Just starting working with Iphone programming. Lots of rather unusual stuff in the way it’s laid out. Thought the GUI would be the easy part. It turns out there are lots of ways to mess that up too. It’s only been a couple of weeks so I expect to get the hang of it soon. The use of the .M file for implementation and the .H files for the header data feels real odd. The method of dragging the Output and Input connections from the program to the GUI looks like it will make sense after a bit. The concept looks easy. Configuring the Outputs and action items in the program feels real disjointed.

The program concept is not out there anywhere so my goal is to get the Iphone program set up and then push myself over to the Android platform and write the same thing for the other platform. Not a lot too it. All need to do is provide an array of values, give the user an adjustment method for customized data and then output the adjusted values. Sorry can’t let the cat out of the bag just yet on the concept. It’s very finely focused to a very specific market. It could be my break though into real profits.

Since the SEO biz here has not been getting much action I’m continuing to try lots of things to keep above the water.

Companies typically focus the innovation that is needed within the strict boundaries of their profitability. It’s not wrong from a short range standpoint but when the long range view is used it can be very restrictive.

Ideas going through a patent board go through a idea funnel that can encourage incremental advances over real innovation.   Ideas that change industries  move beyond those incremental advances and may not be understood through the companies policy’s.  The infamous funnel is based on the road map the company makes. If it isn’t on the road map they aren’t interested.

The off the road map idea must be posed by bending it and putting in onto the road map. Recognizing the need to bend the idea before presenting it makes is not the way an innovator normally takes. The idea is exciting and innovator wants to expose the idea to the world. Bending the idea presentation to fit the road map improves the odds of success.

After submitting lots of ideas to the Motorola patent board (some of my ideas were real stinkers!) I have seen the same idea come out by others within five years and do quite well. That’s where the innovator gets discouraged.

Never let your lack of knowledge on a subject stop you from exploring an idea a new area. You will inevitably find dead ends but the thought exercise within the new area will allow you to try some thing new. Coming into the area from outside without being an expert means you don’t carry any biases. That may enable you to see things others overlook.  It will also be a new  place to make mistakes. That’s good. If we always go into the same area and don’t expect to have any errors we won’t learn.

Branching concepts happen when the original concept “A” suggests a different usage into  “B One” ,”C Two” or “D Three” areas. Changing the usage of the concept can be done without  modifying  the concept but is not the typical direction branching takes. Normal branching involves a modification of the concept that yields new areas of use and the ability to solve problems unstated in the “A” concept.

Write down where the branches go and how the use of the concept gets adjusted to for the new fit. Branching should be done like exploration. You don’t know what might happen unless you try it. Dumb branches might be smarter than you know. I’ll cover how to work with dumb ideas in another post.

Big words with a simple use for innovation.

Condense your problem into a single statement. Then list what can be changed or adapted about it (Note: Not to solve the problem yet!). Organize these into groups. Nice to make them neat but it doesn’t have to be. If you have two groups list those in a matrix. Then describe what happens at the intersection of the changes. What do they suggest?  You will end up exploring areas not considered by other methods.

http://creatingminds.org/tools/morphological.htm

http://creatingminds.org/tools/morphological.htm