Open collaboration spawns innovation; barriers stifle it

Open collaboration spawns innovation; barriers stifle it

(c) Copyright 2006, San Jose Mercury News. All Rights Reserved.

"What's the next big thing?"

After nearly 25 years in Silicon Valley, I get that question a lot. It's like asking a financial analyst, "What's the next big stock no one has heard of?"

My answer: "I don't know. But I know there will be one."

More than one. And each will probably be bigger than anything we've seen. The next big thing could come in the form of a new company, a spin-off from an established company, or a grass-roots community effort. I know this: It's coming.

What makes me so sure? Because one thing has remained constant over my years in the high-tech business: Innovation happens. And, in an increasingly networked world, the pace of innovation is accelerating. To keep up the pace, we have to learn to be more open -- figuratively and literally.

March of technology

Just look at how one simple innovation -- Netscape's Web browser -- changed the way we work and interact by opening things up. The browser made the Internet easy to use, bringing people online and paving the way for companies like eBay, which built confidence in online shopping by creating a community for buyers to share experiences. This changed the way people, including me, shop.

Online communities also drove Java -- a platform that powers more than 2.5 billion devices from mobile phones to car navigation systems -- into the mainstream.

More recently, Google made its name as a search engine and keeps adding new services like e-mail and Google Earth, making it easier not only to access information but also to collaborate and participate on the network.

Each of these phenomena was born out of an open environment, with minimal barriers to entry, which fueled participation, collaboration and ultimately innovation. The beauty of innovation is that something bigger, better or faster is always around the corner.

Barriers stifle innovation

Today, the march continues. Millions join the network each week. We're accessing the network not just from personal computers but from mobile phones or other portable devices and doing more than looking up information. We're talking, texting, blogging, buying, and sharing everything from snapshots to snap judgments. In short, we're interacting and collaborating -- critical ingredients for innovation.

This dynamic not only creates more opportunities for us as individuals, but it also creates new opportunities for business, as well as government. As more people get on the network and interact, the value of the network, when truly open, goes up.

With more people around the world interacting and collaborating, the smartest people on the planet can work together to solve the toughest problems. That will mean more breakthroughs. These may start in Silicon Valley, but they are just as likely to start in Shanghai, Stockholm or Tel Aviv.

Does the fact that innovation can happen anywhere scare some countries and companies? Sure. But that's no reason to put on the brakes. Erecting barriers to entry and exit, and closing markets, are sure-fire ways to limit innovation. Such an attitude would have shut the door on the advancements unlocked by Amazon.com, eBay and Google.

Here are some ways we can ensure innovation continues to unlock the next wave of progress:

Share: Blend internal assets with those outside your own four walls. That means sharing things you value -- intellectual property, best practices and more. It also means sharing even your thoughts -- think blogs, podcasts, wikis, open-source technologies and communities.

Boundaries, not barriers: Establish boundaries for intellectual property and privacy, but don't erect arbitrary barriers in the hope it leads to the desired effect. Federal quotas in the United States on H-1B visas is one example of how misguided policy can constrain competitiveness on a global stage.

Build trust and foster communities: Adopt a transparent and shared approach. Many minds are orders of magnitude better than only a few. When you foster and protect trust, talent will congregate.

Get people on the network: Maybe we're closer to answering "What is the next big thing?" than we know. Maybe you're even working on it. Whatever the case, we know an open, collaborative attitude toward innovation will usher in Google Jr.

SCOTT MCNEALY is the chairman and CEO of Sun Microsystems. He wrote this article for the Mercury News.