Byproducts of a Pandemic

Let’s talk about pandemic byproducts.  I have been a Zoom customer for years (thanks to Vistage) and was quite comfortable transitioning to work at home.  Although I never thought of investing in Zoom as a company, it was still a boost to know the technology and how to use it before Zoom became a household name.  No one ever really plans for a pandemic. And yet – byproducts and unintended consequences abound and will impact our lives for years to come.

The Curb Cut Effect

Another byproduct example is highlighted by nonprofit humorist Vu Le in his nonprofitaf blog.  Vu highlights the curb cut effect and social inclusion.  It took a movement by disability advocates to get curb cuts and now everyone benefits, not just the disability community – those pushing strollers, anyone schlepping a suitcase, or riding a bike.  You never know how a small change or action can help a much wider pool of people.  You can read about the Curb-Cut Effect in the Stanford Social Innovation Review.

When the wall of exclusion came down, everybody benefited—not only people in wheelchairs.

Stanford Social Innovation Review

 

Rooms by the Hour Innovation

This article in the New York Times (NYT) really nails the issue of solutions that exist for problems we didn’t even know we had.  Need a room by the hour?  Not for that, for peace and quiet, there is an app for that. During a pandemic -quiet space that was affordable and felt trustworthy became a need and Globe was ready to fill it.

An Oldie but Goodie from the Race to Space – Camera Phones

In the 1990s, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory invented a light, miniature imaging system that required little energy in order to take high quality photographs from space. This technology has become standard in cell phone and computer cameras.  You can read about all the inventions including scratch-proof lenses here.  So I personally have NASA to thank for the extra memory needed on my phone to house 24,865 pictures, I am not joking.

What’s Next:

As the world re-opens what will we need now?  As we un-cocoon, it’s a good time to think about what can we use to make our lives easier?  What is your Globe?  Where do you need a curb cut?  What new products will you bring into your life?