'Not Invented Here' Syndrome

In the last year or so I've often approached ICT companies and small ISPs to talk to them about Skyrove. Although many simply 'got it', I often received resistance from others, mostly about some or other bizarre feature request or they'll tell me that they're planning to do the same development but of course it will be better. I would often leave such meetings stunned that these bright people couldn't see my proposal for the 'no-brainer' it is.

I was stunned once again by the controversy that sprang up over a statement made by Esther Dyson when she visited South Africa.

From ITWeb:

Esther Dyson, chairperson of venture capitalist firm EDventure Holdings and a member of the Presidential Advisory Council, added that consumers needed to be entrepreneurial by buying and reselling broadband.

“Though there was a sense of urgency on the behalf of the government, competition must come from the customer,” she noted.

Esther probably had Fon in mind when she made this statement. Like Skyrove, Fon allows folks to easily share their internet using a Wi-Fi router, but with a different payment model. (Per MB vs. Per Day) I spoke to the brilliant Robert Lang at Fon a few weeks ago who said, quite correctly, that South Africa wasn't ready for the Fon model, where we pay as much as $36 dollars for each GB we use.

Unfortunately, Esther's suggestion wasn't too well received. The most common objection being that it is a) not practicable (it is if you're using Skyrove) and b) illegal (also not true).

Perhaps it was just a matter of South Africans not wanting to follow some sage advice from an imported visionary such as Esther Dyson.

Geoff Hainebach, who was formerly CEO at Siemens Telecomms SA, explained it to me as the 'NIH' (Not Invented Here) phenonemon.

From Wikipedia:

"In many cases, Not Invented Here occurs as a result of simple ignorance, as many companies simply never do the research to know whether a solution already exists. Also common, however, are deliberate cases where the organization's staff rejects a known solution because they don't take the time to understand it fully before rejecting it;"

As a result of Esther's efforts, the government & DoC (Department of Communications) is now saying: "It's OK to share your broadband with Wi-Fi" (Read about it on Esther's blog)

This is a major milestone! Thanks Esther for being 'a bit of a troublemaker'.

Henk

p.s. Also see Jarred Cinman's blog for an alternative viewpoint.