Carnegie Mellon University © Robert T. Monroe High-Tech Product Innovation Robert Monroe March 18, 2008

Carnegie Mellon University © Robert T. Monroe Agenda Survey and introductions Course philosophy, structure, grading, and expectations What is high-tech product innovation? In-class exercise

Carnegie Mellon University © Robert T. Monroe Survey Please complete and hand back the survey Survey helps me to: –Understand your goals and expectations for the course –Evaluate your previous knowledge/experience with IT –… adjust the class accordingly Don’t worry, it’s just a survey

Carnegie Mellon University © Robert T. Monroe Introductions Please introduce yourself quickly to the class –Your name –Your program, year, track or concentration(s) –Plans or goals for after graduation –One or two innovative high-tech products or services that you discovered and started using in the past two years

Carnegie Mellon University © Robert T. Monroe Agenda Survey and introductions Course philosophy, structure, grading, and expectations What is high-tech product innovation? In-class exercise

Carnegie Mellon University © Robert T. Monroe What Is This Course About? Creating innovative products and services that: –Solve real problems, for real people –Are useful –Are usable –Are desirable –Delight your customers Creating organizations that can uncover product opportunities and create great new products to meet those opportunities –… again, and again, and again

Carnegie Mellon University © Robert T. Monroe Course Goals Learn a process and way of thinking about innovation Become comfortable, and effective, working at the ‘fuzzy front-end’ of the product innovation process Learn to identify and understand how broad trends and forces create product opportunities –… and how to harness those opportunities Switch from a technology-centric view of innovation to a customer-centric view of innovation

Carnegie Mellon University © Robert T. Monroe Course Philosophy Learn by doing Welcome to the perpetual beta Embrace ambiguity (or at least get used to it) Academic Integrity –Collaboration is good and encouraged … but there is an academic integrity policy –Building on other people’s work is encouraged … but failing to cite it is plagiarism

Carnegie Mellon University © Robert T. Monroe Course Structure Administrivia –Office hours –Expectations and etiquette –Blackboard and wiki Grading: –Attendance, preparation, and participation 33% –Challenge problems33% –Final project / report 33% –Luck 1%

Carnegie Mellon University © Robert T. Monroe Pass/Fail Students may take the course pass/fail provided that they agree to: –Attend class regularly –Prepare for class as if they were taking it for a grade –Complete all of the challenge problems –Hand in a final project that is clearly deserving of a passing grade –Complete all of the necessary administrative paperwork

Carnegie Mellon University © Robert T. Monroe Agenda Survey and introductions Course philosophy, structure, grading, and expectations What is high-tech product innovation? In-class exercise

Carnegie Mellon University © Robert T. Monroe “It’s simple, it’s just not easy” - Warren Buffet

Carnegie Mellon University © Robert T. Monroe The Term ‘High-Tech’ Is Used Loosely & Expansively The general criterion for inclusion as ‘high-tech’ is that a product or service requires extensive software to provide its value –This is a vague definition –This is not a robust definition –That’s on purpose… For purposes of challenge problems and reports, I’m pretty flexible on what you want to consider ‘high-tech’ There are a few exceptions: –Pharmaceuticals are definitely out –Pure materials are generally out –‘Smart’ materials, or applications of materials could be in though

Carnegie Mellon University © Robert T. Monroe The Cagan and Vogel Innovation Process Realize Conceptualize UnderstandIdentify

Carnegie Mellon University © Robert T. Monroe Schedule Weeks 1-3 DateTopics and readingsAssignments Tu 3/18Course introduction and overview Th 3/20Different ways to innovate through technology Readings: [SWA06], [MGM97] In-class challenge problem Tu 3/25An introduction to disciplined innovation processes Reading: CBP chapters 1, 2, 3 Th 3/27Identifying the opportunity I Reading: CBP, ch. 5, revisit ch. 1-3 Challenge problem #1 distributed Tu 4/1Identifying the opportunity II Challenge problem discussion Reading: CBP ch. 5 Challenge problem #1 discussion Th 4/3Understanding the opportunity I Reading: CBP ch. 7 Challenge problem #2 distributed

Carnegie Mellon University © Robert T. Monroe Schedule Weeks 4-5 DateTopics and readingsAssignments Tu 4/8Understanding the opportunity II Challenge problem discussion Reading: TBD Challenge problem #2 discussion Th 4/10Conceptualizing the opportunity I Reading: CBP ch. 7 required Supplemental: CBP, ch 8 and 9 Challenge problem #3 distributed Tu 4/15Conceptualizing the opportunity II - challenge problem discussion - packaging technology - technology ecosystems Reading: TBD Challenge problem #3 discussion Th 4/17Conceptualizing the opportunity III Prototyping Reading: TBD

Carnegie Mellon University © Robert T. Monroe Schedule Weeks 6-7 DateTopics and readingsAssignments Tu 4/22Starting with a technology Disruptive technologies Th 4/24Commercializing very early stage technologies Guest lecturer: Rob Conway, CMU Technology Transfer Office Tu 4/29High-tech services, SaaS, and hybrid product/service models for delivering technology capabilities Reading: TBD Challenge problem #4 distributed Th 5/1Challenge problem discussion – High tech services, SaaS, and hybrid models Course wrap-up No new readings Challenge problem #4 discussion

Carnegie Mellon University © Robert T. Monroe Agenda Survey and introductions Course philosophy, structure, grading, and expectations What is high-tech product innovation? In-class exercise

Carnegie Mellon University © Robert T. Monroe Exercise: Discuss, Evaluate, Be Prepared To Present: Each 5-6 person group selects a product or service Describe the product or service. What is it or what does it do?Who are its primary customers and consumers? What was/were the fundamental innovation(s) that drove the success of the product? Were the fundamental innovations ‘high- tech’ or ‘low-tech’? What role did context (time, place, opportunity) play? Had similar previous efforts failed? Why? Why did this one work? Is the innovation obvious in retrospect? Has the innovativion provided or supported a dominant industry position for the inventor? Why or why not?

Carnegie Mellon University © Robert T. Monroe Innovations To Evaluate Apple iPod Google keyword advertising Toyota Prius Tivo eBay online marketplace Wikipedia GM’s OnStar system Garmin hand-held GPS systems Anti-lock braking systems for cars Nintendo Wii

Carnegie Mellon University © Robert T. Monroe Wrap Up

Carnegie Mellon University © Robert T. Monroe For Thursday Thursday we will look into some standard ways that technology can be applied to create innovative, high- value products and services Come prepared to apply the concepts in the readings in class discussions and an in-class challenge problem