Summary: One of TripAdvisor co-founder/CEO Stephen Kaufer's mottos is to “innovate when things are going well.” His point is that when times are good, failed experiments aren’t fretted over. However, once the market turns, it’s probably too late. You can experiment, but those efforts will be looked at like flails or last ditch efforts. TripAdvisor eagerly anticipated the iPhone platform and were early to launch an app. They embraced Facebook advertising so enthusiastically that Facebook included TripAdvisor as a model in their pre-IPO S-1 filing. Location is a critical part of their business, so TripAdvisor figured out what to put in an Apple Watch before ever wearing one. These experiments have a cost, both in terms of cash and focus, but they ensure that the company won’t be caught flat-footed. Kaufer even talked about pilot projects like drones flying over picturesque sites, like a volcano crater, to capture video for even more versatile TripAdvisor profiles. Photo Credit: http://bit.ly/1LejIAv
