Curtis R. Carlson

<article-ideainbrief class="article-ideainbrief">
 <h4 class="ideainbrief-title">Idea in Brief</h4>
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  <h5>The Problem</h5>
  <p>Innovation in the U.S. is highly inefficient. Despite substantial investment in entrepreneurship—by the government, universities, and the private sector—the per capita rate of job creation from new companies has declined for decades.</p>
  <h5>Why It Happens</h5>
  <p>At its heart, creating value is an exercise in active learning. Unless your process reflects that, your company will probably fail to systematically develop innovations that matter.</p>
  <h5>The Solution</h5>
  <p>The author’s framework involves designing an “NABC value proposition” that spells out how your offering addresses customers’ <em>needs</em> with a compelling <em>approach</em> while delivering superior <em>benefits relative to costs</em> and reliably outdoing the <em>competition.</em> The methodology works because it’s based on proven practices from the education sciences.</p>
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</article-ideainbrief><p>In 1998 I became the CEO of SRI International, the famous research center that received the first internet transmission, developed the first AI-based robot, launched the personal computing revolution, and created inventions such as the computer mouse, electronic banking, and robotic surgery. In 1998, though, SRI was on its last legs. At my first off-site meeting, a manager stood up and told me we were not going to grow because we couldn’t. We were broke, our facilities urgently needed repair, and the land they sat on was being sold. Teams worked in silos, and most of the senior managers were pursuing their own agendas with little regard for what others were doing.</p>

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<p>When he was the CEO of SRI International, Curtis Carlson presided over the conception and development of Siri, HDTV, and other groundbreaking innovations. Since then he has shared his approach with more than 500 corporate, university, and government groups. His methodology is based on the principles of active learning, which emphasize concise mental models, the continual iteration of ideas, real-time feedback, teamwork, and frequent comparison of alternatives. Those elements are woven into a process that focuses on customers&#8217; <em>needs,</em> a compelling <em>approach,</em> valuable <em>benefits relative to costs,</em> and superiority to the <em>competition.</em></p>

Innovation for Impact

When he was the CEO of SRI International, Curtis Carlson presided over the conception and development of Siri, HDTV, and other groundbreaking innovations. Since then he has shared his approach with more than 500 corporate, university, and government groups. His methodology is based on the principles of active learning, which emphasize concise mental models, the continual iteration of ideas, real-time feedback, teamwork, and frequent comparison of alternatives. Those elements are woven into a process that focuses on customers’ needs, a compelling approach, valuable benefits relative to costs, and superiority to the competition.

Innovation for Impact

Summary.

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