Innovation Junction

2010-09-05T18:58:00.001-05:00

Economic View - College Studies for the Business of Life - NYTimes.com

www.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/business/economy/05view.html?_r=1&ref=business

Skills for Life- for you personally and so that you will be better prepared for success in your career.
* Learn Some Economics- The "ordinary business of life" will be your most pressing concern. Be Prepared for poor economy. -Learn to see, understand, analyze "the forces swirling around you" and how they influence what you are working on.
-Embrace "rigorous analytical skills"
* Learn Some Statistics/ Probability
-Learn to use FACTS- research, analyze, use to make decisions
- "Number Crunching"- know its potential as well as its limitation
* Learn basics of Finances
-Stocks vs.bonds, mortgages
-"Risks and Returns/ Rewards"
-Get maximum return from your investment in college
* Learn Some Psychology- basic material for leadership and working with others
-flaws in human rationality
- Dealing with Uncertainty, be prepared, confident, flexible
* Advice- Listen but then follow your instincts and PASSIONS
* You hold the future, The Future is not certain. Prepare for Emerging Industries.

2010-07-25T11:26:00.002-05:00

Preoccupations - Hearing the Right Notes From a Job Candidate - NYTimes.com

www.nytimes.com/2010/07/25/jobs/25pre.html?ref=business

Advice on how to prepare yourself effectively for a job, from Carl Diehl, co-owner of the Bar Method.
* Creativity and Problem Solving- Most of the applicants seemed to be wonderful people with great skills and at least some experience. But could they think creatively and solve problems? Most of them said they could. But I needed some proof.
* Understand- about the company, the competition, how they are distinguishing themselves, and why.
* Instead of talking about specific skills, talk about how you might apply what you have learned, to benefit the company.
* Understand human personality- Enneagram- which one seemed to fit you best? What are the complexities of your personality?
* What are the "dark side" of that personality type? Focusing on performance and accomplishing tasks, but can be oblivious to the emotional needs of themselves and others.
* Use imagination, intellect, energy and power of concentration to solve problems
* Passion- "the same passion that helped her master the violin is now helping our company grow."

2010-04-18T11:08:00.003-05:00

18 APR 10

Corner Office - Fuse’s Co-Founder - Scoreboards Aren’t Everything - Interview - NYTimes.com

www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/jobs/18corner.html?ref=business

Important Lessons:

* Establish a Culture of Winning- "I was in this culture of winning, where all the coaches, the players, the kids in that high school and the administrators expected us to win... everyone was judged on how we played."
* Understand the Belief System of others- "I try to evaluate decisions based on what the 25-32 year olds ..are trying to get out of their career, what they want in a workplace."
* Help people develop confidence, independence- "I would rather have somebody make a mistake .. than have to go through an enormous amount of teaching to make the person 'client ready'"
* Giving Feedback- "..being direct is not a personal attack. When my coach was coming down on me or somebody else, I never thought he was doing it for any other reason than he wanted us, as a team, to be on the same page and to be the best that we could be."
* Understanding What is Happening- "If you don't go down the hall and talk to people, you're not going to know the real challenges."

Leadership Lessons- Create a file of best thoughts

2010-03-14T16:39:00.002-05:00

Corner Office - Kip Tindell - Three Good Workers Equal One Who’s Great - Interview - NYTimes.com

www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/business/14corners.html?ref=business

Leadership Lessons from Kip Tindell CEO of the Container Store.
*Relentlessly communicate everything to every employee- Leadership and Communication are the same thing. (Learn to communicate effectively)
* One Great Person could be as productive as 3 good people. So, pay 50-100% more for great people. (What makes someone great and how do we learn to become great?)
* Hire people you like personally. (Learn to be LIKED).
* Hire people who are a culture fit.(what is your culture?)
* Intuition does have a place in the work force. It is the sum total of your life experience. So- Broaden your experience
* Create a mutually beneficial relationship with everyone you work with. (win,win,win)
* Work to create an "Air of Excitement" around everything you do.
* Mold a business/ career around your philosophy.
* Everyone creates a "wake" around themselves. Everything you do and don't do impacts your business, the people and the world around you, far more than you can imagine.
* Make a file of all the best thoughts- then make them part of your life.

Capitalism Has not Failed.. Companies need to...

2009-11-14T12:30:00.004-05:00

Sramana Mitra is disturbed about capitalism.

http://www.forbes.com/2009/11/05/innovation-ayn-rand-intelligent-technology-capitalism.html

And our talented youth gets seduced by this profession of speculation known for its easy and abundantly flowing financial rewards, avoiding those that require much greater intellectual capacity. Most importantly, very early in their lives, our talented youth come to realize that fields that may earn them a Nobel Prize--cancer research or multi-core computing--may not make them rich. But moving money from here to there will.

And thus, we lose Berkeley Ph.Ds in nuclear physics to hedge funds and MIT computer scientists capable of delivering computing to 6 billion people to derivative manipulation on Wall Street. Rand, somewhere down the road, you lost me. I don't see how free market capitalism fixes this systemic flaw.

And I am deeply disturbed.

Capitalism hasn’t failed, it is just not enough. Instead, innovators need to change the old approach of “Focus on profits”, to instead put people and planet first. Then sustainable profits will result.

My father used to say, “What is good for GM is good for the country.” We learned that GM was not a sustainable business model, because they did what was best to make the largest profit, rather than doing what was best for the users, the country and the environment. Others came along who did make products that were far better in quality and lasted far longer than the 3 years that GM designed their cars to last.

So, capitalism did not fail. Failure of GM and others could have been avoided if the companies had done the following:

· Look at their products as part of an entire system, that includes all of the stakeholders- Users and everyone else on earth as well as the earth itself. And then determine-

o What is really needed to create the greatest VALUE. Focus on NEEDS not WANTS.

o Critically examine what exists. How could it be made to perform better, cost far less and be far friendlier to the planet

o Then commit to creating what would be better for people and planet.

The good news is that I see a whole new group of young people who “get it.” They truly want to make the world a better place, by putting people and planet first. And they have already started to create meaningful products and companies. See www.ecovativedesign.com as one example- they have created a sustainable alternative to Styrofoam.

Full Disclosure- This new venture started in my class, Inventor’s Studio at RPI and I am an investor.

2009-07-26T13:05:00.003-05:00

Corner Office - Carol Smith - Carol Smith of Elle - Women Are Better Managers - Question - NYTimes.com

www.nytimes.com/2009/07/26/business/26corner.html?scp=2&sq=Corner%20Office&st=Se...

Carol Smith teaches us about leadership:
* Win over people, instead of bossing them
* "to-do lists"- prioritize, get through them, confront problems that show up
* Learn to be like women managers- better advisers, mentors, rational thinkers
* Men and women working together is best combination
* Get out of our "comfort zones" and walk around, see what is happening.
* Learn to give speeches, presentations
* Managing Time- Allocate time (Sundays are good) for getting email and other things out of the way.
* When hiring- See people at least 3 times, once over a meal, to determine if he/she will connect with others and be part of the team.

Importance of Having a Clear Mission

2009-07-26T11:01:00.004-05:00

Important message about having a clear vision and mission for ourselves and for whatever we do.

"We succeeded because of the mission," says Mitchell Baker, chairwoman of Mozilla. She is called the "conscience" of the company. "Firefox was faster, safer and blocked pop-ups. It also offered some compelling innovations, like tabs, which allowed users to have multiple pages open inside a single browser window."

Each of us needs to have a clear mission for ourselves and for any ventures that we are associated with.
Find some examples of good Mission Statements and share them in comments below.
You might start at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_Statement

Steps to Get a Patent

2009-06-03T08:47:00.008-05:00

I just received an email from Lisa Song, who I have meet several times at NCIIA Conferences. Lisa asked for advice on how to apply for a patent. My advice is:
FIRST MAKE SURE THAT THERE REALLY IS A NEED FOR YOUR IDEA, AND THAT YOU HAVE A DESIGN THAT IS FAR BETTER, IN ALL RESPECTS, THAN WHAT EXISTS.

So many times, people have ideas, spend lots of time and money, apply for patents, and their work does not end up becoming a real product.
Several reasons for this.

There is not a strong enough need for the idea. You have not clearly defined the user and his/her needs. This includes metrics for performance and cost. Be sure to take the time to understand the present state of the art. What is presently available? Criticize what exists in a structured way, on paper. Look at trends. How does your idea fit?
The idea just is NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
Your initial idea is almost never good enough. So, unless you have gone through at least 3 iterations on your idea, either forget it, and keep going until you have something that is really great. Don't waste your time on solutions that are just marginally better.
You just don't have the passion, skills or resources to make it a reality.

And here are the steps needed prior to applying for a patent.

Start with a clear problem statement. You need to identify, understand and clearly define the actual need for specific users. All of this, BEFORE you start thinking of possible solutions.

Who is the user?
What is his/her need?
What is wrong or missing with what presently exists to address the need?
What is your VISION for a new concept?
Why is it feasible? Affordable? Technically possible? Can you get a patent to protect your idea? Will you be able to manufacture and market the product?

Problem/ Need Finding-
Focus on important needs, rather than "wants". Start by defining the user. Who is the user? Learn about the user. Be specific- not just "people with disabilities". Who are they? Where do they live? HOW do they live every day? What products are presently available and what problems do the users have with these products?

What are the metrics (measurable criteria) needed in a new product, in order for it to be successful? Selling price to users. Performance- Features? and BENEFITS for the USERS. A new product must be FAR Better than what presently exists, in all respects. For example, it must be "greener" and less expensive.

Good luck.. and be prepared to work like crazy to make your ideas real.

Jean Shin, Turning Trash Into Artistic Treasure : NPR

2009-05-02T11:12:00.006-05:00

www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103674782

Important lessons from artist Jean Shin, for my students and for everyone interested in learning to be more creative. See pictures and hear Susan Stamberg on Morning Edition, May 1, 2009.

Look more carefully at what exists.
It's not garbage, it has artistic meaning and can symbolize something important.
Understand and celebrate the lives and work of ordinary people.
Transform what exists, everyday objects, into something else.
Concepts based on ideas that are meaningful to us- translate the viewing experience into a THINKING PROCESS.
Find the meaning in (art) everything, by going beyond just looking, to feeling and thinking.
The ideas come from underlying thinking, (what does it mean to get older), before starting the design of the art.

"In Jean's hands, the process of making these objects new again, of giving them life [and] restored purpose, and making us look at them — or asking us to look at them — in a completely new way is very artful," says Joanna Marsh, who organized the show for the museum.
At the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.

How Group Decisions Can End up Wrong!

2009-04-26T20:19:00.005-05:00

How Investment Committees Go Amiss - WSJ.com

Jason Zweig, in his column, The Intelligent Investor, points out that financial decisions made by committees, are often bad decisions. His advice applies to all kinds of decisions.

Measure what factors predict success.
Rank the people (and rank the ideas) using metrics.
Reframe the question. Develop arguments "pro" and "con".
Ask "the five whys". Why is the idea superior? Why is this the 'right" answer? Why...?, Why...? Why...?
Define the default position. Any deviation from the default should require extraordinary evidence.

Excellent advice for ANY decision making.

A List of 100 Attributes for People to Succeed

2009-04-13T20:46:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Guy Kawasaki for putting this website on Twitter.
Check out the complete list.
Some of my favorites are:
3- Get comfortable asking for advice and help.
4- Present your (startup) ideas to anyone who will listen
5- Get really, really good at concisely stating your (business) idea.
11- What pain are you fixing? And whose pain is it? Who are the stakeholders?
14- Details vs. General. Actually you need both views.
19- Is work fun for you? If not don't bother.
26- "Ready, aim, fire." Should be "ready, fire, adjust."

Very valuable. For everyone, whether you are starting a new venture, or working to be successful in an existing company. I wish someone had given me this list 40 years ago!

Write an Elevator Pitch for Your Blog [Day 1 -31DBBB]

2009-04-13T19:54:00.003-05:00

Help to Develop an Elevator Pitch... see this worthwhile website.
Elevator Pitch is not just something to snare an investor. Rather, we all need to create a 1 minute talk that explains-

Need- Who is the USER and What is his/her need/ problem?
Vision- What will we do to address the need?
Benefits- What will happen when we solve it?
Feasible- Why will we succeed? Technically possible, affordable, strategy for making it a reality.
Passion- Why is this something important that will make the world a better place?

And then "pitch it" to everyone you meet, to enlist support! Good Luck! Focus on NEEDS not wants. Never stop. Make your vision a reality.

Growth Model is Unsustainable Ponzi Scheme

2009-03-08T09:17:00.006-05:00

Thomas Friedman in NY Times today- The Inflection is Near?

What if the crisis of 2008 represents something much more fundamental than a deep recession? What if it’s telling us that the whole growth model we created over the last 50 years is simply unsustainable economically and ecologically and that 2008 was when we hit the wall — when Mother Nature and the market both said: “No more.”

"Crisis is Opportunity" and young people in my class at RPI are working to change the present model. Some of their innovations include:

Affordable method of providing safe drinking water for billions of people around the world.
Inexpensive way to eliminate 20% of the mercury pollution in the world, caused by artisinal gold miners in countries like Brazil. We all suffer from this pollution.
New method and device to find and eliminate land mines and other explosives- far less expensive, faster and safer. Finally, we could rid the world of land mines.

Agricultural Waste Plus Mushrooms = Sustainable, Affordable, Better Products
Ecovative Design, was started in 2007, by 2 former students from my class, Inventor's Studio. They continue to make great progress, turning agricultural waste material into useful, biodegradable products, that cost less and are far better in every way. And their work has gained support from numerous agencies including EPA, NYSERDA and Picnic Green Challenge- they won 500,000 Euros in November, first prize. Watch Eben Bayer's presentation. (Full Disclosure: I am an investor in Ecovative Design.)

These bright, motivated young engineers are passionate about making a real difference in the world, especially for the people with the greatest need. And the work that they are doing promises benefits for all. They are changing the model that relies on ever increasing consumption, to one that is based on addressing the most basic needs, in a sustainable way, that protects Mother Nature, creates new jobs for themselves and others around the world and makes life BETTER for everyone. I am so proud of them. They make me optimistic that we can successfully change the present Growth/Business Model. Let's all support this type of thinking and action.

Designers Need to Design the Business Model

2009-02-20T14:35:00.005-05:00

An often overlooked part of creating a new product is to also design the Business Model. This is also the responsibility of the engineer or designer. Read about Business Model. Your choice of a business model provides many opportunities for innovation.

This is not the same as a Business Plan, which contains much more information including financial projections. Rather, your Business Model considers and defines the key elements needed to manufacture, distribute and finance your proposed idea.

Now More Than Ever- People, Products and Companies Must Create Value

2009-02-20T13:58:00.008-05:00

Each of us needs to constantly ask ourselves, "How can I create more real value for my customers? What is the "Value Proposition"?" In the past, we could get away with simply creating products or services that looked better or were advertised in a clever way.
In this New Reality, long term success depends on producing real value.

Products need to be FAR BETTER in Every Way, than what exists.
Make the USER #1- Put the user first and always do what is best for him/her, rather than what seems best way to produce near term profits for you and your company.
Green is good, but whatever it is, needs to be less expensive.
Products and services need to provide additional FUNCTIONS. Look at the Apple iPhone. It isn't just a cool phone or a camera. It can provide a growing list of additional functions
These new functions need to create value. Don't be fooled by applications that are just "Cute", with no real value that you can point to. How do they save- time and money?
Perhaps the easiest route to making products better is to make them "smarter". Add low cost sensors and electronics in order to add value.

Willem Kolff, MD Lives On!

2009-02-16T17:48:00.013-05:00

Dr. Willem Kolff, inventor of dialysis and heart machines died at 97. Read his obituary. I had the good fortune of meeting Dr. Kolff several times at meetings of the American Society of Artificial Organs, in the 1970's.
He knew that making progress requires taking risks, even with a person's life. But the results of his risk taking, vision and hard work have saved the lives of many thousands of patients, who rely on connection to a modern dialysis machine to keep them alive.

He did not accept that failure of an organ meant certain death. Insisted that there must be a solution.
Used readily available materials and quick tests to prove his concepts
Improved results through iteration and collaboration with others.
He was always open to new ideas and to listening to young engineers (like me).

Dr. Kolff's life and accomplishments live as an inspiration to future innovators. I teach a freshman design studio at RPI. Three years ago, Oliver Williams and his 3 teammates, were working to design a device to filter water and make it safe to drink. They did research and found 10 different methods. One was "reverse osmosis". They read that an animal intestine could be used as the membrane. Just like Dr. Kolff, Oliver built a working model, using sausage casing from the local butcher, a hand pump, some plastic tubing and 2 plastic 1 gallon jugs. He put apple cider in one jug, pumped and got clear water out into the second jug. Dr. Kolff LIVES.

IDEO Teaches Important Skills for Innovation

2009-02-15T12:59:00.008-05:00

Dave Blakely, one of the leaders at design firm IDEO, has very important things to say-Watch his video.

I have met Dave a number of times and I always learn something important from him.
Note what he says about:

Social responsibility
"T-Shaped" skills and Human Centered Approach.
Empathy as key to success
Need to understand and consider business- cost/ pricing, strategies and tactics
Constraints- are important to innovation
Suspend judgment in early stages of ideation and "Encourage wild ideas"
Prototyping, low fidelity- "Right, Rapid and Rough"
Keep learning forever
Learn from your failures.
Engineering education leading to other opportunities.

Changing Obsolete Business Models Can Lead to Disruptive Technologies

2009-02-01T10:39:00.011-05:00

Excellent article by Janet Rae-Dupree in the New York Times January 31, 2009. Health care today has many problems-

Millions of Americans without insurance means reduced access to care, loss of life, lack of efforts aimed at prevention and maintaining good health.
Rapidly increasing cost of providing health care means that other areas of the economy must suffer

The author urges us to examine business models as an entry point in our efforts to make meaningful changes, "Disruptive Innovations", that can improve lives of many and save money as well. She also writes about the need to consider the entire SYSTEM, in considering how to create meaningful change- Important advice for achieving innovation.

When Designers Listen to Clients, It Shows"

2008-02-21T12:30:00.013-05:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120355894763381831.html?mod=hps_us_editors_picks

There are a number of important lessons for all of us in the WSJ article today by Christina Binkley.

"It's important for business leaders not to lose touch with their customers. This is as true for an Italian designer as it is for a San Francisco technology company." Right on! Product designers often feel that they can just "brainstorm" on new ideas, without understanding the user and his/her need. We teach students to do research, gather facts, criticize what exists, strive for the ideal solution. And it all starts with understanding the user. Then it requires lots of hard work.

"...sent out a collection of uninspired and ill-related items, that were designed by committee." "Jill Sander showed a particularly strong collection." We teach- Learn to be critical of what exists. and use a template for analyzing, understanding and criticizing.

"... if not of his designs at least of his methods." We strive to teach our students methods and a clear design process.

" simple, powerful lines" are the equivalent of clear functions that the product provides in order to meet objectives that drive the design and satisfy user's needs.

"Some designers give in to the temptation to make clothes that are all about themselves." We stress satisfying needs, needs that often even the user does not recognize, until they "try it on." The designer needs to be there "just to see their reaction." It is hard to know if a new design is right, especially one that is radical, until you put it into the hands of the users and see their reaction.

"The way these designers listen shows in their clothes, which are as sleek and responsive as an Apple laptop". Listening plus insisting on BOTH great style plus great performance is key.

"...uninspired dresses and other ill-related items that were designed by committee" Our students work in teams to complete technology projects- but we stress the importance of listening to teammates, practicing "Angel's Advocate" when a new, radical, impossible sounding idea is proposed and the need for individuals on the team to actually "put their ideas on the table" so that the team can build all their ideas into something that is even better than from any single person.

Christina- Thank you very much for your excellent insights and important lessons.. I look forward to learning more from you and sharing it with my students.

"When Designers Listen to Clients, It Shows"

2008-02-21T12:30:00.011-05:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120355894763381831.html?mod=hps_us_editors_picks

There are a number of important lessons for all of us in the WSJ article today by Christina Binkley.

"It's important for business leaders not to lose touch with their customers. This is as true for an Italian designer as it is for a San Francisco technology company." Right on! Product designers often feel that they can just "brainstorm" on new ideas, without understanding the user and his/her need. We teach students to do research, gather facts, criticize what exists, strive for the ideal solution. And it all starts with understanding the user. Then it requires lots of hard work and constant iteration.

"...sent out a collection of uninspired and ill-related items, that were designed by committee." "Jill Sander showed a particularly strong collection." We teach- Learn to be critical of what exists. and use a template for analyzing, understanding and criticizing.

"... if not of his designs at least of his methods." We strive to teach our students methods and a clear design process.

" simple, powerful lines" are the equivalent of clear functions that the product provides in order to meet objectives that drive the design and satisfy user's needs.

"Some designers give in to the temptation to make clothes that are all about themselves." We stress satisfying needs, needs that often even the user does not recognize, until they "try it on." The designer needs to be there "just to see their reaction." It is hard to know if a new design is right, especially one that is radical, until you put it into the hands of the users and see their reaction.

"The way these designers listen shows in their clothes, which are as sleek and responsive as an Apple laptop". Listening plus insisting on BOTH great style plus great performance is key.

"...uninspired dresses and other ill-related items that were designed by committee" Our students work in teams to complete technology projects- but we stress the importance of listening to teammates, practicing "Angel's Advocate" when a new, radical, impossible sounding idea is proposed and the need for individuals on the team to actually "put their ideas on the table" so that the team can build all their ideas into something that is even better than from any single person.

Christina- Thank you very much for your excellent insights and important lessons.. I look forward to learning more from you and sharing it with my students.

How Does IDEO Do It?

2008-02-03T08:22:00.002-05:00

IDEO is one of the most successful innovators of our time. And many of my students would love to work there. Read article in Business Week, cover story May 17, 2004, that explains much about how they operate.

Their method is far more than just sitting and thinking of ideas. Note their 5 Steps for innovation and "Rules". They start by spending much time trying to understand the user and his/her needs. Emphasis is on gathering facts, analysis, visualization with sketches and quick models, and generating MANY ideas. Lots of energy, hard work, mostly done individually by the designers. They each go off and ASK, Look, Learn and TRY. Then they each bring back something to "put on the table, " so that the team can make it even better.

You can obtain your own set of IDEO Method Cards.

Create Your Own "Circle of Innovation"

2008-02-01T05:38:00.000-05:00

We have heard of the legend of the lone genius inventor, closeted away and doing brilliant things on his/her own. It is far easier to to achieve innovative results, if you get support, inspiration and help from others.

At RPI, my "Circle of Innovation" goes to the very top and includes President Shirley Ann Jackson. She has made innovation a key goal of the Rensselaer Plan. And she takes every opportunity to "celebrate innovation " of our students and faculty. Key to innovation in any organization, is support from the top leadership.

My circle at RPI, started in 1990, when I met Gary Gabriele. We talked for several hours and he invited me to speak to his class. That invitation started me on my second career teaching design and problem solving. Also included are key members of the administration; Charles Carletta, John Kolb, Alan Cramb, Dick Smith, Mark Steiner, Tim Wei, Rob Chernow, Vice Provost for Entrepreneurship and Larry Kagan, who has inspired me by his creativity and invention of "shadow art".

It also includes people outside of the campus community. Phil Weilerstein, Director of NCIIA, has played a major role by providing encouragement and key funding for courses and Advanced E-Team grants that have made it possible for students to turn their ideas into reality. NCIIA is funded by The Lemelson Foundation. Many thanks to Dorothy Lemelson, who with her late husband Jerry, had the vision and belief that students could work in teams and create products and new ventures that would make the world a better place.

IDEO and particularly Dave Blakely, has been a constant supporter, always willing to offer ideas and encouragement. And friends and former colleagues at COBE Laboratory, Bob Collins and Ted Dale, sent me seed money to support the start of Inventor's Studio.

But nothing would be possible without the outstanding students at RPI. They are the most important part of my circle of innovation. Who is in your Circle of Innovation?

Learn By Doing

2008-01-27T07:47:00.000-05:00

A long time ago when I was studying engineering at Cornell, one of my professors in a design class, noticed that I had not written anything on my drawing paper. I said that I was still "thinking" how to get started. He told me, "Start drawing. Thinking without writing or drawing is just dreaming."

Thinking needs to be combined with lots of action-

Research to find facts and understand users, their needs, what has been done by others.
Sketching- making thoughts visual so that you and others can "see" what is in your head
Quick models- duct tape and cardboard combined with some existing object salvaged from your desk or from a junk pile.

Amos Eaton, first president of RPI said, "RPI students learn by doing." We need to remember that, and grab a pencil, make a sketch, quickly calculate the order of magnitude, list the questions that you need to answer, try something, work out the details.
Stop dreaming and start doing. The advice from my professor still works!

Learn From Professor Risk

2007-10-20T13:09:00.000-05:00

Wall Street Journal, October 20, 2007 by Collin Levy
Interview with Sam Zell contains a number of important lessons and is worth reading.

1) How do you know when to sell?
First, evaluate the value of something you have or might acquire. Referring to his decision in February, to sell Equity Office Properties to Blackstone for $39 billion in cash,"Somebody made an offer that was wide ( far higher) than my own valuation. So I'm looking in the mirror, and any day you don't sell, you buy, and I wasn't willing to buy at the price they were willing to pay, so I sold it."
2) Understand and evaluate risk as a "professional opportunist"
"..people take all kinds of risk all the time and don't know it." Make risk-assessment a part of everything that you do. Estimate the value of the potential gain and of the cost of being wrong.
3) Have your own perception of value versus risk.
Do a professional analysis, and always be willing to proceed, even if no one else agrees with you.
4) Standing still has risks.
Realize that NOT taking an action also has risks.

Lesson: Stay focused and consider "risk versus rewards" in a professional manner, rather than just making decisions based on "intuition" or vague "gut feelings." Then- Have the courage of your convictions.

Be OPEN to New Ideas and Things You Don't Understand

2007-10-16T12:26:00.000-05:00

Innovation requires that we remain open to ideas that are new, unfamiliar and may even seem impossible. So.. last week, in order to drive home this important point, I brought 2 thin metal rods, bent into "L-shape" to school. I asked my class of freshmen in PDI Studio #1 at RPI, how many thought that I could use these rods to "find water underground". Some were skeptical, but to their credit, a number thought it possible. So.. I led the class outside to the football field.

As I walked slowly with the rods held loosely and pointed straight ahead, they rotated. I was standing over an underground water pipe and the rods were now aligned parallel to the pipe. Later in the week, Bob Lobdell and his son brought their excavator to my nursery. We need lots of water to irrigate the plants we grow, and this Fall has been very dry- Our stream is dry and our pond is down 5 feet. So I wanted to find a reserve source of water.

I used to rods to map out underground water. I found a main vein, with several lateral veins feeding it. That's were I asked Bob to start digging. And guess what? 15 feet down, we found water. It tested out at 35 gallons per minute, much different than the well at our house, 300 feet away, that is drilled to more than 500 feet deep and produces less than 1 gallon per minute.

So how do the rods work? I don't know. I do know that:
1) They do work. I have used them to find buried water lines and septic.
2) If I touch my 2 hands together while searching, the rods do not move.
So.. some sort of electric/ magnetic field is generated by water underground.

Lesson: Don't dismiss what you do not understand. Be open to ideas that are new to you. You just might hit something big! One student said, "too bad it's not OIL!"

Fashion Secret: A Secret for all Designers and Innovators

2007-04-02T13:49:00.000-05:00

WSJ April 2, 2007 by Stephanie Kang

Top fashion designers often look to the past in order to find inspiration for new designs. New York fashion designer Zac Posen collects antique clothing and studies fashion history. He says, “(creating new) fashion is often about having a conversation with the past.”

Another designer, Gabrielle Greiss, checks out details such as hardware used on buttons and the stitching on a pocket, for inspiration. But how can we tell if a design will be successful? Ms. Greiss says, in order to tell if a design is right, “I’ll wear it out on the street and see if I get any reaction. Then we will know.”

Two important lessons for all of us:

1) Look to the past for inspiration and for old designs that can be updated with new technology and incorporated in new products.

2) To evaluate an idea, particularly one that is radical, give a quick version to the users, let then use it and see their reaction. They are the final judges.

Olympus Lifetime of Educational Innovation Award

2007-04-02T13:33:00.000-05:00

I was thrilled and honored to receive the 2007 Olympus Lifetime of Educational Innovation Award on March 22 at the NCIIA Annual Conference in Tampa.
http://www.eng.rpi.edu/soe/

This award was recognition of the accomplishments of the team at RPI- administration, faculty and most important, our great students.

Many thanks to Olympus and NCIIA (www.nciia.org) for their important support in the effort to educate our students with the new skill sets needed to make the world a better place.

Chutzpa- We Need it to Innovate!

2007-03-20T08:05:00.000-05:00

What does it take in order to create something radically different and innovative? Chutzpa!
Gall, brazen nerve, incredible guts. The New Joys of Yiddish by Leo Rosten

Chester Carlson had it big time. He built a working model of his new copier and spent years knocking on doors and being rejected by all the leading companies in the office equipment field. He was told that his invention was not needed!...

But he didn't give up.. and finally he met another person with chutzpa, Joseph C. Wilson, the head of Haloid Company, a small company in Rochester, NY, who "took a chance" on this radical new device. The company changed its name to Xerox.

Just to show you how little chutzpa I had in 1959...
I was working in the Product Design Department at Polaroid. One day, I walked past Sid Whittier's drawing board. Sid was a bright eyed 60 something and a look a like for Ernest Hemmingway. He said, "Swersey, you seem like a bright young man. Cheap copies. If you could design a machine to make cheap copies, you would really have something."

My brilliant response-
"Sid, whenever I need copies I can put carbon paper into the typewriter. And in the rare instance when I need to copy something that already exists, I can use the Kodak wet copier on the first floor." Well, I used that wet copier only once, and I still have stains on my hands.

How did Sid have the vision to see what was needed and how did he have the nerve to ask for it?
Who else has chutzpa? And how can we develop it in ourselves and others? Let us know.

Engineers and Business- ROI

2007-03-18T15:26:00.000-05:00

Return on Investment- ROI
An idea needs to satisfy many different criteria in order to be successful. ROI is one criterion or metric that generally must be considered. ROI is the annual rate of return that results from an investment, expressed as a percentage. For example, if you invest $1,000 in a project that results in an annual saving of $50, then the ROI is $50/1,000 or 5%.

There are always many different alternative solutions to a problem. For each, we need to estimate the projected ROI. "Back of the envelope" order of magnitude estimates are often good enough. Start by making some assumptions. You can always refine your analysis, before making a final decision.

Example from class-
Students proposed a design for a means to capture and recyle water.
Questions:
* How many liters of water will be saved in one year?
* What is the value/ cost per liter of water?
* What is the total value/ cost of the water saved?
* How much will it cost to install the new system?
ROI= $Saved/$Total cost

In a situation where water is inexpensive this idea will probably be hard to justify economically. But if water is scare (like in a space ship) recycling certainly makes economic sense.

Strategy for Improving ROI-
* Look beyond water. Find a situation where the value of what is being "wasted" is high relative to the cost of the system required to do the recovery.
* Design a system that is far less expensive
* Include cost to the environment and to health and include these costs in your calculations.

"Problem Finding", Vision and Commitment

2007-03-18T08:36:00.000-05:00

Times have changed. Global competition is such that engineers no longer have the luxury to wait to be told what to do. Instead we must train our students to find unrecognized problems / needs, understand the needs fully and then state their VISION of what could be.

Here are some suggestions for doing this-
1- Identifying, defining and understanding the problem is critical to success of the design.
That means that the students need to understand the state of the art (SOTA).
* Research is key. What is life like for the user? Why? What has already been done?
* Who are the stakeholders? Explain.
* Compose a clear problem statement of the need/ opportunity for improvements.
* Perform Reverse Engineering analysis of what exists.
* Understand how existing devices / solutions work, how built, what they cost

2- Criticize what Exists-
* What are the assumptions?
* What are the compromises?
* What would be ideal?
Use metrics in the evaluation and criticism.. rather than vague terms like.. large, heavy,.. hard to use,..expensive..
* Criticize what exists in a structured manner, using a template...
Start with functional analysis of the sub-system.
Functions- that must be provided by the sub-system. Functional analysis is really important.. functions are defined as verb-nouns.. Arrange the functions in diagram form.. starting with top functions and branching to show the sub-functions needed to provide the function.

Template for criticizing looks something like:
1- Physical characteristics
2- Performance
3- Cost- Affordability for the user
4- Interface with-
* user
* The environment
5- Safety
6- Innovation
7- ??

3- Create a Vision of What is Needed and what you will do, BEFORE you know how to do it or even if it is possible.
"Two billion people in the developing world do not have .... This means that their lives are.... and.... The lives of everyone in the world are impacted by this because.... Therefore, (our vision) we are comittted to create a ... The result will be .... And the BENEFITS will be....
We don't know how we are going to do this, but we will do it within the next .... months."

Constraints Make it Easier to be Innovative

2007-03-18T06:54:00.000-05:00

Think about it. It may be counter-intuitive, but putting constraints on a problem can actually help us create innovative new concepts. I believe that it was Stephen Sondheim who said something like, " If you ask me to write a song about anything, I would have a hard time getting started. But if you ask me to write a song about a cowboy whose girl just left him, his dog died and his red pickup truck broke down, I could do that."

The same thing applies when we ask students to think of an idea for a new product. We can make it easier for our students and everyone, if we put constraints on the assignment. For example here are constraints that we gave the students recently when we asked them to design a new product-

Must be human powered and work without electricity
Must be affordable by people who live on $2.00 per day
Must address an important need in people's lives, not just a want.
Must be sustainable.

Note- If the design meets these constraints, then everyone in the world could use the product.

Terry Teachout wrote about the importance of constraints when trying to creat unique works, in the Wall Street Journal on October 28, 2006, A Challenge to Martin Scorsese

... all great art is ruthlessly selective. It imposes order on the natural world. That's why sonnets have 14 lines and string quartets are played by four musicians. An art without rules is nothing more than a willful, inchoate stew of random impulses. As Igor Stravinsky put it: "Whatever diminishes constraint diminishes strength. The more constraints one imposes, the more one frees one's self of the chains that shackle the spirit."

Try imposing meaningful constraints at the start of your next attempt to achieve an innovative new design.

Patents- They Work. How to Get Started

2007-03-17T15:43:00.000-05:00

Patents are one of the most important keys to successful technological innovation. They work and can provide you and your company with ability to prevent others from making or selling your designs for many years.

For inventors-

Learn to protect your work so that you can either license your patents or start a company to produce your concepts.
Become a leader and improve your career with your employer.

Steps to Take to Prepare Your Patents-

Step 1- Conduct a patent search..

Expect to find lots of related patents. Your job is to analyze the existing patents and find "holes" in what is covered.

Google patents is best place to start. But you can also use www.uspto.gov.
Enter your search words for a quick or advanced search
Look at the titles of the results and open the ones that look most closely related.
Check off which patents have the functions that your design provides

Be sure to keep track of everything that you do- record all your search terms and search results, write them down in your notebook and save/print results. List patent number, date, title and summarize what it covers.

Step 2- Draft Your Own Patent Application-

You, as the inventor, are the person best suited to write the initial draft of your application. Then have it reviewed by a patent attorney. Do it yourself plus help from a great patent attorney, will save you money and I believe can result in a stronger patent.

Draft a patent application that can be filed, first as a Provisional Patent Application and then as a full patent application, complete with claims.
Follow the format of a typical patent.
“In the past it has been know that… could be used to… However, these devices do not …., …., …. Therefore the objectives of this design are to….,….,…”
Description of your design- Provide sufficient details so that “someone skilled in the art could replicate your design”. Describe your design and refer to clear diagrams (flow, system block, operation) and drawings.
Claims- This is the hardest part. Get help from your attorney. Start with independent claims, “a means to provide…” Then add dependent claims (the design in claim x above where the means is….). You can also add Method Claims- “What is claimed is a method of doing…. that includes- a means of…., means of…. and…”
Functions are key- Verb-nouns used to describe what your design does.
Construct a table to summarize and compare patents you found versus your design
List the functions that your design provides down the first column.
List related patents in columns to the right of your patent and check off the functions that are provided by each patent.
Unique combinations of functions that are not covered by any existing patent (and do not exist in a design that is already known) may be patentable.. as long as they are "useful and not obvious to someone skilled in the art."

Good luck.

Identify and Strive for the Ideal- Learn from Edwin Land

2007-03-17T14:41:00.000-05:00

I had an interesting discussion with students in my IED/ sophomore design class yesterday.
I urged them to determine what would be ideal for the user and then commit to doing that, without knowing how they would do it, or even if it was possible.
I said that this was the time and place to develop the courage to take risks... and if they followed all the right steps, worked dilligently and documented their work, they would receive a good grade, even if they failed to achieve the ideal.

The students were working on the design of an inexpensive means to purify water for people in the developing world. I asked, "What functions are missing in existing designs? Look at your Brita filter. What is the assumption... Water that comes out of the filter is safe to drink."

But there is no means to actually verify this. How about designing a device that-
1) Indicates that the water is safe
2) Does not allow water to come out unless it is safe.
Isn't this what is really needed?

My first engineering job was at Polaroid Corporation in Cambridge, MA. Dr. Edwin H. Land, the brilliant leader of Polaroid, insisted on aiming for the ideal solution, even though to many of us, that seemed to be impossible. I left Polaroid in 1960, but several years later, when the SX-70 came out, I was amazed to see that it did things that had never been done before. Polaroid engineers found that Land was right and that they could achieve the ideal, even though it was impossible.

Think of all the good that we could do for people in need, if we all learned Dr. Land's lesson.

Iteration

2007-03-11T11:10:00.001-05:00

Roger von Oech, author of A Whack on the Side of the Head (my favorite book on creativity), cautions us not to fall in love with our first idea. Why not?

Generally, if you have thought of the idea rather quickly, others have had the same idea. So, instead of competing with lots of others, find an idea that is largely unrecognized.
In order for an idea to become a product, millions or even billions of dolllars and many weeks/ years of hard work are needed for design, inventory, documentation, testing, certification, training, advertising, etc.. so..

By spending considerably more time and effort during the early design stages of the product, and refining and revising the idea to provide users with much greater value, we increase the chances for success.
Yet, this is perhaps the most difficult step in the process of creating something new.

Designers think: "Why wouldn't someone want my great new idea?"
To answer this we need to put ourselves in the shoes of the users and consider the needs of all of the stakeholders.

What are the other alternatives and how do they compare to this idea?
Is this idea FAR better in all respects than what exists?
If the design has not gone through at least 3 iterations, it probably is NOT ready for release.

The First Iteration

Generate many alternative ideas to address the need

Use quick sketches, make quick rough models

Example: Sketch 20 ways to crush a can. Spend 10 minutes. Use "stick-figures".

The Second Iteration
Is this the "right" problem/need?

How can the same basic idea be applied to a different problem/need that is unrecognized and is a better opportunity?

The Third Iteration
How can I make the concept much "better"?

Add functions and Make it "smart" so that it is patentable
Produce and sell it in a different way
Make it "sustainable"
Put early models in the hands of users and WATCH how they use it- then "fix it"