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MEETING THE CHALLENGES OF INNOVATION - THE 1990S INVENTIVE STORY OF THE ZIP DRIVE… Fred Thomas January 31, 2012 At Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA Presented at the invitation of - Innovation Programs Context – This Evening’s Talk • Your host – Fred Thomas (Bucknell Grad. – 82’ & 90’) • Meeting the Challenges of Innovation – The Zip Drive… • Understanding the differences between Innovation and Invention – Provide a framework • Provide some learned lessons regarding invention as art & science – Insights… • Answer Questions January 31, 2012 Copyright 2012 Fred Thomas 2 Big I And little i • Innovation and Invention – Same family but not twins • Innovation types – – Disruptive innovation – Sustaining innovation • Invention – Can be innovation, but typically in a supporting role. Clayton Christensen January 31, 2012 Copyright 2012 Fred Thomas 3 Some Disruptive Innovations Compact Disk – Optical Recording (Innovation by: Sony & Philips) iPod (Innovation by: Apple) The Internet (Innovation by: Al Gore?) January 31, 2012 Copyright 2012 Fred Thomas 4 Super Floppies of the 1990s 8”, 5.25” & 3.5” Floppies (1971-1991) 1.44 MB 1990 Zip – 100 MB (Iomega) 1995 - 2002 Floptical /LS-120 21 MB/120 MB (Iomega, Insite, Maxell & 3M ) 1991 & 1996 Bernoulli Box 20 to 230 MB (Iomega) 1983-1990 HiFD – 200 MB (Sony ) 1998 1987 $2500 for 40 MB Drive Ouch! Consumer Removable Data Storage before 1990 Gov. / Enterprise Removable Data Storage before 1990 January 31, 2012 Copyright 2012 Fred Thomas 5 The Zip Disruptive Innovation Insight Kim Edward – CEO Iomega (1993- 1998) Asked the Insightful Question: What drive can Iomega bring to market at a price point of $199? Observed what Iomega had in the market in 1994. Evaluated what was coming out of R&D. $379 $650 4 platter flexible disk cartridge with ~ 400 MB @ ~ $500 January 31, 2012 Copyright 2012 Fred Thomas 6 Zip a Truly Disruptive Innovation 0% 9% 6% 3% Product Unit Sales as % of Unit PC SalesJanuary 31, 2012 Copyright 2012 Fred Thomas 7 Still Makes Me Laugh! Johnny Crash (Zip Super Bowl Ad 1998) January 31, 2012 Copyright 2012 Fred Thomas 8 Disk Drive Technology Basics • Capacity – How much Data? • Date Track width • Linear Density • Areal Density • Transfer Rate – How fast can I read/write the data? • Platter RPM • Access time • Linear Density January 31, 2012 Copyright 2012 Fred Thomas 9 Zip – Inventions Behind the Innovation 1 3 4 6 2 5 7 Head-to-Disk Interface Disk Snap – New Physical Phenomena Discovered Watch Jewels in a Disk Drive Stiction Thwarted Gore-Tex® Everywhere 2¢ Little Part – Big Consequence Cartridge Jewels – Industrial Espionage 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 January 31, 2012 Copyright 2012 Fred Thomas 10 Head-to-Disk Interface Invention Takeaway: A good invention can be a seed enabler for disruptive innovation! Invention – Cross-cut on convention hard drive slider allows for high speed flexible media application. Historic evolution of the Hard Drive slider (read/write head) Some perspective on magnetic drive HDI (nanosliders in 2002 @ 1µ”) 4 mm ± 0.2mm January 31, 2012 Copyright 2012 Fred Thomas 11 Disk Snap - New Physical Phenomena Discovered Invention Takeaway: Inventions directed at understanding the problem are sometimes needed. Trade secret status may make sense. Invention – Mode-master instrument invented to understand phenomena. Some example Disk modes. Discovery – Very flexible spinning disks at high RPM and having a transverse load (recording head) can snap instantaneously between different modes with change in transverse load radial location. January 31, 2012 Copyright 2012 Fred Thomas 12 Watch Jewels in a Disk Drive Invention Takeaway: Repurposed “old” technologies are a good source for new invention… and sometimes not! Invention – Watch jewel bearings for disk drive linear actuator bearing. Zip actuator exploded view Historic lubricant for watch jewels. Not for Zip Drives! January 31, 2012 Copyright 2012 Fred Thomas 13 Stiction Thwarted The phenomena Chemically etched gimbals for Hard Drive Invention Takeaway: Look for solutions from domains with similar problems. Invention – Thin chemically etched leaf springs. No bearing stiction! Zip actuator exploded view January 31, 2012 Copyright 2012 Fred Thomas 14 2¢ Little Part – Big Consequence Chemically etched gimbals for Hard Drive Invention Takeaway: Disconnected communication between R&D and manufacturing is not good. Invention – Tiny foam donut (2mm dia.) crash stop. No patent filed. Proved quite important (Class Action Suit Settle in 2001) January 31, 2012 Copyright 2012 Fred Thomas 15 Gore-Tex® Everywhere Invention Takeaways: 1) Enabling materials enable invention. Build a toolbox of enablers. 2) Patent it. Invention in large part is the convergence of knowledge, an exceptional insight with a problem. This in not an exclusive domain. Invention – Teflon fiber disk liner: lubricious, lower disk lubricant wicking, effective disk debris removal, less drive power consumption. Flexible Disk Cartridge exploded view January 31, 2012 Copyright 2012 Fred Thomas 16 Cartridge Jewels - Industrial Espionage Invention Takeaways: 1) The solution to a particular problem can be the opportunity for strategic invention. 2) Just because you have valid patents doesn’t mean you can’t be over-ridden by government judicial fiat. Invention – Cartridge retro- reflective and phosphorescent markers. Utility and strategic directed inventions. January 31, 2012 Copyright 2012 Fred Thomas 17 The Anatomy of a Disruptive Innovation Core Unique Value Proposition • Ring on enabling technology • Ring of enabling invention • Ring of enabling insightful fusion Invention 2 Invention 3 Technology 2 • Some Observations… • Process to a Disruptive Innovation is usually not linear. • The number of elements varies. • The sequence of their birth differs. • Science of Chaos gives us some guidance on Innovation • Concept of a strange attractors holds • Concept of sensitivity to initial conditions holds Invention 1 Invention 4 Technology 1 Ring of Enablement Fusion 1 Fusion 2 January 31, 2012 Copyright 2012 Fred Thomas 18 Epilogue – New Technology Displacement 1999 Still going strong 2003 January 31, 2012 Copyright 2012 Fred Thomas 19 What is an Invention? • No implicit economic value. • It is the product of exceptional informed insight. • It is statutory. – Utility – Novel – Unobvious January 31, 2012 Copyright 2012 Fred Thomas 20 Invention Skill Takeaways • Informed insight – Typically scientific or technical – Create enabling tool bag • Understand its statutory basis – Claims – Take a patent bar course – Patent It Yourself - Pressman January 31, 2012 Copyright 2012 Fred Thomas 21 What is an Innovation? • Implicit economic value. • Its is the product of exceptional informed insight. • Bringing differentiated product to market. • Insight is customer value centric. • Innovation ideas without bulwark are call fantasies. • Implicit economic value. • Ultimately it is disruptive to markets. January 31, 2012 Copyright 2012 Fred Thomas 22 Innovation Skill Takeaways • Complicated • Focused on the utility element of invention but not necessarily invention. – Exceptional utility at exceptional value is what matters. • Many sources • Find problems worth solving… art – Invent later… science January 31, 2012 Copyright 2012 Fred Thomas 23 A Final Thought on Invention The greatest American was an inventor. 1849 - Patent # 6469 January 31, 2012 Copyright 2012 Fred Thomas 24 QUESTIONS? January 31, 2012 Copyright 2012 Fred Thomas 25 THE END… THANKS! January 31, 2012 Copyright 2012 Fred Thomas 26 January 31, 2012 Copyright 2012 Fred Thomas 27 Fred Thomas’ Bio: Fred Thomas received a BS in Mechanical Engineering with a Minor in Physics (BA) as well as his MS in Mechanical Engineering from Bucknell University in 1982 & 1990 respectively. His Master’s Degree work at Bucknell was directed at control systems and non-linear dynamics via the construction of a Chaos Machine for his thesis. Mr. Thomas has been employed at Hewlett-Packard (HP) for the past six years, initially as Principal Hardware Architect–MediaSmart Home Servers; and since 2010, as Champion for Innovation Intent—PC Ecosystem and Responsiveness. Previously Fred Thomas was Iomega’s Chief Technologist in Advanced Research and Development where he worked for 14 years. In addition, he was the owner/engineer of Prototype Devices, and an Electro-Optic Systems Engineer at Texas Instruments for five years. Fred Thomas’ technical interest is in the fusion of new technologies for the enhancement or creation of new products. With 50-plus issued and many pending US patents, Fred has demonstrated his ability to deliver innovation to products that ship and are market successes. This creativity has been demonstrated in several fields, including data storage, sensors, actuators, mechanisms, electro-optics, machine vision, nano-technology, data security, network attached storage, and intellectual property. His work at Iomega Corporation was essential to the Zip, Jaz, Clik!, DCT, Floptical, Peerless and REV removable storage products. His work on subwavelength optical data storage, which allows for multiple 10s of fold increase in the capacity of DVDs, is embodied in two issued and one pending patents. Mr. Thomas’ awards include the International Design Excellence Award in 2009, Industrial Forum Product Design Award in 2008, “Nano50 Award” for “Subwavelength Optical Data Storage” in 2005, Lemelson-MIT “Inventor of the Week” Award in 2004, Iomega “Exceptional Invention Award” in 1999, and Laser Focus World “Electro-Optic Application of the Year Award” in 1994.
