In Garry Jacobs’ epic novel ‘THE BOOK’ he introduces the theory of ‘Inversions,’ something that can be of immense value to one’s self running a business, as well as one’s customers.
In the story, the Artificial Intelligence (AI) system now in the hands of corporations around the world as well as millions of users (through a sub-program called “Accomplish!”) is able to account for an endless array of possibilities that enables it to anticipate or even predict outcomes, enabling users to make the right decisions in their situations.
Based on logic of the possibilities, it makes recommendation on e.g. how a country should react in a given situation, what strategies a business should take and which to avoid, whether or not to make a particular investment, and so forth. But then well along in the story a new character is introduced -- Professor Stearns -- who points out that the artificial intelligence company MAI have not included what he called an Inversion engine, and its corresponding algorithms and code.
The professor then goes on to explain the theory of Inversion (also referred to as Reversals), which was later included in the AI system. In essence, an inversion is to go in a different direction than what is normally perceived as useful, which when implemented has the effect of benefitting both (or all) sides involved. It is to take advantage of an opening or opportunity that may not be seen on first glance as useful or even logical. It often involves going in a direction that appears counter to prevailing logic or the accepted beliefs of the community. By embracing such Reversals one comes up with startling opportunities that when implemented puts one far ahead of the game; leading to extraordinary success and for all parties involved.
Often reversals involve taking two at-odd ideas or parties or circumstance, and inverting or reversing them in a way that brings new benefit for both sides. It opens the doors for vast opportunities, success, heightened revenues, profitability, etc. They are potentials that are under the radar, yet lurk as the greatest of all opportunities. Inversion counters what one might call common sense, revealing a new sense that completely changes the landscape. It often reveals a possibility that when implemented will bring about a new harmony and other high values that was not there before.
Here are a few examples of such Inversions. (They are explained in greater detail in THE BOOK, if you search on “inversion” there.)
-Nixon, a hardened anti-communist and deemed a failure even a brute in the wake of Vietnam, Dirty Tricks, and Watergate, and China who had recently failed miserably in the Great Leap and the Cultural Revolution meet and begin to work together in 1971 to open up economic opportunities between China and the West. It has the effect of a massive economic opening in China and a cooling off of heated relationship between the two countries. Who would have thought Nixon would ever open himself to China! It was a reversal of an old adversarial view that had the effect of creating great benefit for both sides; actually for the entire world.
-Sears Roebuck developed the first great catalogue for people in the hinterland. Often the catalog made questionable claims about its products, such as the fact that certain potions would cure certain ailments. The people in the rural areas felt that if it came from those city folk, there must be truth in it. But then came along a new partner at Sears, and he reversed the entire process. He said that instead of fooling the people into buying things with questionable claims as a way to increase business, he put in place a policy that would enable any customer to return any purchase no questions asked if it did not meet with their approval. It was a complete reversal and inversion; a policy that would garner the trust of the people for the company and send it into the stratosphere of success, creating the biggest retailer in the world.
-Another example: When everyone was talking about how the Internet would put an end to sales of physical books, Jeff Bezos at Amazon went the opposite direction – a reversal – and created a web site that focused on selling physical books at low prices to the public. It ended up being a staggering success; beating 100 year old companies like Barnes and Noble to the punch. In essence, the reversal of a prevailing belief led to the start of a stunning success for both Amazon and Bezos.
-In the 1980s India was a hopelessly poor country and the US infinitely prosperous. What could these two countries possibly have in common that could be of benefit to both? But then India began to take outsourced computer code from American companies and try to improve on it. It led to millions in sales, and the birth of the Indian software industry, which was at $40 billion a year by 2008 and growing fast. What happened was there was a reversal of perspective from one of apparently no possible reason for the two to collaborate -- one being an ultimate economic power, the other a poor agrarian nation -- to one of great opportunity in, of all fields, software, as opposed to say exchange of fruits and nuts. Who would have thought it possible? Out of this came Indians trekking to Silicon Valley, who helped build some of the largest tech companies in the world. All told it was a reversal of perception from one of two countries with apparently nothing in common to one of extreme mutual benefit.
These and many others inversions we have identified are not just a matter of looking at opportunities in the market, but looking at things from an entirely different perspective. In the story expressed in THE BOOK, the young geniuses were able to incorporate reversal algorithms that could detect opportunities that were far below the radar, and recommended to clients. As a result, the AI system in the story became so effective that users purchased it in droves throughout the world. (Actually in the tens of millions, and became a phenomenon as big as the Internet itself!)
Now the system could detect possibilities that the earlier version of the system could not. It perceived startling possibilities for the future by utilizing Inversion logic that was not there in earlier iteration of the software. As a result, users were presented with startlingly fresh suggestions, which when implemented invariably led to great successes.
Likewise, we can look at all situations and detect the inversion possibility in one’s own company as it considers how to address the market.
In the story, the Artificial Intelligence (AI) system now in the hands of corporations around the world as well as millions of users (through a sub-program called “Accomplish!”) is able to account for an endless array of possibilities that enables it to anticipate or even predict outcomes, enabling users to make the right decisions in their situations.
Based on logic of the possibilities, it makes recommendation on e.g. how a country should react in a given situation, what strategies a business should take and which to avoid, whether or not to make a particular investment, and so forth. But then well along in the story a new character is introduced -- Professor Stearns -- who points out that the artificial intelligence company MAI have not included what he called an Inversion engine, and its corresponding algorithms and code.
The professor then goes on to explain the theory of Inversion (also referred to as Reversals), which was later included in the AI system. In essence, an inversion is to go in a different direction than what is normally perceived as useful, which when implemented has the effect of benefitting both (or all) sides involved. It is to take advantage of an opening or opportunity that may not be seen on first glance as useful or even logical. It often involves going in a direction that appears counter to prevailing logic or the accepted beliefs of the community. By embracing such Reversals one comes up with startling opportunities that when implemented puts one far ahead of the game; leading to extraordinary success and for all parties involved.
Often reversals involve taking two at-odd ideas or parties or circumstance, and inverting or reversing them in a way that brings new benefit for both sides. It opens the doors for vast opportunities, success, heightened revenues, profitability, etc. They are potentials that are under the radar, yet lurk as the greatest of all opportunities. Inversion counters what one might call common sense, revealing a new sense that completely changes the landscape. It often reveals a possibility that when implemented will bring about a new harmony and other high values that was not there before.
Here are a few examples of such Inversions. (They are explained in greater detail in THE BOOK, if you search on “inversion” there.)
-Nixon, a hardened anti-communist and deemed a failure even a brute in the wake of Vietnam, Dirty Tricks, and Watergate, and China who had recently failed miserably in the Great Leap and the Cultural Revolution meet and begin to work together in 1971 to open up economic opportunities between China and the West. It has the effect of a massive economic opening in China and a cooling off of heated relationship between the two countries. Who would have thought Nixon would ever open himself to China! It was a reversal of an old adversarial view that had the effect of creating great benefit for both sides; actually for the entire world.
-Sears Roebuck developed the first great catalogue for people in the hinterland. Often the catalog made questionable claims about its products, such as the fact that certain potions would cure certain ailments. The people in the rural areas felt that if it came from those city folk, there must be truth in it. But then came along a new partner at Sears, and he reversed the entire process. He said that instead of fooling the people into buying things with questionable claims as a way to increase business, he put in place a policy that would enable any customer to return any purchase no questions asked if it did not meet with their approval. It was a complete reversal and inversion; a policy that would garner the trust of the people for the company and send it into the stratosphere of success, creating the biggest retailer in the world.
-Another example: When everyone was talking about how the Internet would put an end to sales of physical books, Jeff Bezos at Amazon went the opposite direction – a reversal – and created a web site that focused on selling physical books at low prices to the public. It ended up being a staggering success; beating 100 year old companies like Barnes and Noble to the punch. In essence, the reversal of a prevailing belief led to the start of a stunning success for both Amazon and Bezos.
-In the 1980s India was a hopelessly poor country and the US infinitely prosperous. What could these two countries possibly have in common that could be of benefit to both? But then India began to take outsourced computer code from American companies and try to improve on it. It led to millions in sales, and the birth of the Indian software industry, which was at $40 billion a year by 2008 and growing fast. What happened was there was a reversal of perspective from one of apparently no possible reason for the two to collaborate -- one being an ultimate economic power, the other a poor agrarian nation -- to one of great opportunity in, of all fields, software, as opposed to say exchange of fruits and nuts. Who would have thought it possible? Out of this came Indians trekking to Silicon Valley, who helped build some of the largest tech companies in the world. All told it was a reversal of perception from one of two countries with apparently nothing in common to one of extreme mutual benefit.
These and many others inversions we have identified are not just a matter of looking at opportunities in the market, but looking at things from an entirely different perspective. In the story expressed in THE BOOK, the young geniuses were able to incorporate reversal algorithms that could detect opportunities that were far below the radar, and recommended to clients. As a result, the AI system in the story became so effective that users purchased it in droves throughout the world. (Actually in the tens of millions, and became a phenomenon as big as the Internet itself!)
Now the system could detect possibilities that the earlier version of the system could not. It perceived startling possibilities for the future by utilizing Inversion logic that was not there in earlier iteration of the software. As a result, users were presented with startlingly fresh suggestions, which when implemented invariably led to great successes.
Likewise, we can look at all situations and detect the inversion possibility in one’s own company as it considers how to address the market.