' form of crowdfunding, for which Muller has coined the term 'enterprise crowdfunding,' is unique in that it isn't open to the public. In an experiment held in the third quarter of last year, 500 Watson Research Center employees were each given $100 to invest exclusively in colleagues' proposals, which ranged from procuring a 3D printer to setting up a disc golf course to recording and sharing seminars."

4 of 40 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Sounds Good In Theory by Joining+Yet+Again · · Score: 4, Insightful

    There is only one way to have a significant say in what any company does: owning it.

    To think you have any influence in a company which might show you the door in 10 minutes is just part of the silly modern promise of worker freedom.

    If you want business freedom, own your own company, or join a co-operative.

  2. Does IBM Still Have Workers? by CodeBuster · · Score: 4, Funny

    I thought they fired all of them and replaced them with robots.

  3. It turns out that disc golf... by Michael+Woodhams · · Score: 3, Informative

    ... involve neither putters nor 3.5" floppies. I'm so disappointed.

    (For those who share my former ignorance, it is getting a frisbee to a distant target with as few throws as possible.)

    --
    Quattuor res in hoc mundo sanctae sunt: libri, liberi, libertas et liberalitas.
  4. That did not start at IBM by Taco+Cowboy · · Score: 4, Interesting

    All your idea are belong to us!

    The first time I encountered the above phenomenon I was at my sophomore year.

    During one of the many brainstorming sessions we had with our mentor I blurb out (at that time) a very outrageous idea. The idea was so outrageous that even the mentor was visibly taken aback somewhat.

    5 months down the road that mentor applied for a patent based on that outrageous idea of mine, and of course, my name wasn't appearing anywhere in the patent application.

    --
    Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !