# Michael Schrage, Innovator, Writer and Senior Advisor (INTERVIEW) By Tisah Tucknott | Published 2009-07-15 | Business Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/michael-schrage-interview References: [tcbreview](http://www.tcbreview.com/a-better-workforce.php) As an innovator, writer and senior advisor, Michael Schrage has become a well known leader among his many followers. He spends his time working extensively with MIT, conducting research on the intricate economics of innovation. As a research fellow at MIT’s Sloan School’s [Centre for Digital Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ainative-wellness-venture-studio) and a senior adviser to MIT’s Security Studies Program, Michael Schrage focuses on the process of invention and the [creativity behind such ideas](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/crayola-creative-styles). His latest work can be found in the Summer issue of [The Conference Board Review.](http://www.tcbreview.com/a-better-workforce.php) **10 Questions With Michael Schrage** **1. How did you get involved in being a columnist for Fortune, CIO Magazine and MIT’s Technology Review and what motivates you to continue?** I still write but ‘column’ less because of my other advisory and teaching commitments. My origins as a columnist stem from having been a newspaper reporter and the first PC—that’s ‘personal computer,’ not ‘politically correct’—columnist for the Washington Post. I found that writing ‘news stories’ and even ‘analysis’ wasn’t adequate to convey either the essence or the impact of the innovations I was covering. A column allowed me to cultivate a ‘voice’ and to think rigorously and hard about how I wanted to influence perceptions and behaviours; as a result, perceptive editors invited me to contribute to their publications. Between competition, technological disruption, economic lassitude and less-than-perceptive editors, my interest in writing ‘columns’ has declined. **2. How significant are the topics of cool hunting and trend spotting in the world of writing?** This is a schizophrenic question for me. ‘Cool’ is a word that gets me hot & bothered; I don’t like it. It creeps me out. Similarly, I have a mistrust of the word ‘trend.’ There is a wonderful epigram from a computer scientist who passed away recently. He observed that there are ‘waves’ and there are ‘tides;’ the former are phenomena that can be remarkably disruptive and/or awe-inspiring for brief moments in time, the latter are inevitable, omnipresent and disproportionately influential in subtler ways. I’m more of a ‘tides’ guy. **3. How do you define a trend?** A trend is defined by an unexpected number of [people] making unexpectedly similar choices in a manner that creates unexpected awareness. **4. How do you define cool?** ‘Cool’ is what ‘popular’ people deem ‘popular.’ To me, there is a faddish, superficial and ephemeral quality to coolness that makes me distrust it. I was not a ‘cool’ kind or ‘popular’ in high school, but I happened to be quite good in sports so I had ready access to ‘coolness;’ I wasn’t impressed or intrigued. **5. Do you need a [culture of innovation](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/creativity-management-systems) to create something that is cool?** No—you need ‘cool’ customers and the willingness to attack a traditional assumption from an unexpected angle. **6. What is the best way to create an infectious idea, product or service?** Do something that either very attractive women enjoy, or that teenagers with lots of time on their hands want to improve. **7. What is the key to innovation?** The energy, willingness and discipline to play—and observe how others play. **8. How do you reset yourself to be creative?** I reach a level of utter self-loathing based on how lazy I’ve been, and this motivates me to reset. **9. Professionally, what do you want to be doing or studying in 10 years?** I want to be studying and influencing the future of ‘interoperable design’ and exploring how aging but wealthy populations can enhance their creative vitality. **10. What are your most important hobbies?** Collecting—and reading—old books on the history of various technologies and helping friends and acquaintances edit their speeches, writing and screenplays. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.0/10 - Popularity: 40% | Activity: 73% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/business) > [Interviews](https://www.trendhunter.com/interviews) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Innovation in Writing:** Identifying new ways to convey the essence and impact of innovations in written content. - **Disruptive Technologies:** Exploring the impact of technological disruptions on industries and society. - **Interoperable Design:** Studying and influencing the future of design that allows different systems and technologies to work together seamlessly. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Media and Publishing:** Opportunities for innovative storytelling and content creation in the changing landscape of media and publishing. - **Technology:** Exploring the implications and opportunities of disruptive technologies, such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and virtual reality. - **Design and Architecture:** Creating designs that prioritize interoperability and enable seamless integration of different systems and technologies. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Digital Sharing Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/venture-vault.md) - [Role Insight Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/founder-mode-checker.md) - [Lifelong Reskilling Cultures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/continuous-aiera-upskilling.md) - [Career Reflection Journals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/being-honest-by-ignacio.md) - [Entrepreneurial Journey Insights](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/founder-folks.md) - [AI-Boosted Enterprise Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/enterprise-tool.md) - [Cross-Industry Insight Networks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-think-party.md) - [Artful Design Curation Capsules](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/collection-no-1.md) - [Resilience-Focused Children's Books](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/savvy-suzanna.md)