For the context, that is, computing, the Internet,
mobile, etc., there is a fundamental problem: We
are awash in cheap processor cycles, main memory
bytes, solid state and rotating disk bytes,
infrastructure software, LAN and Internet bandwidth,
client devices, sensors, transducers, etc. and for
most of these are getting more rapidly.

The fundamental problem is what the heck to do of
high value -- change the world size -- with these
fantastic, cheap resources?

Open ocean sailing? Permitted trading without the
many 'tolls' from long paths across land.

Personal cars? Killed off the horses and passenger
trains and opened up suburbia.

Trucks? Killed off a lot of freight trains.

Electric lights? Got rid of lighting by burning
candles, whale oil, kerosene, and coal gas.

Big stuff.

Computing's done a lot so far. The fundamental
problem now is, now what?

The common assumption is that a big IT company must
frequently 'reinvent' itself and 'create' its
future. If so, then the big IT companies -- and
related companies in 'media', cars, etc. -- just
must successfully address significant parts of this
fundamental problem.

So, the fundamental problem must be (no choice)
shared by Yahoo, Google, Apple, Facebook, Samsung,
Intel, AMD, Cisco, Juniper, Microsoft, Oracle, IBM,
Amazon, newspapers, TV, movies, DARPA, essentially
all information technology (IT) startups and
venture capital, etc.

Efforts that successfully address significant parts
are coming forward quite slowly, maybe only a few
such efforts each 10 years. Not fast enough.

Big IT companies, I hate to say it, but a lot of you
guys stand to go the way of buggy whips if you fail
successfully to address significant parts of this
fundamental problem. So, better set up a group,
issue thinking caps, and get to work. Maybe the
projects look 'blue sky', but at least some of them
have to go all the way to revenue, earnings, and big
changes in the world. Gotta be willing to stand
there on the sea shore and think "open ocean
sailing" and, then, make it real, make a lot of
money, and change the world. Do that or you are in
line for a buggy whip award.

In a musical analogy, a little, student's piano
sonata won't cut it; think more like Beethoven's
'Ninth Symphony'.

One way -- not the only one -- is to look at some
'economics', i.e., how to take some work needed in
the economy and do it better and/or cheaper.

Yahoo? So, you have a lot of stock market data.
Now what? Envision an investor, see what else they
need, and start to provide it. Yes, there should be
a mobile tie in.

Yahoo? Yes, you have some headline news, maybe some
of it is entertaining. What about information that
is really valuable? Find some such categories and
how to get the information out there.

Yahoo? There's lots of stuff on the Internet, and
recently at AVC.COM Fred Wilson has been complaining
that he doesn't know how to find blogs, videos, etc.
he wants. A solution is needed.

With just the economic driver, we can go on and on.
I didn't say that it was all easy, but neither was
Beethoven's 'Ninth Symphony', and when he wrote it
he had been stone deaf for years.

Get on it Marissa or be in line for a buggy whip
award. And, f'get about picking colors or numbers
of screen pixels. And, to think better, get some
sleep.