Actually, There's Not an App for That: Innovation and the Physical World

A stocked pantry is a thing of beauty, but relatively few people get giddy about the prospect of a grocery store run. That's why Cincinnati-based Kroger has been testing a new service that allows shoppers to order groceries online and have them delivered straight to their door (courtesy of Uber drivers).

This service seamlessly blends the physical world with the digital realm. Yet, in celebrating such new capabilities in technology, people have to be careful not to lose touch with reality. They shouldn't try to disrupt a market entirely through a new app. We don't, after all, live in a purely digital world; this isn't The Matrix. And, the last time I checked, Keanu Reeves wasn’t our anointed savior.

The question I'm posing here is, if new technology isn’t supported by physical infrastructure, what’s the point? Digitally redirecting a UPS package does nothing if there aren’t workers on the ground who can update the address label on the box. Entrepreneurs who overlook the physical world will never change it. Furthermore, they must be able to identify when markets are primed for disruption if they want to be the ones driving major innovation. Read more

Per Bylund - Entrepreneur - 16 June 2017