Cultivate Labs Blog

Discussing how crowd forecasting, internal crowdfunding, and other new workplace trends can be used to improve the #futureofwork

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By Vanessa Pineda on May 02, 2019

3 lessons in global innovation from a Fortune 100 that’s winning outside the U.S.

If you’re leading a large team that’s globally dispersed, you understand the challenge to create an innovative culture that can span physical boundaries. Here are 3 lessons from one Fortune 100 client running an innovation campaign across multiple countries that's exceeded expectations in countries including Japan.

By Adam Siegel on Mar 14, 2019

The Rise of Anonymous Tough Love (And Not a Moment Too Soon)

When we start projects with our clients, one of the first items we talk about is whether they want people to be anonymous in our prediction market or if they’ll use their real identities. The answer often reveals a lot, both about company culture and their personal fears of what will be made transparent. The spoiler alert is most don’t want anonymity.

By Adam Siegel on Mar 05, 2019

The Culture of Fear Problem

After working with dozens of companies who have culture initiatives, I’m convinced their multi-million dollar investments in consultants, employee time, internal marketing, and the like will only see a partial return because a blocker is in their way: their culture of fear.

By Vanessa Pineda on Nov 01, 2018

What are “flash crowds” and how do we recruit them?

Our bread and butter working with clients is organizing their employees to participate in crowdsourcing exercises. Recently we have been approached more to help get forecasts from external crowds, either to support research projects, or to better understand what outside experts or customers think.

By Vanessa Pineda on Oct 22, 2018

Canadian Nuclear Labs’ scientists crowdfund $1.4M in seed-stage ideas

The Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), the nation’s premier nuclear science and technology organization, just ran its inaugural “Seed Program” committing $1.4 Million for employees to propose – and (using company funds) directly invest in – new projects for the research pipeline.

By Adam Siegel on Oct 22, 2018

Before we talk, are YOU ready?

In the last month we’ve had two potential clients, after receiving proposals from us for projects, say they needed to step back and start the projects very differently than what we had originally discussed. They just weren't ready yet, they acknowledged...

By Adam Siegel on Oct 08, 2018

Appreciating a roof over my head all over again

I recently took a trip to the White Mountains in New Hampshire to hike the "Presidential Traverse" and was reminded how much we take for granted in our daily lives.

By Adam Siegel on Aug 14, 2018

Can you crowdfund your way to a better culture at your company?

We recently did a project with a private company doing quite well in the marketplace. Its products are widely used and its growth over the past few years has been spectacular. Financially, the company is on really solid footing. But culturally, there were storm clouds. Growth has meant employing a few hundred people to a few thousand in only a few years. The CEO recognized this and lamented at the company's loss of its original hacker/builder culture...

By Adam Siegel on Aug 13, 2018

Thoughts on Augur, the decentralized, blockchain prediction market

I've been watching for the last few years the announcement, long delay, then recent launch of Augur, the decentralized, blockchain-based prediction market. First off, despite it taking a long time to launch, Augur finally did, and kudos to them for doing so. Building a prediction market from scratch is not easy, building a prediction market on top of immature technology is harder, and building a prediction market to be completely decentralized with smart contracts is downright scary.

By Vanessa Pineda on Jun 08, 2018

The Gig Economy Isn't Taking Over

Today, The New York Times published a piece, "Maybe the Gig Economy Isn't Changing Work After All," which debunked a popularly held belief that the rise of Uber and other gig work would cause a rift in the relationship between companies and workers. Our white paper on the future of work had predicted the article's newfound perspective. We want to hear your thoughts!

By Adam Siegel on May 25, 2018

Pitch Perfect Security with Lending Club

We're pairing up with Lending Club to sponsor a monthly event where cybersecurity startups pitch their companies, and the audience gets to make predictions on our prediction market about how they're going to do in the next year in terms of fundraising, hiring, etc.

By Vanessa Pineda on May 07, 2018

NFL's Cleveland Browns launch crowdfunding pilot to improve recruitment and retention

Could the 2018 NFL season finally be a turning point for the Cleveland Browns? For a team that’s had enough rocky starts on the gridiron these past few seasons, the front office rank and file is turning to a Kickstarter-like approach to give a jolt to innovation.

By Cultivate Labs on Mar 22, 2018

Let Employees Run With Change, It’s Not a Health Risk

When an organization is undergoing dramatic change, much of the focus is rightfully placed on how leaders communicate to employees. But what's often forgotten is getting signals back from employees about how they're dealing with change. Are they supportive? What do they think should be prioritized? An internal idea crowdfunding campaign can be a powerful motivator to make employees part of the solution and give purpose when it's most needed.

By Cultivate Labs on Mar 19, 2018

The Traffic Light Metaphor for Project Status is a Disaster

Everyone who has worked in corporate America has seen or used it. The traffic light metaphor for status. Red, there’s significant problems with a project. Yellow, there are some issues, but we’re going to make it. Green, all is good. Unfortunately, this system is a disaster for decision making.

By Adam Siegel on Dec 08, 2017

Very Satisfied with Client Satisfaction Survey

Recently, we launched a formal client satisfaction survey effort using a third party. Here's how we did.

By Cultivate Labs on Dec 05, 2017

Cultivate Forecasts - Mobile App Update for iOS and Android

Register an account for Cultivate Forecasts mobile directly in the app.

By Adam Siegel on Nov 28, 2017

Indian state Gujarat election prediction market pilot launched as precursor to 2019 general election

We're excited to be working with Idealantis, a startup based in Hyderabad, India on a prediction market pilot about the upcoming Gujarat state elections. Working with research organization People's Pulse, Idealantis has launched this test as a precursor to a country-wide effort for the general elections coming in 2019.

By Adam Siegel on Nov 27, 2017

Growing into Humility: How Ideas Change with Age

Gordon Gecko in Wall Street famously said: “Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, for knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind.” Unfortunately the problem with greed is that it tends to lack humility.

By Adam Siegel on Nov 13, 2017

Sales and Operational Planning: Bad Forecasts Don't Have to be a Given

Cultivate Labs CEO, Adam Siegel, recently spoke at the Institute for Business Forecasting and Planning and spent time hearing directly form attendees about the challenges they face. He shares lessons learned about the challenges sales and operations planners face in their roles, and how crowdsourced forecasting can alleviate them and improve their forecast accuracy and efficiency.

By Adam Siegel on Sep 27, 2017

Help LG Predict the Future

In partnership with LG Display, we are running a 6 month forecasting tournament about the high-end display industry.

By Ben Roesch on Sep 11, 2017

Introduction to Blockchain-based Prediction Markets Terminology

Real-money prediction markets are illegal in the U.S., but blockchain technology is giving rise to several digital currency based prediction markets based on Ethereum. Cultivate Labs defines common terminology associated with blockchain-based prediction markets.

By Ben Golden on Sep 06, 2017

New to Prediction Markets? Four Tips to Get Started.

Joining a prediction market or prediction pool can be intimidating. You may feel like you've plunged into a world of impossible questions, ongoing arguments, and have no idea where to start. You might think there's no way you could possibly add anything, or that your forecasts couldn't possible be better than anyone else's. But prediction markets don't have to be intimidating - here are four tips to get started.

By Cultivate Labs on Aug 08, 2017

Employee Engagement is the Key to the Future of Business

The relationship between employers and employees is changing as the drivers of employee satisfaction are changing. Employees are no longer driven solely by a paycheck - they want their work to have a purpose and to believe in what their organization offers to the world. Organizations must shift their focus from paychecks and soft benefits like casual dress codes and office ping pong tables to better engage employees by ensuring opportunities for purpose, learning, and flexibility in their jobs.

By Cultivate Labs on Aug 01, 2017

Flexible Work Styles and Their Place in the Future of Work

The transition to flexible work styles has slowly been creeping into organizations for a long time, but acceptance and adoption of such practices has rapidly increased in past years due to rapid advancements in technology and a new generation flooding into the workforce. Flexible work styles will be far more common and accepted in the future. Is your organization prepared?

By Vanessa Pineda on Jul 25, 2017

Forecasting Shouldn't Be a Gamble. 5 Things to Do to Succeed with Crowdsourced Forecasting.

In more than 10 years of working with large companies on building prediction markets and other crowdsourced forecasting mechanisms, we’ve seen one common thread with the projects that are unsuccessful. Project owners overestimate the technology, and underestimate what it takes to engage people to make the technology successful. Avoid these 5 pitfalls to improve the success of your Cultivate Forecasts prediction market.

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