Thursday, January 11, 2007

Nth Degree & 6 Degrees of Separation

Well. Happy New Year. 2007.

I've recently started a new job, and have had some startling examples of the above 2 concepts.

The first one is the Nth Degree. Pretty simple really. Since a pretty young age, being an imaginative boy, I would think of crazy concepts like: I am a cyborg. I would extrapolate all the things that are relevant to a cyborg, and basically take it to the nth degree, such as a global society of cyborgs. In many ways it borrows from " from Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria to the ends of the world." It's really just taking ideas to its most expansive and deep ends. This "no limits" nth degree approach to things, helps me see in the possibilities of the future, for myself, and the world at large. It frequently excites me. The next time you have an idea, how ever small, don't stop at the first thought. Take it to the nth degree. Then when you gring it back, you'll have more clarity.

Now the 6 Degrees of Separation. Ever heard of 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon? In the mid-90s, it was a game to link Kevin Bacon to some other actor through no more than 6 other actors. It examines the 'small world' concept, and it has been empirically proven, even in the age fo the internet. Personally, in the last 4 months, while I was pursuing people involved in apparel, licensing, manufacturing and retail, I have been utterly amazed at the linkages that exist within people networks, and the old adage, it's not what you know, it's who you know, has become so evident.

Until next time, The topic will be, "think of the exit strategy before you start."