What's in it for the innovators?

While sharing and collaboration in a general sense are easier than ever, it is uncertain how they can be applied broadly to aid in research and product development outside the government or public arena.

The concept is appealing--get lots of subject-matter-experts or fanatics to pool their brain power and come up with the next new product innovation. But what do they get for their time and effort? A pat on the back? The right to sit on the sidelines and watch some mega-corporation get even richer off their ideas without personal financial gain while the corporations have no upfront costs? There must be some incentive for the collaborators or they won’t collaborate.

A good example of how to motivate individuals to use their brain power for a common cause can be found in the DARPA network challenge to locate 10 weather balloons placed around the US. MIT, who won the contest, used social networking coupled with a compensation framework for those who contributed to their search. Imagine how many companies could gain if they provide a clear incentive scheme to motivate someone who already has a propensity for innovating and sharing.