Hi Rajat,
One of my favourite site: tells me nothing is impossible...
Here's a few quotations to use when people oppose
your innovative efforts:
"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons."
--Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
--Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943
"I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won't last out the year."
--The editor in charge of business books for Prentice Hall, 1957
"But what ... is it good for?"
--Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip.
"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."
--Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977
"This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us."
--Western Union internal memo, 1876.
"The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?"
--David Sarnoff's associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920s.
"The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a 'C,' the idea must be feasible."
--A Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith's paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service.
(Smith went on to found Federal Express Corp.)
"Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?"
--H.M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927.
"I'm just glad it'll be Clark Gable who's falling on his face and not Gary Cooper."
--Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the leading role in
"Gone With The Wind."
"A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research reports say America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you make."
--Response to Debbi Fields' idea of starting Mrs. Fields' Cookies.
"We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out."
--Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962.
"Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible."
--Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895.
"If I had thought about it, I wouldn't have done the experiment. The literature was full of examples that said you can't do this."
--Spencer Silver on the work that led to the unique adhesives for 3-M "Post-It" Notepads.
"So we went to Atari and said, 'Hey, we've got this amazing thing, even built with some of your parts, and what do you think about funding us? Or we' ll give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary, we'll come work for you.' And they said, 'No.' So then we went to Hewlett-Packard, and they said, 'Hey, we don't need you. You haven't got through college yet.'"
--Apple Computer Inc. founder Steve Jobs on attempts to get Atari and H-P interested in his and Steve Wozniak's personal computer.
"Professor Goddard does not know the relation between action and reaction and the need to have something better than a vacuum against which to react. He seems to lack the basic knowledge ladled out daily in high schools."
--1921 New York Times editorial about Robert Goddard's revolutionary rocket work.
"You want to have consistent and uniform muscle development across all of your muscles? It can't be done. It's just a fact of life. You just have to accept inconsistent muscle development as an unalterable condition of weight training."
--Response to Arthur Jones, who solved the "unsolvable" problem by inventing Nautilus.
"Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil?
You're crazy."
--Drillers who Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil in 1859.
"Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau."
--Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University, 1929.
"Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value."
--Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole Superieure de Guerre.
"Everything that can be invented has been invented."
--Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.
"Louis Pasteur's theory of germs is ridiculous fiction".
--Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872
"The abdomen, the chest, and the brain will forever be shut from the intrusion of the wise and humane surgeon".
--Sir John Eric Ericksen, British surgeon, appointed Surgeon-Extraordinary to Queen Victoria 1873.
"640K ought to be enough for anybody."
-- Bill Gates, 1981
So the next time anyone ridicules for a new idea they think as absurd, go ahead...there's nothing to lose!
Regards,
Anuradha Zingade
From India, Pune
5One of my favourite site: tells me nothing is impossible...
Here's a few quotations to use when people oppose
your innovative efforts:
"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons."
--Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
--Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943
"I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won't last out the year."
--The editor in charge of business books for Prentice Hall, 1957
"But what ... is it good for?"
--Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip.
"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."
--Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977
"This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us."
--Western Union internal memo, 1876.
"The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?"
--David Sarnoff's associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920s.
"The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a 'C,' the idea must be feasible."
--A Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith's paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service.
(Smith went on to found Federal Express Corp.)
"Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?"
--H.M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927.
"I'm just glad it'll be Clark Gable who's falling on his face and not Gary Cooper."
--Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the leading role in
"Gone With The Wind."
"A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research reports say America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you make."
--Response to Debbi Fields' idea of starting Mrs. Fields' Cookies.
"We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out."
--Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962.
"Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible."
--Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895.
"If I had thought about it, I wouldn't have done the experiment. The literature was full of examples that said you can't do this."
--Spencer Silver on the work that led to the unique adhesives for 3-M "Post-It" Notepads.
"So we went to Atari and said, 'Hey, we've got this amazing thing, even built with some of your parts, and what do you think about funding us? Or we' ll give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary, we'll come work for you.' And they said, 'No.' So then we went to Hewlett-Packard, and they said, 'Hey, we don't need you. You haven't got through college yet.'"
--Apple Computer Inc. founder Steve Jobs on attempts to get Atari and H-P interested in his and Steve Wozniak's personal computer.
"Professor Goddard does not know the relation between action and reaction and the need to have something better than a vacuum against which to react. He seems to lack the basic knowledge ladled out daily in high schools."
--1921 New York Times editorial about Robert Goddard's revolutionary rocket work.
"You want to have consistent and uniform muscle development across all of your muscles? It can't be done. It's just a fact of life. You just have to accept inconsistent muscle development as an unalterable condition of weight training."
--Response to Arthur Jones, who solved the "unsolvable" problem by inventing Nautilus.
"Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil?
You're crazy."
--Drillers who Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil in 1859.
"Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau."
--Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University, 1929.
"Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value."
--Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole Superieure de Guerre.
"Everything that can be invented has been invented."
--Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.
"Louis Pasteur's theory of germs is ridiculous fiction".
--Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872
"The abdomen, the chest, and the brain will forever be shut from the intrusion of the wise and humane surgeon".
--Sir John Eric Ericksen, British surgeon, appointed Surgeon-Extraordinary to Queen Victoria 1873.
"640K ought to be enough for anybody."
-- Bill Gates, 1981
So the next time anyone ridicules for a new idea they think as absurd, go ahead...there's nothing to lose!
Regards,
Anuradha Zingade
From India, Pune
Hi, :o Forgot to give the source of the above: The "Eat Your Words" Department Innovation Network Regards, Anuradha Zingade
From India, Pune
From India, Pune
Hey Anuradha,
Thanks for sharing these lovely examples...
These clearly elucidate two things:-
1. What is considered not today or impossible may become a reality tomorrow!!
2. Even you have a great idea or dream..stick to it irrespective of what the world or people say!!
Can you imagine what Beatles felt when they were told the following comments!!
It can be disastrous on one...but they stuck to their dreams & made it a reality...
Many others cowed down ..who are nowwhere in the history...one of those could have beens..but time has clocked by..many live a life ..should have done that or that.n they realize their time on this earth is up..!!..
May we request you to share more examples of those could have beens with us?...
Cheers,
Rajat
From India, Pune
Thanks for sharing these lovely examples...
These clearly elucidate two things:-
1. What is considered not today or impossible may become a reality tomorrow!!
2. Even you have a great idea or dream..stick to it irrespective of what the world or people say!!
Can you imagine what Beatles felt when they were told the following comments!!
It can be disastrous on one...but they stuck to their dreams & made it a reality...
Many others cowed down ..who are nowwhere in the history...one of those could have beens..but time has clocked by..many live a life ..should have done that or that.n they realize their time on this earth is up..!!..
May we request you to share more examples of those could have beens with us?...
Cheers,
Rajat
From India, Pune
Dear all,
Subject: Focus on Problem or Solution?
The Difference between Focusing on Problems and Focusing on Solutions
Case 1
When NASA began the launch of astronauts into space, they found out that
the pens wouldn't work at zero gravity (ink won't flow down to the
writing surface). To solve this problem, it took them one decade and $12
million. They developed a pen that worked at zero gravity, upside
down, underwater, in practically any surface including crystal and in a
temperature range from below freezing to over 300 degrees C.
And what did the Russians do...??
Guess....
.
.
.think hard!!...
.
.
.
..
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
.
.
.
They used a pencil.
Case 2
One of the most memorable case studies on Japanese management was the case of the empty soap box, which happened in one of Japan 's biggest cosmetics companies. The company received a complaint that a consumer had bought a soap box that was empty. Immediately the authorities isolated the problem to the assembly line, which transported all the packaged boxes of soap to the delivery department. For some reason, one soap box went through the assembly line empty. Management asked its engineers to solve the problem.
Post-haste, the engineers worked hard to devise an X-ray machine with
high-resolution monitors manned by two people to watch all the soap
boxes that passed through the line to make sure they were not empty. No
doubt, they worked hard and they worked fast but they spent a whoopee
amount to do so.
But when a rank-and-file employee in a small company was posed with the same problem, he did not get into complications of X-rays, etc., but
instead came out with another solution.
....
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
.
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
He bought a strong industrial electric fan and pointed it at the assembly line. He switched the fan on, and as each soap box passed the fan, it simply blew the empty boxes out of the line.
Moral
Always look for simple solutions. Devise the simplest possible solution
that solves the problems.
Cheers,
Rajat
From India, Pune
Subject: Focus on Problem or Solution?
The Difference between Focusing on Problems and Focusing on Solutions
Case 1
When NASA began the launch of astronauts into space, they found out that
the pens wouldn't work at zero gravity (ink won't flow down to the
writing surface). To solve this problem, it took them one decade and $12
million. They developed a pen that worked at zero gravity, upside
down, underwater, in practically any surface including crystal and in a
temperature range from below freezing to over 300 degrees C.
And what did the Russians do...??
Guess....
.
.
.think hard!!...
.
.
.
..
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
.
.
.
They used a pencil.
Case 2
One of the most memorable case studies on Japanese management was the case of the empty soap box, which happened in one of Japan 's biggest cosmetics companies. The company received a complaint that a consumer had bought a soap box that was empty. Immediately the authorities isolated the problem to the assembly line, which transported all the packaged boxes of soap to the delivery department. For some reason, one soap box went through the assembly line empty. Management asked its engineers to solve the problem.
Post-haste, the engineers worked hard to devise an X-ray machine with
high-resolution monitors manned by two people to watch all the soap
boxes that passed through the line to make sure they were not empty. No
doubt, they worked hard and they worked fast but they spent a whoopee
amount to do so.
But when a rank-and-file employee in a small company was posed with the same problem, he did not get into complications of X-rays, etc., but
instead came out with another solution.
....
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
.
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
He bought a strong industrial electric fan and pointed it at the assembly line. He switched the fan on, and as each soap box passed the fan, it simply blew the empty boxes out of the line.
Moral
Always look for simple solutions. Devise the simplest possible solution
that solves the problems.
Cheers,
Rajat
From India, Pune
Rajat Ji,
Thanks for the post.
Look for simple solutions!
All Innovations and Strategies are breathtakingly SIMPLE
like A FLUTE . Think how simple a Flute is and haven't you heard the beautiful music which comes out of it?
Thanks
Bala
From India, Madras
Thanks for the post.
Look for simple solutions!
All Innovations and Strategies are breathtakingly SIMPLE
like A FLUTE . Think how simple a Flute is and haven't you heard the beautiful music which comes out of it?
Thanks
Bala
From India, Madras
Hi Rajat and Bala,
I have a load on Lateral thinking... Rajat, can i compliment it with your theory and concepts?
BTW, if any of you dont know the answers, you can ask me... i know them all.... but will answer on individual basis.
But please make an attempt, who knows you may get one of them in the bathtub!!!! just dont run out shouting "Eureka"... instead try something original...
:idea:
Regards,
Anuradha
From India, Pune
I have a load on Lateral thinking... Rajat, can i compliment it with your theory and concepts?
BTW, if any of you dont know the answers, you can ask me... i know them all.... but will answer on individual basis.
But please make an attempt, who knows you may get one of them in the bathtub!!!! just dont run out shouting "Eureka"... instead try something original...
:idea:
Regards,
Anuradha
From India, Pune
Hi Anuradha,
Hey thanx ..thats very sweet of you..sure y not!! we all would be happy to recieve some inputs from you..
Am trying ..shall send you my answers...for sure we won't act like Archimedes...
Cheers,
Rajat
From India, Pune
Hey thanx ..thats very sweet of you..sure y not!! we all would be happy to recieve some inputs from you..
Am trying ..shall send you my answers...for sure we won't act like Archimedes...
Cheers,
Rajat
From India, Pune
Hi Anuradha, Go ahead, give me your concepts and theory on the subject. It will definitely help me in learning. More than me it will help all of us to learn. Thanks
From India, Madras
From India, Madras
Hi Anu..
It's tough one..nevertheless am taking some time off - n wud attempt to solve again this weekend..it's really good one..
Look forward to your more inputs..
Accidental Inventors
Stories of creativity and problem solving for accidental inventors
As a potential inventor do you think of an invention?
Many inventors report stories of every day events that triggered them to think of some problem in a new way.
The inventor of VELCRO® reported that he thought of the invention while removing burrs from his pet's fur after walking in the woods.
You may recall Eli Whitney's story of watching a cat pull feathers through a cage -- it was how he thought of the invention now known as the cotton gin.
A less well-known story involves Catherine Ryan, who invented locking nuts to hold bolts in place. Her inspiration was how her own wedding ring kept getting stuck on her finger. She saw that if something in the nut could expand after a bolt was placed inside a nut, it would hold the two together
Other inventions come about when their inventors try to think of uses for things - vulcanized (heated) rubber for tires came about that way.
Have you heard of "yellow stickies" ( PostIt®)? They were the result of a "failed" adhesive experiment which was too weak to market, until the chemist figured out that a weak adhesive had good uses too.
Many times you can come up with a solution for a problem (or find a problem that fits your solution!) by either "turning a problem around" or selecting two or more things at random and using them to "seed" new ideas.
What does "turning a problem around" mean? It means looking at it from a different angle or thinking about it in a new way.
Example 1 - instead of thinking of shoes as protecting your feet from the ground, think of using something to protect the ground from your feet.
Example 2 - instead of thinking about how you can carry kumquats home from a store, think of how they can come to you - by delivery or growing your own - or do you need kumquats at all?
Carefully define a problem. Focus on what you are trying to do in the first place - instead of simply how to do things. If you focus on methods, " i.e . "I need a way to use a computer to count apples", you may not to count apples?
Try changing the question - start it with a different word - who, what, where, when, why, how, etc. Change your perspective on a problem - looking for something is not at all the same as finding it, and putting something away is very different from getting rid of it.
Think about something in an unexpected and way that expresses your creativity. Describe doing something in words for something entirely different - search and rescue your toys; turn your closet into a menu of clothes; or feed a thought.
Identify a more basic problem - "I need to have about 1000 apples to sell every week" and miss a better solution.
Of course many patents issue on novel uses of things so don't just throw away an idea because it doesn't fit the rules.
Cheers,
Rajat
From India, Pune
It's tough one..nevertheless am taking some time off - n wud attempt to solve again this weekend..it's really good one..
Look forward to your more inputs..
Accidental Inventors
Stories of creativity and problem solving for accidental inventors
As a potential inventor do you think of an invention?
Many inventors report stories of every day events that triggered them to think of some problem in a new way.
The inventor of VELCRO® reported that he thought of the invention while removing burrs from his pet's fur after walking in the woods.
You may recall Eli Whitney's story of watching a cat pull feathers through a cage -- it was how he thought of the invention now known as the cotton gin.
A less well-known story involves Catherine Ryan, who invented locking nuts to hold bolts in place. Her inspiration was how her own wedding ring kept getting stuck on her finger. She saw that if something in the nut could expand after a bolt was placed inside a nut, it would hold the two together
Other inventions come about when their inventors try to think of uses for things - vulcanized (heated) rubber for tires came about that way.
Have you heard of "yellow stickies" ( PostIt®)? They were the result of a "failed" adhesive experiment which was too weak to market, until the chemist figured out that a weak adhesive had good uses too.
Many times you can come up with a solution for a problem (or find a problem that fits your solution!) by either "turning a problem around" or selecting two or more things at random and using them to "seed" new ideas.
What does "turning a problem around" mean? It means looking at it from a different angle or thinking about it in a new way.
Example 1 - instead of thinking of shoes as protecting your feet from the ground, think of using something to protect the ground from your feet.
Example 2 - instead of thinking about how you can carry kumquats home from a store, think of how they can come to you - by delivery or growing your own - or do you need kumquats at all?
Carefully define a problem. Focus on what you are trying to do in the first place - instead of simply how to do things. If you focus on methods, " i.e . "I need a way to use a computer to count apples", you may not to count apples?
Try changing the question - start it with a different word - who, what, where, when, why, how, etc. Change your perspective on a problem - looking for something is not at all the same as finding it, and putting something away is very different from getting rid of it.
Think about something in an unexpected and way that expresses your creativity. Describe doing something in words for something entirely different - search and rescue your toys; turn your closet into a menu of clothes; or feed a thought.
Identify a more basic problem - "I need to have about 1000 apples to sell every week" and miss a better solution.
Of course many patents issue on novel uses of things so don't just throw away an idea because it doesn't fit the rules.
Cheers,
Rajat
From India, Pune
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