CONTENTS
Foreword by danah boydix
Acknowledgmentsxv
INTRODUCTION1
1 WHY COOL MATTERS5
What Is Cool?7
Coolhunting Offers Tremendous Benefits in Business9
The Diffusion of Innovation12
Predicting How Coolhunting Might Be Applied17
2 SWARM CREATIVITY CREATES COOL TRENDS23
Self-Organization in the Beehive24
It's Cool to Give Power Away27
It's Cool to Share Knowledge33
It's Cool to Self-Organize35
Applying Swarm Creativity to Coolhunting38
3 SWARMS CAN BETTER PREDICT THE FUTURE45
Prediction Markets46
Birds of a Feather Flock Together: Predicting Success
Based on Peer Networks54
You Can Predict Your Future Network59
4 ABOUT TRENDSETTERS63
Benjamin Franklin as Role Model66
The Anti-Ben?69
Don't Be a Star, Be a Galaxy71
Galaxies Are High Performers79
5 COOLHUNTERS LOOK FOR COOLFARMERS83
Coolhunting for Trendsetters84
From Idea to Trend87
Coolfarming Enhanced Gravity89
The Four Principles of Coolfarming92
A Coolfarming Example from Beyond the Business World100
Coolfarming That Truly Changed the World: Netscape104
Coolfarming Gone Wrong: Boo.com110
6 WHEN SWARMS GO MAD113
Collective Madness114
Lack of Open Communication Can Be Fatal: NASA121
Egomania at Enron124
What a COIN and a Religious Cult Have
in Common: The Family126
7 DO-IT-YOURSELF COOLHUNTING WITH TECHNOLOGY133
Do-It-Yourself Coolhunting in the Blogosphere134
Tracking Physical Interactions in Social Networks139
Finding Learning Trends and Making Education Cooler144
Some Lessons for Virtual Collaboration146
8 COOLHUNTING BY AUTOMATED SOCIAL
NETWORK ANALYSIS151
Discovering Trends by Mining Communication Archives151
1. Identifying Trendsetters in a Social Network: Wikinews156
2. Coolhunting New Product Trends in an
Online Forum: eCoustics163
3. Coolhunting Trendsetters Among Product Users:
Mobile Phones in a High School Class167
4. Discovering Suspicious Patterns of Innovation: Enron177
5. Coolfarming a Computer Gaming Community186
9 FIVE STEPS TO BECOMING A COOLFARMER191
Step 1: Learn About Swarm Creativity, COINS,
and Social Networks194
Step 2: Form a COIN194
Step 3: Coolhunt in an Online Community197
Step 4: Measure Communication in Your Own COIN199
Step 5: Become a Coolfarmer202
10 THE COMING WORLD OF SWARM CREATIVITY205
Morphing into Swarm Creativity206
Stakeholders or Shareholders?212
Immerse Yourself in the Swarm215
Listen to the Swarm216
Trust the Swarm218
Share with the Swarm220
Notes223
Index231
