Innovation (was Of Coase)

[schaffer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

i forgot one category of innovation lust:

   3a.) the sales/marketing departments of a company decide it's
   current product line is old in the tooth and sales people are
   requesting something they can go out and sell more
   enthusiastically. Some years ago someone in the company said "why
   don't we make XXX". So sales/marketing goes to owners/execs and ask
   for a new line of XXZ (a little different from original
   idea). management plays "what if", "how much" games. and then calls
   in engineering and tells them to suspend work on that problem we
   were all worried about last year and get cracking on new product
   XXZ. "you have 9 months to produce a prototype that we can
   demonstrate at the Hanover Fair, and you must be in production 3
   months after sales does its annual trade fair in Phoenix." the
   engineer who originally suggested XXX specified it would take 2
   years to complete development, now they are given one year to get
   to market.

les schaffer