"Harnessing serendipity" a brief introduction of serendipity as a phenomena and harnessing serendipity principles on personal and community level

1. 3GSP
Harnessing Serendiptyemerging
A solution for
innovation landscape
The future isn’t,
what it used to be
- Yogi Berra
Global Oasis Network CastleCamp, April 2012, Ilkka Kakko

2. Serendipity  renaissance is coming?
 The Persian folk tale “ The Journey and Adventures of Three Princes of
Serendip
 Horace Walpole was inspired by the theme – wide correspondence with his
“network”
 Merton found the word “serendipity” while looking something else in Webster’s
Dictionary – got hooked, the book was published 25 years after that
 Roberts analysed about 100 cases in “ Serendipity - Accidential Discoveries in
Science”
 Some great examples after dot.com era in business
 Social media and coworking movement getting alerted into it now!
Global Oasis Network CastleCamp, April 2012, Ilkka Kakko

3. Discovery consists of seeing, what everybody has
seen and thinking what nobody has thought
Ref: Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
.
Global Oasis Network CastleCamp, April 2012, Ilkka Kakko

4. Companies, innovations, findings, careers
 Google, Pixar, 3M, Virgin …..
 Post-It, Teflon, Viagra, SMS services, artificial rubber, safety
glass ….
 Kolumbus, Archimedes, Isaac Newton, Röntgen, the structure of
DNA , peniscillin, quinine, vacination for small box, ….
 Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, Sergei Brin ….
Global Oasis Network CastleCamp, April 2012, Ilkka Kakko

5. Theories linked to explain serendipity
 ”Complex Adaptive Systems”, Santa Fe Institute, University
of Michigan – Kauffman, Axelrod ….
 ”Synchronicity” – Jung, Jaworski …..
 ”Structural Holes” – Burt, Granovetter
 Biology, evolution theory, ecosystem theories
 Social Network Analysis
Global Oasis Network CastleCamp, April 2012, Ilkka Kakko

6. The secret alliance of diversity and serendipity
Diversity:
•“Connecting generations”
• Combining Arts, Science and
Business
• Global approach
Serendipity:
• Ad-hoc interactions
• “Expect the unexpected”
• New combinations of FlexLab opening in Joensuu Science Park, September 2004
competences
Global Oasis Network CastleCamp, April 2012, Ilkka Kakko

7. Diversity and Value of Innovation
© Lee Fleming 2004 /HBR November 2004
Global Oasis Network CastleCamp, April 2012, Ilkka Kakko

8. Business is filled with people who have become efficient
planners, schedulers and time managers. Much more rare
is an individual who has developed the awareness and
flexibility to notice unexpected opportunities
Ref: J. Willard Marriott, Chairman and President of Marriott Corporation.
Global Oasis Network CastleCamp, April 2012, Ilkka Kakko

9. Some ways to harness it on personal level
 Do something extraordinary every now and then
 Do what you are passionate about
 Listen to everybody, all kind of people have a story to tell, try to learn from
each story
 Keep your calendar serendipitous
 Keep enough time for silence and wondering
 Try to be positive
 Learn from nature
 Attract people in your own way 
Global Oasis Network CastleCamp, April 2012, Ilkka Kakko

10. ”To win friends and influence others, there is no
substitute for living a meaningful life”
Ref: Muller&Becker 2012
.
Global Oasis Network CastleCamp, April 2012, Ilkka Kakko

11. Contact information:
Ilkka Kakko
+ 358 50 536 2941
Ilkka.kakko@globaloasis.fi
Skype:ilkka.kakko
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/Serendipitor
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/edit?trk=hb_tab_pro_top
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ilkka.kakko
Blog: http://serendipitor.wordpress.com/
Global Oasis Network CastleCamp, April 2012, Ilkka Kakko