I’ve always said its so much better to be changing and transforming as a result of innovation based activities rather than crisis based activities. To be changing ahead of the curve because you are innovating, not after the curve because of a crisis – if you’ll excuse the expression.

Here is where and when I said it, amongst other things: Innovation is the why, change is the how.

Some are learning the lesson the hard way. I don’t mean to appear smug to all those struggling to deal with the new situation, i.e. COVID-19.

Still, if you’ve not had the foresight to be be able to innovate your way out of the situation, perhaps you can still deal with it in hindsight.

As difficult as it is to be proactive at this stage, there are some that are being pretty inventive.

I’m not the only to think this is necessary, not only for survival, but as a big opportunity.

This post just documents some interesting other takes on the subject.

• We’re not going back to normal. First an observation from the MIT Technology Review that there is no going back. Good job of capturing curve dynamics and it also identifies the kinds of opportunities that exist in the new normal, e.g the shut-in economy.

• COVID-19 crisis pushing organizations deeper into digital transformation. This post really elaborates on the one before and quotes IT managers from a recent survey, who expect to either accelerate or maintain digital transformation initiatives through the COVID crisis: “Digital products and services can help firms cope with an unprecedented slowdown, build a foundation of customer trust, and ensure customer loyalty when things get back to normal.”

• IT’S TIME TO BUILD. This post from legendary investor Marc Andreessen of Andreessen Horowitz is a clarion call to step up and build solutions. His view is that everyone is behind the curve and also nails the same view I have with this point:

Part of the problem is clearly foresight, a failure of imagination. But the other part of the problem is what we didn’t *do* in advance, and what we’re failing to do now. And that is a failure of action, and specifically our widespread inability to *build*.