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November 30, 2005

Fuzzy Connection

Can Sponge Bob ring tones be far off? A British company this week unveiled Teddyfone, a mobile phone for four-year-olds. No keypad or screen, the bear-shaped headset has four speed-dial buttons, plus two emergency buttons and a tracking device (what? no paws button?).

Asked about radiation worries, Teddyfone's managing director Paul Liesching told the Guardian: "Parenting is all about making decisions." Like, no whenever minutes till you finish your vegetables.

The company already has 4,500 orders.

Posted by Angus Loten at 5:55 PM | 1 Comment

Real Estate and the Retail Magnet

Fast Company recently recognized Cabela's with a Customers First Award. In today's New York Times, Kate Murphy takes a slightly different look at the company's business model -- particularly its approach to real estate acquisition.

Not only does Cabela's actively seek tax incentives and the like, it often restricts what other businesses can locate near their properties -- and even buys adjacent land so they can control its management and development. It's an interesting read.

Posted by Heath Row at 3:46 PM | 3 Comments

Betting on the Blackout

How many of you were nervous about the possibility of an interruption in Blackberry service this week? Luckily, a judge ruled that no action will be taken until a hearing is scheduled. The cause? A settlement between patent holder NTP Software and RIM has been deemed invalid.

Do you think Blackberry service will be interrupted any time soon? Discuss.

Posted by Heath Row at 3:39 PM | 1 Comment

Firefox's Sly Try

The latest release of Firefox, the browser from Mozilla, is out today. The new version, 1.5, features faster browsing, better caching, and protection against pop-ups.

All good stuff. And meant to unseat Internet Explorer. But with Internet Explorer's share of about 95% of the market, this seems like an uphill battle. It's not an easy task coming into a mature market, but undoubtedly, it can be done.

What do you think of Firefox 1.5? And do you think it has a real chance to take market share from Microsoft?

Posted by Laura Rich at 2:28 PM | 12 Comments

November 29, 2005

War and Peace (Sponsored by Northrop Grumman)

Another sign of the crumbling wall between traditional media and advertising... MIT's Branding Cultures blog reports on a Russian advertising firm that sells product placement in pulp fiction and sci-fi novels. The firm keeps a stable of 20 authors (listed on the site) and, according to Branding Cultures, offers potential clients "direct in-book advertising on dust cover, wrappers and special bookmarks, as well as inclusion of product samplers and full-page color inserts." Ambitious companies can even contract to have entire plotlines and characters developed around their wares. ((Shudder)) Tolstoy would have been proud.

No word on whether or not the company includes a label or fine print distinguishing paid material from authentic, um, art.

Posted by Lucas Conley at 1:07 PM | 2 Comments

The "Cyber Monday" Marketing Blitz

Aha! So, in fact, Cyber Monday not really a key online shopping day after all (Nov. 22 would be a better day to celebrate online shopping, or Dec. 5 or Dec. 15). I suspected as much in my last post, but BusinessWeek.com got to the bottom of it. Turns out, it was an idea dreamed up by Shop.org, which coined the term. (Lots of people fell for it. BusinessWeek.com notes 779,000 references online, and even Wikipedia quickly added 'Cyber Monday' to its Black Friday listing.)

At first blush, sounds cheesy for Shop.org to do such a thing -- declare a name for a day. But then, what else is Father's Day, for example? Or Mother's Day?

But Cyber Monday is different. Haven't been able to find out who "coined" the term "Black Friday," but at least it evolved from an actual event -- generating black ink for retailers.

Posted by Laura Rich at 12:32 PM | 4 Comments

November 28, 2005

More Ads, Fewer Interruptions

Remember when TiVo was all about skipping commercials? This week, the DVR pioneer began courting Madison Avenue ad firms with a new feature enabling users to search commercials by topic. That way, TiVo president Tom Rogers told the Wall Street Journal (subscription only), viewers "don't have to watch commercials at random." Forgetting for a minute that they never really were -- really? no link between a show's expected viewers and its commercials? -- TiVo is now in the unlikely position of having to convince everyone that we actually like TV ads.

Between this and a seemingly pre-emptive foray into the television-to-internet battle, it's been strange days at TiVo since losing content-provider DirecTV.

Posted by Angus Loten at 6:50 PM | 2 Comments

The Poor Worker Problem

A recently released survey sheds light on a corporate vulnerability that most managers overlook: their employees' financial health. ComPysch, a Chicago-based employee assistance firm, surveyed employees from 1,000 businesses and found that fewer than half consider themselves to be more financially secure than they were one year ago. Almost 30% said that they are "one major setback away from financial disaster."

ComPysch's chief executive, Richard Chaifetz, says that personal financial woes can seriously affect employees' productivity, and should be addressed at work with an employer-provided personal financial consultant. Is that extending the scope of managers' responsibilities too far?

Posted by Daniel Del're at 4:49 PM | 8 Comments

Brown-Bag Tuesday?

OK, so Black Friday is no longer the single most important day of the year for shopping. Now, there's also Cyber Monday, that day when shoppers rush home with their treasures and log on to keep on shopping for more.

It's an interesting concept: One single day of the year when everyone clicks their way through cyberspace for sales. I suppose it could happen. But unlike retail stores, which are only open during set times, and where inventory is finite, the Internet is far more easy-going. No check-out lines, no stampedes. No reason to log on on at an appointed time.

What do you think of this so-called "Cyber Monday" concept?

Posted by Laura Rich at 4:18 PM | 1 Comment

How to Business-Blog

Blogs can be treacherous terrain for companies that leap into the blogosphere willy-nilly. An article in the latest Harvard Business Review has some tips for getting it right:

• Take a lead in the conversation
• Have a distinct focus and goal
• Feature an authentic voice
• Be open to comment.

Several companies have already managed to blog fairly successfully, such as Sun Microsystems and General Electric. What corporate blogs have you seen that get it right -- or those that are still figuring it out?

Posted by Laura Rich at 12:55 PM | 6 Comments

November 23, 2005

Retooling Technology

CNN has been airing a documentary about North Korea. As the hour-long program shows, dissidents are smuggling in digital cameras and recording the public executions of political activists, as well as glimpses of the country's famine and poverty. They are also using cell phones, which only work near the Chinese border, to speak with outside reporters. They are defying the isolationism imposed by Kim Jong Il's regime.

With new technological wonders every month, it is easy to get caught up in Apple's newest iPod or Microsoft's new Xbox 360 or the next Motorola RAZR. These fun gadgets, which I myself have been known to tout, make life easier and more enjoyable. It is more difficult to remember transformative technologies that do more than provide entertainment--they change lives.

All technologies are tools. The CNN documentary was a powerful reminder of what those tools can accomplish.

Posted by Kevin Ohannessian at 11:47 AM | 4 Comments

November 22, 2005

Coming Soon from TiVo

Amid the mad dash for TV-to-computer-to-PDA, TiVo's move this week allowing users to transfer recorded television shows to iPods or Sony PlayStations may prove something of a false start.

The new feature won't be open to some 2.3 million subscribers from DirecTV, which plans on marketing its own video recorder soon. Of the 1.3 million stand-alone subscribers left, it's possible only a few hundred thousand have Series2 recorders able to send programs to their home computers and on to PDAs. Pretty thin numbers -- in the online universe, anyway (the company itself hasn't released any figures).

Worse still, TiVo has yet to unveil the software needed to make any of this possible -- for Series2 users or anyone else.

So why the fanfare now? Possibly because TiVo is facing heated competition from generic DVRs. A recent study that scoured online forums, discussion boards and chat rooms found the brand-name novelty of TiVo wearing off. At the same time, awareness of generics offering dual-tuner boxes and HD playback is growing, the study found. TiVo, which offers neither, has promised these and other features in the near future, too.

Posted by Angus Loten at 5:45 PM | Add Comment

No Longer under the Radar

Forget Peyton Manning's 365 yards and three TDs for the undefeated Colts last week. Forget Reggie Bush's 500-plus yards against Fresno State. The top performer of the week was Under Armour, the sports apparel company we profiled back in August. On Friday, the company held its IPO and scored big. It was the first U.S. IPO to double on opening day in five years.

When we visited the Baltimore-based company, Kevin Plank, its 33-year-old founder and president, was wrestling with how to manage the company's tremendous growth (retail sales have increased five-fold in four years). The former college football player had taken a niche product, a sweat-wicking gridiron undershirt, and helped build a hot new category called performance apparel. As Nike, Adidas and practically every other sporting goods company introduced their own performance gear, Under Armour moved fast, branching out with products aimed at new sports and new markets, women in particular.

Under Armour plans to use some of the cash generated by its IPO to introduce cleats. It's another aggressive move, a direct challenge to the footwear giants. Should be a great match-up. We'll be watching.

Posted by Chuck Salter at 2:01 PM | Add Comment

November 21, 2005

Microsoft Marketing Misses

Tonight, at midnight, Microsoft's new Xbox 360 gaming console will be launched around the country. It's a critical first step for Microsoft, which has said it expects to move as many as 3 million of the new consoles in the coming three months. Microsoft's big midnight launch last year, for flagship game Halo 2, was a clear marketing success. The demand for that title was so high that the game rang up $125 million in first-day sales, a record in the booming entertainment industry, according to Microsoft. (By comparison, the fourth Harry Potter film just took in $101 million, over an entire weekend). Will Microsoft break its earlier record?

Continue reading "Microsoft Marketing Misses"

Posted by Kevin Ohannessian at 6:06 PM | 21 Comments

Non-Standard Success Stats

And in today's Journal, an article about Jim Collins's current activities (subscription required) reminds me of James Hong's most recent venture -- and highlights the importance of different ways of measuring success.

In a new monograph available from online retailers, Collina turns his attention to organizations such as orchestras and hospitals.

A breakthrough came when he spoke to leaders of the Cleveland Orchestra, They weren't trying to increase earnings per share or return on equity; instead, they tracked standing ovations, invitations to perform in Europe, and the number of orchestras copying the Cleveland style.

What non-traditional metrics might you apply to your work?

Posted by Heath Row at 5:19 PM | 5 Comments

Breakthrough Budgets

Late last week in the Wall Street Journal, writer Kate Kelly considered Twentieth Century Fox's recipe for its recent successes with such projects as "Walk the Line" and "In Her Shoes." (Subscription required.)

Apparently, leaders there pair two goals: low, low budgets, and big, big ideas.

How do you build big ideas with limited resources? Do constraints catalyze creativity?

Posted by Heath Row at 4:58 PM | 5 Comments

Pitching Place

Every so often, an active business community or region will try to rebrand or reposition itself. And sometimes, outsiders will apply a brand to a community or group of communities. Case in point: Fast Company's recent Fast Cities package.

Late last week, the New York Times ran a piece on Atlanta's recent efforts to come up with a tagline. FC's tagline used to be "How Smart People Work." Does your company have a tagline or one-line organizational pitch? Does where you live and work?

Atlanta's efforts to date swing from laughable to laudable, and what they settled on doesn't quite sing to me. How do you think communities could best approach this exercise?

Posted by Heath Row at 4:51 PM | 2 Comments

November 18, 2005

Sub Specie Aeternitas

Any day's a good day when Geoffrey Moore rolls through the office. The author of Crossing the Chasm and Inside the Tornado, Moore visited FC headquarters today to discuss Dealing With Darwin, his latest book (due out in January). The topic this time? How great companies innovate. Because we love you, here are some Moorisms for your enjoyment:

"To get inspired, put yourself in the path of a very hard problem and ask yourself 'Why is it that...?' Every one of my books has come from this process."

"And don't pick stupid problems. Get an interesting one. It's not like the world is running out."

"[Innovation and change] can be ugly. It's like molting."

"Innovation might create value, but it's no guarantee. It's like saying you want to be an artist. It doesn't mean you're going to be any good at it."

"Never be best in class. Either be good enough or out of class."

"The inspiration is just that - the spark. Just because you inspired a product doesn't mean you can take credit for it. There's logistics, marketing, sales, distribution... Claiming something because you inspired it is like the yeast taking credit for bread."

"Life is a sine wave."

Posted by Lucas Conley at 5:42 PM | 14 Comments

November 17, 2005

Toying Outside the Box

The cardboard box, that unadorned, well-traveled, and oft-abused necessity, is finally getting its due. This month, it assumes its rightful place in the National Toy Hall of Fame alongside such classics as Barbie, Mr. Potato Head, and Legos. Frankly, the only thing that surprised me about the news was that the box wasn't already in the Hall. Unlike fellow inductees Jack-in-the-Box and Candy Land, it's almost limitless as a source of entertainment, as any kid (or cat, for that matter) is more than happy to demonstrate.

I remember turning the box that my family's new TV came in into a school bus, a rather impressive robot costume, and oddly enough, a make-believe TV (what other toy lets you create your very own network?). Aside from being the perfect blank canvas, it was sturdy enough to endure its many roles in the backyard, basement and tree house before being replaced a couple of weeks later by a fresh new box. For that we can thank Robert Gair, a printer from Brooklyn, who invented the corrugated cardboard version in 1890. It took the delivery business by storm. And when it arrived in our homes, it gave us somewhere to play and, well, think outside the box.

Posted by Chuck Salter at 7:20 PM | 4 Comments

November 16, 2005

Apple: Demand-Driven, or Diva

The chief executive of record label EMI suggested today that Apple may raise its prices on iTunes. This news follows lots and lots of other announcements involving Apple, from the glamorous (deal with Disney to sell downloads of popular ABC show episodes) to the triumphant (Apple shares hit all-time high).

No one at Apple is saying anything yet -- maybe part of some big open-secret campaign of which they're so fond -- but, anyway, what of it Should Apple raise prices, would that be simply a natural response to market demand, or is it more of a diva-ish turn, dictating the way the market will go

Posted by Laura Rich at 4:21 PM | 14 Comments

Leading Ideas: Block Your Escape Routes

"The American Constitution, one of the few modern political documents drawn up by men who were forced by the sternest circumstances to think out what they really had to face, instead of chopping logic in a university classroom." -- George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) Irish playwright and essayist

It's amazing what you can do when failure isn't an option. You get creative and find a way to succeed. While no one likes their back against the wall, the truth is that it's good for you every now and then. It blocks your escape routes and forces you to make uncomfortable decisions you might otherwise avoid.

Continue reading "Leading Ideas: Block Your Escape Routes"

Posted by Doug Sundheim at 3:05 PM | 1 Comment

November 15, 2005

CEO-ver Easy

A recent study done by Liberum Research highlights some surprising data about changes in leadership.

Last July, top management changes totaled only 763. August's management changes nearly doubled to 1,463. October's overall total was 2,056, a 32% increase over September, a 41% increase over August and a 170% increase over July. The statistics for CEO changes were similar. October's CEO changes totaled 218, a 56% increase over September, an 18% increase over August and a 207% increase over July. Even more dramatic over the last two months has been the increase in board of director changes at public companies. Liberum listed 477 changes in October, an 86.3% increase over September's total.

CEO See-Ya! anyone?

Posted by Heath Row at 8:36 PM | 3 Comments

November 14, 2005

People You've Been Before / That You Don't Want Around Anymore

It should come as no surprise that Supreme Court nominee Samuel A. Alito Jr. is under fire for his position on abortion (he's apparently against it). After all, there are few national issues as controversial as abortion rights - and few political events as prone to explosive debate as the appointment of a Supreme Court Justice. The nagging detail here is where Alito's alleged position surfaced: a 20-year-old job application.

According to the LA Times (which has a PDF of the 1985 application) Alito applied for a position in the Justice Dept during the Reagan era. In the application, Alito appears to make clear his position on "racial and ethnic quotas" and abortion rights, both of which he was "proud" to have argued against during his career. Now, ignoring that these are hot-button issues (flamers: I'm not making any political statements here) does anyone else find it chilling that a job application you filled out years before Michael Jackson's "Bad" ever hit the charts can come back to haunt you?

Continue reading "People You've Been Before / That You Don't Want Around Anymore"

Posted by Lucas Conley at 4:51 PM | 3 Comments

Growing up and Giving Back

James Hong, founder of the dotcom boom darling HotOrNot.com, has launched another venture -- and one with a purpose more promising than rating people's attractiveness on a scale of 1 to 10. Ten over 100 encourages people to donate 10% of money made over $100,000 a year to charity. People participating in the project might want to consider the winners of Fast Company's Social Capitalist Awards -- organizations doing good business, as well as good works. How much do you and your business give back? Do you think the 10 over 100 guideline is a worthwhile goal?

Posted by Heath Row at 9:12 AM | Add Comment

The Death of Peter Drucker, and Organizational Development

Also in today's Journal is a nice one-two punch of Peter Drucker, who passed away Friday. With Drucker's death, the world of work loses one of its brightest lights, but his lessons -- his ideas about leadership -- remain.

One of Drucker's most basic principles is that business is about people. (Subscription required.) Some highlights:

• Management is about human beings.
• Management is deeply embedded in culture.
• Every enterprise is a learning and teaching institution.
• Profitability is not the purpose of... business.
• True marketing starts out ... with the customer.

And on the op-ed page, the Journal shares even more of Drucker's wisdom. (Subscription required.)

Mr. Drucker, we'll miss you. Rest in peace.

Posted by Heath Row at 9:03 AM | 38 Comments

November 11, 2005

Yellow Cabs Get Green

Ford has rolled out its first batch of hybrid taxis in New York City. Six of the Escape Hybrids have hit the streets, with more eventually coming to replace the traditional Crown Victoria. Of course, the paint job will remain bright yellow.

These hybrids have twice the fuel efficiency as the Crown Vics, so the drivers will save on gas money. In fact, while the cars are more expensive, the money saved on fuel could cover that higher initial cost in less than a year, Ford says. And the new taxis spew out less pollution, so the public benefits as well. New York City's image should improve too. Everyone wins.

Then why are there only six hybrids on the road so far? How long will it be before all the city's fleets--all 13,000 cabs--are hybrids? And once that is done, what about other cities in America?

Posted by Kevin Ohannessian at 12:51 PM | Add Comment

November 10, 2005

Gym, Meet Keith. Keith, Gym

Fast Company networking resource center contributor Keith Ferrazzi is featured in today's New York Times. He suggests that rather than doing business over the traditional working lunches, people pursue working workouts.

Opening with a lead that recalls an earlier column on golf, Keith says that you can learn a lot about someone's work style based on their workout style. And another source in the story had this to say: "With the increased oxygen flow to the brain, it's amazing how the brain works when you're in a physically active environment."

How physically active is your workplace?

Posted by Heath Row at 1:53 PM | 8 Comments

November 9, 2005

Marble-Mouth Managers

Today's New York Times features a piece on "when CEOs are entangled in their own web of words." Its point: Watch what you say. One reason is that earnings calls are not the best time to come across as "meandering" or "unintelligible." And another is that you might be held to what you say -- and run your stock up or down accordingly. When was the last time you had a performance review -- for your presentation and speaking style?

Posted by Heath Row at 5:42 PM | 6 Comments

Mac Closing Windows?

Wall Street analyst Charles Wolf of Needham & Co. has gotten Apple enthusiasts talking with a recent report suggesting that 1 million Windows users switched to Macs in the last year. The analyst points to the success of iPod as the driving factor. Others have suggested that Windows' poor security and its susceptibility to viruses and spyware are responsible for all of the switching.

Both reasons clearly contributed, but I believe two overlooked factors behind the migration -- whatever its size -- are the innovations in the Tiger OS and the advancing age of Windows. With their steady stream of operating system upgrades, Macs have gotten more attention from computer enthusiasts. With Spotlight, Dashboard widgets, and even the latest tweaks, Macs have been improving to meet users' needs. Windows, on the other hand, has not seen significant improvement for three years. Furthermore, the Windows upgrade on the horizon, Vista, seems to a lot of users to be copying a slew of Mac upgrades.

If Windows Vista does not significantly improve the PC experience, and many reports indicate that the most impressive features have been taken out over the last few years of development, then this conversion to Macs will probably continue.

Posted by Kevin Ohannessian at 11:48 AM | 8 Comments

November 8, 2005

Does your boss have a sense of humor?

In our ongoing effort to gauge organizational culture, I've got a new question to pose when I visit companies: When was the last time you teased the boss? And how did he or she react?

Last week, the staff at OXO pulled an amusing Halloween prank on company president Alex Lee. The employees showed up in costume - dressed as him. Khakis, blue button-down, brown shoes. It was a good-natured jab at an outfit he wears so often it might as well be his uniform.

I've visited a lot of companies where employees wouldn't dare do something like that. They work for bosses who are too humorless, egocentric, or insecure. Who mistake fear for respect. Who boast of an open-door policy but keep everyone at arm's length. And for whom self-deprecation is a foreign concept. It's too bad. A lot of valuable feedback and daring ideas - not to mention fun - get lost in the gulf between a standoffish leader and workers.

How did Lee react? See for yourself. That guy sitting in the center of the front row? With the big grin? The guy who's enjoying the stunt as much as anyone? That's him.

Posted by Chuck Salter at 4:53 PM | 7 Comments

Fast Company... on the Air!

Michael Prospero will appear on ABC World News Now at 4:40 a.m. tomorrow to discuss Fast Company's November article "Fast Cities." Tune in if you're awake!

Posted by Heath Row at 4:08 PM | Add Comment

Cancellations and the Air Commuter

The Wall Street Journal today features an article (restricted access) about FlightStats, a newly public online database of flight performance. You can use the tool to determine which legs are more prone to delays -- and what causes those delays. You can also determine which carriers have the most consistent -- and on-time -- flight schedules.

Posted by Heath Row at 3:56 PM | 1 Comment

November 7, 2005

Work Life Meets Night Life

As the current issue's cover story makes clear, creative and productive cities need to offer creative cultural outlets and options for the people who live and work in the area in order to succeed. So it's slightly interesting to see that Bangalore, one of the emergent outsourcing epicenters in India, has banned dancing in night clubs. (Subscription required to access the Wall Street Journal online.)

Bangalore has attracted a number of call center companies, technology businesses, and even schools dedicated to a new breed of worker -- which have in turn attracted a host of younger, creative business thinkers and professionals. This move -- arguably made on moral grounds -- could have intriguing impact on the continued growth of offshoring.

After all, regardless of where your business is based, if I can't dance, I don't want to be a part of your workplace revolution.

Posted by Heath Row at 4:12 PM | 11 Comments

Can Innovation Scale?

There's a great article in today's New York Times about whether the innovative ad agency Crispin Porter & Bogusky will be able to scale successfully. The storied upstart seems to have built a solid platform for growth, but will it be able to pull it off?

What advice would you offer the firm's principals -- and staff?

Posted by Heath Row at 4:05 PM | 2 Comments

Holding on Through the Holidays

With the holidays on the approach, it's time to begin planning for what doesn't need to be a slow season. The Minneapolis-St. Paul Star-Tribune offers several ideas about how to remain productive in the thick of vacations and office parties.

• Know who's going to be in when
• Assign proxies. Where will calls and emails be forwarded?
• Cross-train as necessary
• Define crises clearly so people don't overreact
• Delegate troubleshooting; who's next in line?
• Give people the support they need to solve problems with the resources at hand

How do you prepare for holiday absences?

Posted by Heath Row at 3:53 PM | Add Comment

Leading Ideas: Use Confusion to Your Advantage

"If you're not confused, you're not paying attention." -- Tom Peters

One of my clients, a successful 40 year veteran in the insurance business, is a master at using confusion to his advantage. 75% of what comes out of his mouth are questions trying to clarify something. It's like watching an episode of Columbo. Recently we chatted about his style and he explained it this way. "I definitely ask a lot questions to get people to open up, but it's more than that. I geninuely don't know the answers to most of the questions I ask. I think too many people pretend they know things that they don't - because they don't want to look foolish. What they often fail to realize is that they're killing opportunites to learn in the process.

Continue reading "Leading Ideas: Use Confusion to Your Advantage"

Posted by Doug Sundheim at 3:41 PM | 5 Comments

Better Business through Buying

The folks in Redmond have certainly been busy. Microsoft announced last week that it was creating online versions of Windows and Office, responding to Google and Sun's OpenOffice with its own Web-based applications. It also bought a small file-sharing service and joined the Internet telephony party by buying a Swiss VOIP company. Now the software giant has reportedly taken the lead among companies vying for a deal with AOL. This would bolster Microsoft's lagging MSN business with AOL's content and recognition.

These moves illustrate how Microsoft, for all its size and despite its enormous R&D budget, still relies on outside companies for innovation. For the software giant to preserve its lofty status, it needs to constantly innovate. It tried to shake things up with a recent restructuring of departments, but that didn't seem to be enough. Which brings us to the latest series of acquisitions. Microsoft continues to look for deals, whether it's with a small VOIP company or a big name like AOL, to spark innovation.

Why is Microsoft's internal innovation so meager? Is it a natural consequence of the company's age? Will restructuring and acquisitions be enough to compete with the likes of Google?

Posted by Kevin Ohannessian at 12:52 PM | 3 Comments

November 6, 2005

Televisionary Healthcare

Thursday's airing of the PBS program By the People will feature neurosurgeon Ben Carson, whose work Fast Company considered several years ago. Might be a good way to learn more about what he does -- and how -- as well as to see what's happened in his career and practice since we profiled him.