Scalable Innovation

Eugene Shteyn teaches Principles of Invention and Innovation, The Greatest Innovations of Silicon Valley, The Patent Paradox, and Model-based Invention and Innovation at the Stanford University Continuing Studies Program. His innovation work, first as a principal scientist at Philips Research, then as a director of IP licensing at Hewlett-Packard, is embodied in high-tech products and represented in industry standards such as DVD, UPnP, and DLNA. Eugene holds 28 US patents and is a named inventor on more than 50 patents pending. He also founded Invention Spring, LLC, an invention development and innovation management consulting company whose clients include Fortune 500 companies (Apple, IBM, Roche) as well as many Silicon Valley startups.Max Shtein is an associate professor at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in materials science and engineering, chemical engineering, applied physics, as well as art and design. He teaches courses that include quantum mechanics, solid state physics, engineering and multi-disciplinary design, organic electronics, and most recently courses on emerging technology, creativity, and innovation. He also directs a research group working on flexible electronics and energy conversion in novel materials. Shtein's work and patents are used in the development of organic electronic devices (OLEDs, solar cells, transistors). His professional awards include the Materials Research Society Graduate Student Gold Medal Award, the Newport Award for Excellence and Leadership in Photonics and Optoelectronics, the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the Holt Award for Excellence in Teaching, the College of Engineering Vulcans Prize for Excellence in Education, and the Materials Science and Engineering Department Achievement Award.

PROLOGUE: Unlearning What's Untrue. SECTION I Systems. Invention: An Attempt to Improve the World . Understanding Inventions: A Brief Introduction to the System Model. Understanding Patents: An Application of the System Model. System Interfaces: How the Elements Work Together. System Control Points: Where to Aim the Silver Bullets. SECTION II Outside the Box. Outside the Box: Developing Skills for Creative Thinking. Seeing the Outlines of the Box: Discovering the Boundaries of a System. Inventor's Luck: A System Perspective. The Three Magicians: Tools for Flexible Thinking. Imagination Development: Seeing the World beyond Present-Day Constraints. SECTION III System Evolution and Innovation Timing. The S Curve: Dynamics of Systems Thinking. A Stage of System Evolution: Synthesis. A Stage of System Evolution: Early Growth. A Stage of System Evolution: Distribution Buildup. Growing Up: A Paradigm Shift within the System. Infrastructure Innovations: Timing Is Everything. Infrastructure and Growth: Zooming In on the Micro Level. A Stage of System Evolution: Efficiency. Payload Evolution: From Physical to Virtual. The Web Is Dead: Abandoning Documents and Files in Favor of Information Streams. Deconstructing Luck: Factors Affecting the Success of a System. Seeing the Invisible: The System behind the New Internet. The Book Electric: A Scenario of E-Book Evolution. Payload Overload: Managing the Ever-Increasing Flows of Information. Anticipating Control Problems: The Telegram before the Train. System Efficiency: Solving Detection Problems to Improve Control. Stages of System Evolution: Deep Integration. Choosing the Right Problem: Matching Innovation Targets with Stages of System Evolution. Tech Battles: Discovering System-Level Competitive Advantages. TiVo versus VCR: A Detailed Application Example of the Tech Battle Technique.