Just devoured the Two Second Advantage by Kevin Maney and Vivek Ranadive. The book underscores the Gladwellish merits of spontaneity, and touches upon a theory that predictive abilities can, have and will translate to better, timely decisions. The book, however, doesn’t do justice to Maney’s research and merely is a teaser to the depth of innovation that Vivek has. What it does, though, is make the reader aware that such an advantage exists, and that it can be exploited to make the difference between success and failure. The dimension that I think is very unique in this is something that TIBCO has always been comfortable with: speed. It’s not just about how to get to where the puck is going to be; it’s about getting there in time. Tee-minus-two seconds, figuratively.
I’ve always maintained that Vivek’s ideas are ahead of time – he has the knack of coming up with a technology roadmap that, while applicable to the corporate world, would otherwise only be confined to labs with academic interests. Firms have always gotten themselves into situations where they’re evaluating things that he’s spoken about for years before they begin thinking about it. The book is significant as it documents his ideas and vision for the future in a simple narrative without having to deep dive into the software that TIBCO provides to get a sense of what it does.
Critics will question the how this impacts privacy. Tapping into streaming, big data in an automated fashion has its consequences, and this technology in the wrong hands could lead to errors in judgment. It’s a valid point and the book does not cover it, perhaps it’s not the right forum. Yet, critics must be aware that patterns can be built around real-time aggregates, not specifics, thus mitigating the risk. The FaceBooks and Twitters have made us culturally more expressive in a digital manner, and as years go by, more about what we do in our day to day lives gets an online footprint. Aggregating this around a mathematical model that generalises for patterns isn’t intrusive enough to be a major concern at this moment.
The book is a must read for anyone wanting to be a CEO, or anyone who wants to start something up. It will not make you a twenty-first century Nostradamus – no – the 2SA can’t be gifted: it has to be earned, either through inheriting a talent or developing it. In many ways, the book increases your appetite for excellence. It makes you *want* to think smarter and faster. Importantly, it accentuates any foresight you have, and in doing so pushes you a step forward towards your own entrepreneurial aspirations.
In the Tipping Point, Gladwell writes about three types of people in The Law of the Few: the Connectors, the Mavens and the Salesmen. The 2SA subtly adds a fourth type to this list: the Seers.
