What is Big Think?

We are Big Idea Hunters…

We live in a time of information abundance, which far too many of us see as information overload. With the sum total of human knowledge, past and present, at our fingertips, we’re faced with a crisis of attention: which ideas should we engage with, and why? Big Think is an evolving roadmap to the best thinking on the planet — the ideas that can help you think flexibly and act decisively in a multivariate world.

A word about Big Ideas and Themes — The architecture of Big Think

Big ideas are lenses for envisioning the future. Every article and video on bigthink.com and on our learning platforms is based on an emerging “big idea” that is significant, widely relevant, and actionable. We’re sifting the noise for the questions and insights that have the power to change all of our lives, for decades to come. For example, reverse-engineering is a big idea in that the concept is increasingly useful across multiple disciplines, from education to nanotechnology.

Themes are the seven broad umbrellas under which we organize the hundreds of big ideas that populate Big Think. They include New World Order, Earth and Beyond, 21st Century Living, Going Mental, Extreme Biology, Power and Influence, and Inventing the Future.

Big Think Features:

12,000+ Expert Videos

Browse videos featuring experts across a wide range of disciplines, from personal health to business leadership to neuroscience.

Watch videos

World Renowned Bloggers

Big Think’s contributors offer expert analysis of the big ideas behind the news.

Go to blogs

Big Think Edge

Big Think’s Edge learning platform for career mentorship and professional development provides engaging and actionable courses delivered by the people who are shaping our future.

Find out more

Transcript

Question: What should companies be doing to preserve cash in this economic environment?

Paul Saffo: The most important thing that a company can do in the midst of this economic turmoil is to not lose sight of the long-term perspective. Don’t confuse the short-term crises with the long-term trends. Amidst all of these short-term change are some fundamental structural transformations happening in the economy, and the best way to stay in business is to not allow the short-term distractions to cause you to ignore what is happening in the long term.

Question: How do companies see the long term amidst short-term distractions?

Paul Saffo: There’s a lot of focus on preserving cash and hunkering down at the moment. Sequoia Capital famously sent out a PowerPoint in the fall of 2008 to its company. It basically said, “Look, preserve your bodily fluids. Cash is king. Don’t look to us for help if you get into trouble.”

And of course that’s the main theme. But also I think it’s a very good idea to have a strong contrarian instinct. It’s not just conserving cash at this moment but this maybe the moment in which it is especially valuable to strategically spend some of the cash you’re hoarding in order to set up for what the next order is to come along. So, saving cash is something that is answered in the specific, not in the general, but do not focus exclusively on saving cash, this maybe the right time to spend cash wisely.

Conducted on: June 18, 2009.