Pragmatic innovations – part 3
With this post, we conclude our exploration of how innovation itself has evolved into a structured discipline. In the first two parts, we examined the foundational principles of TRIZ and its application in global corporations. Now, in this final chapter, we delve deeper into its transformative potential for start-ups and smaller enterprises.
Pragmatic innovations…
…or how creating innovation became an innovation in itself
Part 3, or what practice looks like behind the scenes
Earlier, I provided examples of how the TRIZ methodology has been applied in various companies. Attentive readers may have noticed a common thread: the companies mentioned – General Electric, Kraft Heinz, Procter & Gamble, Intel, Hyundai Motor Group, Posco, Honda, and Chiquita – are all global giants. This might lead to an understandable yet flawed conclusion: “TRIZ is for wealthy, multinational corporations with deep pockets, expansive R&D departments, and the luxury of planning long-term innovation strategies.”
While it’s true that large corporations were the first to implement systemic innovation methodologies on a significant scale, this perception is far from accurate – and has never been entirely so. I’ll explore why in the following paragraphs.
Decades have passed since TRIZ first found its way into corporate innovation strategies. During that time, the methodology has evolved alongside changes in the global economy. Today, groundbreaking innovations are no longer confined to the closed laboratories of large companies. Increasingly, they emerge from start-ups – small, agile teams that generate ideas, develop them to a certain level, and sell them to industry giants, who then focus on scaling and bringing the products to market.
So, can start-ups utilize TRIZ in their operations? Can regionally or even locally operating companies benefit from this methodology? The answer is a resounding yes. Let’s dive into some examples to illustrate how TRIZ is accessible and valuable for organizations of all sizes.
I will now highlight examples of start-ups founded in the early 21st century that successfully employed systemic innovation tools in their development processes. These tools ranged from analytical methods to identify development areas and directions, to those for effective concept building, prototyping, and solving secondary problems. The companies mentioned here not only still exist but often boast portfolios of innovative products.
It is worth noting that the founders of these start-ups were specialists in TRIZ methodology. Many of them had previously been part of the GEN3 Partners consulting firm, which I discussed earlier. They were among the first to recognize that the methodology of systematic innovation could be leveraged to build a business from scratch and drive it to market success.
James Sims, the founder of GEN3 Partners, joined start-up AirGain in 2004 as its CEO while also becoming a member of the Board of Directors [1]. AirGain, now a major provider of embedded antenna technologies for high-performance wireless networks across home, enterprises, and industrial devices, was a fledgling start-up in the late 1990s. It was during this early stage that AirGain began collaborating with specialists from GEN3 Partners [2], initiating their first joint projects as early as 2000.
AirGain’s consulting team and engineers systematically identified that the most critical parameters for telecommunication system users were long signal coverage and high data transfer rates – referred to as their Main Parameters of Value (MPVs). Consequently, improving these attributes became the primary focus. From a technical perspective, this translated into enhancing the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). While the importance of SNR was a well-understood principle among industry experts, determining how to improve it was neither simple nor obvious.
This is where the TRIZ methodology came into play, enabling the identification of the most effective solution: increasing antenna gain through the implementation of a Smart Antenna (SA). A smart antenna is a system that dynamically focuses its signal beam toward areas of optimal quality, significantly enhancing both range and speed of communication. At the time, deploying SA technology in Wi-Fi systems was a novel and challenging concept, as it required addressing multiple engineering contradictions. Previously, smart antennas were primarily used in large-scale, expensive systems such as military radars and cellular towers.
Leveraging TRIZ tools, the GEN3 team systematically resolved these technical challenges. By 2003, prototypes of cost-effective Wi-Fi devices equipped with SA technology for desktop computers were developed, tested, and patented. However, another challenge arose, this time explicitly defined by customer requirements: the total dimensions of the antenna could not exceed 15 x 100 x 100 mm (W x H x D). The most stringent constraint was the height – at just 15 mm, it was significantly lower than the 60 mm height of the standard half-wave antenna used for Wi-Fi frequencies at the time. Simply reducing the antenna height would have drastically diminished system performance, rendering the solution unviable. Once again, AirGain’s consulting team took on the task of addressing this technical contradiction and designing a new antenna from scratch. The process they followed is detailed in figure 1.
Figure 1. The process of creating the MaxBeam75 smart antenna by AirGain using TRIZ tools.
Source: compiled based on Figure 5 from the article: Oleg Y. Abramov, “TRIZ-assisted Stage-Gate Process for Developing New Products.” Journal of Finance and Economics, vol. 2, no. 5 (2014): 178-184. doi: 10.12691/jfe-2-5-8.
The workflow presented had two critical junctures that significantly influenced the success of the entire project and, by extension, the future of the AirGain start-up. The first critical moment arose during Stage 1, when a key customer, who was also the primary advocate for downsizing the antenna, requested a preliminary SA concept. This concept needed to demonstrate how size requirements and high performance could be reconciled simultaneously. Adding to the challenge, the customer imposed an extremely short deadline for delivering the proposal. AirGain’s engineers initially struggled to devise an adequate solution. It was only with the intervention of the consulting team, leveraging their methodology, that several concepts meeting the customer’s requirements were rapidly developed and presented. The second critical moment occurred during Stage 4. The solution developed was so innovative that existing methods for testing and verifying antennas failed to fully measure or showcase the smart antenna’s capabilities. This limitation was highlighted by the customer, who initially tested the prototype in their laboratory. The results showed no significant advantage of the prototype over a standard dipole antenna. To address this, AirGain’s engineers collaborated once again with the TRIZ consultants to design a new testing methodology tailored to a multi-path environment, enabling the prototype’s true potential to be accurately assessed.
The consultants meticulously developed the principles for a new methodology for wireless field testing of Wi-Fi systems. This methodology was subsequently adopted by AirGain and implemented by the task force. Over time, it became a critical component of AirGain’s antenna technology portfolio. Apart from the two pivotal moments described earlier, the rest of the development process progressed smoothly, culminating in the creation of the MaxBeam75 SA, a commercial product that was patented [3] and successfully launched. In January 2007, the antenna received an award from the California State Government as the Most Innovative Product of 2006 in the communications category [4].
This project serves as a textbook example of the potential unlocked by a systems approach to innovation. From the consultants’ perspective, their achievements were not extraordinary – they simply applied a methodical, consistent use of successive tools that provided the necessary insights to advance each stage of the process. This disciplined approach ultimately led to commercial success.
AirGain’s journey is not unique; other companies have also transformed basic concepts into robust market positions. Consider Powermers, a company founded by Sam Kagan, Executive Director at GEN3 Partners, and based in Ohio. Powermers amassed an impressive portfolio of 5 U.S. patents, 46 international patents, and operated without licensing obligations to external parties. Its development team included 9 PhDs in electrochemistry, 4 doctoral students in electrochemistry and materials science, and 5 battery design engineers with extensive experience at GM’s Automotive Research Center and Ohio State University.
In just 11 years since its founding in 2009, Powermers established itself as a leader in its field, thanks to its consistent, systematic approach to innovation. Among its notable achievements is patented nanoscale polymer technology that enhances the performance of energy storage systems, including carbon supercapacitors, lithium-ion capacitors, and lithium-ion and lithium-air batteries [5].
Another example of a “TRIZ start-up” is Healbe, a company specializing in non-invasive wrist-worn devices that continuously monitor various bodily functions. These devices use advanced measurements of impedance, temperature, heart rate waveform, and calories burned. Founded in 2012 by Artem Shipitsyn, George Mikaberidze, Stan Povolotsky, and a team of experts from GEN3 Partners, Healbe gained significant traction through a highly successful crowdfunding campaign in 2014. The campaign raised over $1 million, enabling the launch of GoBe, a cutting-edge wristband powered by patented Healbe FLOW™ technology. GoBe offered an unprecedented range of features, monitoring more aspects of health and well-being than any other wearable activity tracker available at the time. This groundbreaking functionality was achieved by first identifying value parameters – the specific features for which potential customers would realistically pay. Healbe then applied tools of systemic innovation to refine and optimize the device, paving the way for its market success. Today, Healbe continues to innovate, offering an evolved version of its device while actively working on further developments.
Let’s shift our focus from American start-ups and global markets to consider whether a systematic approach to innovation can succeed in Poland. Although a number of individuals, companies, and institutions in the country are actively promoting and implementing methodical approaches to research and development, modern TRIZ methodology has yet to see widespread adoption among domestic entrepreneurs. That said, there are exceptions – some of them quite spectacular.
Allcomp, a Polish company with 30 years of experience, serves as a standout example. Specializing in machinery for the textile industry, Allcomp exports its products to over 20 countries across Europe and beyond. In 2016, the company’s CEO, Andrzej Zając, made an exceptionally bold decision – not merely to hire consultants or undertake a single innovation project, but to train nearly a quarter of the company’s workforce, including the entire R&D team, in a completely new approach to innovation.
The program introduced a methodology for systemic innovation, engaging nearly 30 employees in 10 innovation projects under the guidance of consultants and trainers. This learning-by-doing approach proved highly effective. By the end of the program, the team had developed 15 innovative solutions.
One notable example highlights the program’s success. Customers had reported frequent issues with the rapid dulling of a blade in one of Allcomp’s cutting machines. Historically, engineers addressed this issue by focusing on the sharpening process itself, improving blade durability or sharpener quality. However, using a systematic innovation approach and TRIZ tools, the team identified the root cause: the blade’s excessive temperature during operation.
Armed with this new perspective, the team employed an algorithmic problem-solving approach to generate several solutions. The optimal solution involved coating the blade with a thermally conductive layer. This concept was prototyped in collaboration with a customer who had experienced significant issues with the original technology. Testing confirmed a marked improvement in blade performance, resulting in higher quality output and a several-fold increase in blade lifespan.
The implementation of a systemic innovation methodology at Allcomp exemplifies a mature and forward-thinking development decision – an investment in employees and a commitment to reaching a new level of understanding and executing innovation. However, not every company needs to start with such an extensive program. In fact, for some, a smaller-scale approach can be just as effective.
Let me share two examples of Polish start-ups that successfully utilized TRIZ methodology – or more specifically, its evolved form, Design for Patentability – to tackle more focused challenges. In the first case, a Lodz-based start-up began by analyzing the competitive and patent landscape to assess the patentability of its solution. The next step involved using specialized tools to develop modifications to the solution, ensuring it could be patented in a way that made it difficult for competitors to circumvent. In the second case, the start-up sought assistance in analyzing an existing patent to determine whether competitors could easily and inexpensively bypass it. The follow-up plan was to create a “patent umbrella,” consisting of a series of modified versions of the technical system. This strategy aimed to protect the core solution from being copied or undermined by competitors.
These examples demonstrate that systemic innovation is not the exclusive domain of industry leaders. These tools are accessible even to emerging businesses and start-ups. What’s more, they can be applied in a modular and incremental fashion. Not every company needs to deploy the entire arsenal of systemic innovation thinking from the outset. Sometimes, a single well-executed step is all it takes to improve a company’s market position.
Epilogue
In summarizing the journey and examples presented above, one key takeaway stands out: creating and developing innovations in a systematic and methodical way is achievable for all types of companies. Whether it’s a global corporation with products found in even the remotest corners of the world, a locally operating business, or a start-up armed with little more than a great idea and the determination of its founders, the methodology of systemic innovation offers tools tailored to every need.
To reinforce this point, I will present a chart illustrating the model stages of implementing an innovation project, along with the fundamental tools that can be applied at each stage. This visualization will demonstrate how companies, regardless of their size or resources, can navigate the innovation process effectively using these structured approaches.
Figure 2. Map of tools for creating innovation.
Based on materials from GEN3 Partners.
As demonstrated, the process of systemic innovation creation is truly systematic. The output from one tool feeds into the next, creating a cohesive flow that continues through to the end. Simultaneously, the methodology provides clear guidance for the development team, moving them step by step from one stage to the next, and indicating precisely what tools to apply and when.
It’s important to note that the phases of problem identification, problem solving, and concept justification discussed here focus on the most critical stage of innovation creation. Equally crucial, however, is the ability to verify early – and with precision – what should be developed, and which features of a product or process deserve attention. After all, not everything is worth pursuing. Sometimes, the best decision (and systemic innovation methodology can highlight this as well) is to halt further development of a particular solution and avoid wasting additional resources on a product that lacks potential.
Figure 3. Workflow of activities within a comprehensive development project.
Source: own elaboration.
I hope the history of the development of systemic innovation methodology and the glimpse into its contemporary applications have demonstrated that this approach is accessible to anyone willing to embrace it. My goal was to emphasize that in today’s world, success rarely comes from sheer luck or sudden flashes of genius. Instead, it is achieved through diligent, systematic effort.
That said, hard work must also be smart work. Rather than stumbling in the dark, we can follow a structured algorithm to develop both incremental and breakthrough innovations. Of course, luck has always played – and will continue to play – a role in success. However, with the right tools and mindset, we can significantly improve our chances of creating it.
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This article is based on publicly available materials and articles, as well as insights graciously shared by Prof. Sergei Ikovenko and Dr. Sergey Yatsunenko, who contributed their perspectives on pragmatic innovation. Additional inspiration came from Zakhar Vintman’s photo archive, parts of which are featured in this article.
The original version of this text was created in November 2020 for publication on the Polish Industry portal: https://polskiprzemysl.com.pl/. A revised version followed in February 2021 for publication in Production Manager magazine: http://www.production-manager.pl/.
The current article is a synthesis of the two earlier publications.
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About the author
Błażej Czajkowski
An expert in grants and support instruments with over 15 years of experience advising companies on obtaining and managing financial assistance for investment and R&D projects. A passionate advocate of the TRIZ methodology.
References
- https://www.airgain.com/about/management-team/
- The story of AirGain’s development and use of TRIZ comes from the article: Oleg Y. Abramov, “TRIZ-assisted Stage-Gate Process for Developing New Products.” Journal of Finance and Economics, vol. 2, no. 5 (2014): 178-184. doi: 10.12691/jfe-2-5-8 and from a presentation available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286447613_TRIZ-Assisted_Process_For_Developing_New_Products_Part_II_case_studies.
- https://patents.google.com/patent/US7215296B2/en?oq=US+Patent+7215296
- https://www.electronicdesign.com/markets/energy/article/21752420/miniature-smart-antenna-wins-innovation-award
- Powermers holds several patents developed using the TRIZ methodology, including: WO200365536; US20050258042; WO2007112075; WO2006131992; WO200536572; WO200638293; WO200638292; WO200432261; WO200432162; WO200430123; WO200318469.