Brainiacs On-Demand: BrightIdea Teams with Mensa Braintrust
By Tom Foremski - September 25, 2007
This is an interesting partnership: BrightIdea.com, a startup founded by Matthew Greeley, offers an online way for companies to accelerate the development of great ideas through a process called Innovation Pipeline Management. It has teamed up with Mensa Process, a company that employs members of Mensa, which are the 2 per cent of the world's population that score the highest on Mensa IQ tests.
"Brightidea.com is the best platform available for quickly harnessing the wisdom of the crowd," said David Wynett, Managing Director, Mensa Process, "and we manage one of the world's smartest crowds, so it's a natural fit."
Link to: Brightidea.com Partners With Mensa Braintrust to Put Genius to Work
Mensa Process is integrated into BrightIdea's web-based platform. BrightIdea customers get access to Mensa Process online panels on a wide variety of subjects and tasks. BrightIdea engineers said they developed an online tool that captures the "rapid-fire style of brainstorming" that occurs in Mensa Process sessions. Mr Greeley said, "The ideas coming out of these online brainstorming sessions are unprecedented in insight and commercial potential."
Mensa Process participants have a verified genius IQ and are available in online brainstorming panels, in categories such as: Smart Moms, Healthcare Experts, IT Gurus, Marketing Specialists, and many more.
Link to: Brightidea.com Partners With Mensa Braintrust to Put Genius to Work
It'll be interesting to see how companies use this service. In many organizations there is a strong "not invented here" animosity towards ideas that come from outside. But there are also many organizations that have trouble coming up with great ideas that can move their businesses forward. Does a high Mensa score equal prowess in idea generation? BrightIdea lets you find out the answer...
. . .
Watch Matthew Greeley whiteboard the innovation process on ZDNet: Web 2.0 @Work
Technorati Tags: BrightIdea, Mensa, IPM
September 25, 2007 | Permalink | Comment | Category: | Subscribe to SVW
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Comments (4)
I have mixed feelings about the notion of Mensa Process. My take, admittedly cyncial, on what their pitch really is: "Those Mensa-types are smart but difficult to handle as employees. So, howzabout you pay us to get access to their brains? You save hassle, we make money, and these Mensans work for free!"
Posted: May 22, 2008 12:18 PM
Barbara,
I too have just a wee bit of concern about the organization of the Mensa Process, and the precise nature of its connections with a private consulting firm, LMCA, who is the none-too- transparent owner of the Mensa Process.
My concern starts with the problem you pointed out: "We'll arrange a brainstorm with these Mensa-types, you pay us a consulting fee, and we'll do the job for ya...and don't worry about the Mensans, they work for free 'cause they're not really THAT smart..." But this is only the beginning of my concern.
When I looked over the information that is made available to Mensans who are considering volunteering their time to the Mensa Process, I quickly found that most of the fundamental financial and organizational details are either quite well hidden, or inaccessible. For example:
(1) How much does LMCA pay for their exclusive license to the Mensa trademarks? NO ANSWER FOUND. Without that information, it's not possible for a Mensa member to evaluate whether or not the Mensa organization benefits enough to offset the fact that the member will be volunteering time (except for an "honorarium") that is worth $50 - $100 per hour (and which typically will be billed by LMCA to its client for at least $100 - $200 per hour.
(2) How much does LMCA pay its employees and directors for their involvement in Mensa Process? I noted that at least one former executive of Mensa is on the LMCA payroll -- and there may be more... NO ANSWER
(3) What structures are in place to prevent and/or address conflicts of interest when Mensa officers and staff receive compensation, gifts, and/or bonuses from LMCA? NO ANSWER.
(4) Why are there no answers to the foregoing, fundamental questions? Why is the basic structure of Mensa Process hidden from view? Why are its finances and relationships with a large nonprofit (Mensa) so opaque? NO ANSWERS.
Like I said, the fact that the average Mensa grunt makes virtually nothing from Mensa Process (actually, LMCA) contracts is just the tip of a very deep and cold iceberg of concern...
Contrablue
Posted: January 28, 2009 3:58 PM
If you were ever a Mensa member this would all be clearer. Last time I checked, TMP paid American Mensa Ltd. a fee of $50,000 per year for the exclusive right to market the fact that it has exclusive access to Mensans' brains and ingenuity. And it charges clients five, six, even seven figure fees to use those brains on clients' behalf.
True, if your idea is used and is successful, you _can_ make a reward fee of up to four figures. Maybe.
The elected representatives of American Mensans don't see a thing wrong with this, and in fact promote TMP at least once per year in their pitiful rag.
As for why Mensans would volunteer for this, one of the founders said something that might help clarify that:
At a 1996 convention celebrating the 50th anniversary of Mensa's founding, Dr. Ware (now 81 years old) voiced hope "that Mensa will have a role in society when it gets through the ages of infancy and adolescence ... but at least it has satisfied its members." Dr. Ware seemed disheartened by the Mensans' seeming inability to focus beyond self-gratifying pursuits and apply their collective brain-power to problems facing the world today. "I do get disappointed that so many members spend so much time solving puzzles," Ware said. "It's a form of mental masturbation. Nothing comes of it."
(from http://www.eskimo.com/~miyaguch/history.html )
I quit tithing to belong to Mensa after giving it nearly 10 years' law. The Internet makes it easy to stay in touch with people you met while a member.
You can see partly why at http://witchazle.blogspot.com/2007/09/inventablestm-lifelong-frisson.html , but an even better explication is provided at http://www.amyx.org/mensa/goingforward/backissues/v1n2/myths.htm
Posted: January 29, 2009 5:55 AM
WitchAzle said:
"The elected representatives of American Mensans don't see a thing wrong with [not providing market compensation for consulting work to Mensans], and in fact promote TMP at least once per year in their pitiful rag."
I'm not sure you got more than about 25% through my post...but given my sometimes blousey style, perhaps that's my fault. Anyway, 2 of my 3 principal concerns about the LMCA-owned entity called The Mensa Process (TMP) are related to potential conflicts of interest: the fact that one or more former or active Mensa officials may be receiving compensation from LMCA, while at the same time, appear to be in a position to promote LMCA business in the "pitiful" Mensa house organs.
I hope there's not so much mental masturbation going on in Mensa that its members are "going jizm blind" and are thus unable to see THE HAND slithering down towards their pocketbooks...
Posted: January 29, 2009 3:46 PM