Читать книгу Digital @ Scale - Swaminathan Anand - Страница 13

The considerations sound simple. However, treacherous traps lurk in practice that are best illustrated using the example of the “cargo cult.” The term was coined by the recipient of the 1965 Nobel Prize for physics, Richard Feynman, to describe poor scientific method. He told his students an anecdote from the island of Samoa.

During World War II, US aircraft regularly landed in Samoa, and the airmen would often share with the indigenous locals the glorious gifts of western civilization: Coca-Cola, Camel cigarettes, and Cadbury chocolates. Following the end of the war, the flights stopped, and the disappointed Samoans called for the return of the flights and their beloved cargo in what quickly developed into a cult. They built wooden aircraft and wore bamboo headphones to simulate radio traffic. However, it was all in vain, as Coca-Cola and the rest of the treasured cargo never returned. Although the islanders had recognized the phenomenon – the aircraft brought their coveted products – they had drawn the wrong conclusions.

Many companies respond to the digital challenge in a similar way. They recognize the phenomenon, but react wrongly. These are our top three cargo cults of the digital world:

1. Digital start-ups: Cosmetic exercises such as these are seen quite often. A digital start-up is founded a long way from the company’s head offices with a small budget and a couple of young employees. However, these halfhearted efforts are rarely able to have any influence on the established business model. This isn’t to say that we shouldn’t still learn and actively employ such structures. Just don’t expect start-ups like these to solve your digitization challenges for you.