How is research at Media Lab different
The MIT Media Lab builds things quickly, and makes them just functional enough so that they can be used for experimentation. “Build first, ask questions later” is not the typical, well-thought out design for conducting research, but it’s an effective method when fast iteration is key to the process. In fact, this approach is similar to the one many venture IT services start-ups use when speed matters - Facebook being one example.
What’s complicated about this approach is that the entities sponsoring the research must understand how it serves their commercial interests. For example, in their interim stages, artifacts used in testing may reveal useful information and spark ideas that can solve problems outside the initial scope of the research.
A more central point, however, is that the things that are created in the course of the build first approach are not final answers, products or research. While the work may have practical applications at various stages, it must also enable further questions and ongoing experimentation to reach a deeper understanding of the underlying phenomena at work. For a commercial entity, useful interim stages may turn into products, even if the essence of why the solution seems to work is not revealed. In research, the purpose of the build is to formulate an operational model that may be generally applied to advance a theory. That’s how research becomes progress.
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January 10th, 2009 at 2:06 am
RE: “What’s complicated about this approach is that the entities sponsoring the research must understand how it serves their commercial interests.”
This defines the classic problem for banks in delivering agile development. imho banks must define hgher level objectives that take them out of evaluating (relatively) small individual iterations.
January 15th, 2009 at 6:33 am
Ray, as senior consultant in the IT Innovation unit of a major spanish bank, I find BofA approach with Media Lab a dream come true. I mean, new disruptive ideas will come out in such a fertile environment for sure, applicable either to the business model or to relationship with the customers.
However, when it comes to developing and deploying ideas that are founded on new technologies or artifacts, I imagine the process for a non-IT company unfeasible without a partnership with an IT company.
How are you approaching this need of support when concepts and technologies get out of the labs to the real life?
January 16th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Hi Ray. I like the approach of building faster than asking for permission. I’m in charge of the technological innovation department in another major spanish bank Spain (saludos Gerardo) and I can tell you that experience shows that when you see ‘in action’ a prototype or even a proof of concept you have more winning bets than if you make your ’show’ just with a powerpoint. The question is ‘let me go on with it; you have seen and you can imagine what and where we can achieve’. Regards