First, we must decide what to innovate. As the OLPC
experience demonstrates, large-scale hardware and operating system innovations specifically targeted at the bottom-of-the pyramid are risky ventures, reserved only for
the brave or foolish. In a moderated way, this even applies
to the large private-sector players. Instead, most ICT4D
2.0 innovation is likely to occur on a smaller scale, either
in adapting or applying existing technologies.
Second, we must decide how to innovate. In terms of
innovation, we can identify three different modes: propoor, para-poor, and per-poor.