What is the difference between a map and a compass? he [Ade Oshineye] asked. His answer: people have too much faith in maps, which are, in the end, just someone else’s view of the world. Whereas a compass only gives you a rough direction and we don’t expect more of it than that.
The point? It’s the same with finding a successful model for … the future: getting the direction right is better than trying to find the perfect strategy with the false certainty of a map.
… Even bookshelves, he said, have evolved over years: boring technology may have the answer to your problem.
Google+ Hangouts, he said, is an example of boring technology – video chat – being used in a new way. …
Google+ has taught him that if you apply boring technology to interesting people you can get something new: “The hard part is coming up with the right metrics to see if you’re getting there.” – Charles Miller, Future media challenges are about finding compasses not maps (Emphasis mine)