I've not heard of donutss vs donut holes. I've heard it referred to as chasin' rabbits. When the focus goes from solving one real problem to chasin' all them rabbits and trying to solve the worlds problems.
It's time like these managers need to bring the group back to the original problem.
I've done quite a bit of working with young people and this is a great skill to pass on to them. Stay focused and do one thing at a time. When we're done with that problem we'll go on to the next.
Rod is indeed correct, in many cases the investor starts to run the show, and the direction changes from providing a solution to a problem to maximizing the short term profit, usually at the expense of everything else. Unfortunately the obvious solutions are unworkable, because many startup companies do need the investment capital of those who are only in it for the money. Perhaps it would help to only partner with investors who were interested in long term growth, instead of maximizing each months profits.
But finding investors like that is probably quite a challenge.
The biggest example I can think of losing sight of the donut was the big dot com implosion. All of those internet companies had a viable product when they started. As time went on, the focus changed to turning IPO's into gobs of cash. The original product got lost in the shuffle.
There are a lot of familial saying that get passed down. ("This is gonna hurt me more than it hurts you" is one that comes to mind.) Seriously, though, focus for an entrepreneur is perhaps even more important than technological competence. I think that's why so many older engineers end up either perplexed or slightly bitter. They've spent their whole careers being the best engineers they can be, and then they don't understand why the schmoozers have done better, economically speaking.
A lot of times, companies focus on the solutions rather than the needs of their customers. A good portion of the press releases I read seem to present a solution that's looking for a problem to solve.
I have suspected that mobile apps for design and factory automation were solutions looking for a problem. But I'd also like to see this technology get adopted. I think it would be fun to watch.
In the meantime, we don't yet know if mobile apps are filling a need or simply delivering technology for technology's sake.
Sometimes entreprenuers and engineers get so focused on the perceived need and filling that perceived need that they are too close to the problem or solution and can't adapt when things change. It's being able to take a deep breadth and reevaluate the solution with a fresh eye that's often the greatest challenge to saying focused on the "donut" and not getting caught up in the "hole."
I always thought the best advice for new business was to focus on finding a need and filling it. Once you've identified a need, the way you fill that need can change. The important thing is to remember it's filling the need that is important, not the specific product or service (which can change in order to better fill that need).
I owned a business for 10 years, and that advice helped keep everything in focus. It also implies keeping communication open with customers -- you have to keep tabs on whether that need is changing and whether your product or service is continuing to fill the need.
By experimenting with the photovoltaic reaction in solar cells, researchers at MIT have made a breakthrough in energy efficiency that significantly pushes the boundaries of current commercial cells on the market.
In a world that's going green, industrial operations have a problem: Their processes involve materials that are potentially toxic, flammable, corrosive, or reactive. If improperly managed, this can precipitate dangerous health and environmental consequences.
With LEDs dropping in price virtually every year, automakers have begun employing them, not only on luxury vehicles, but on entry-level models, as well.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 3
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
0 
