standing here I get this feeling that
many of you in this room face big
problems tough problems every day or
maybe it’s just from the number of
expensive suits I see here everywhere
another one there good evening everyone
I’d like to ask each of you to do
something
can you please choose one of your
toughest hottest problem you’re trying
to solve at the moment everybody got one
like everyone please even if you don’t
have expensive suits thank you so now
what if someone walks into your office
tomorrow and tell you that he or she has
a very simple solution which can very
easily solve your problem what would you
do now hold on to that thought we’ll get
back to this later
my name is legionary ananda blutter
I forget that part
I’m a roboticist I make these robotic
cakes for my butt for my daughter’s
birthdays this year she can press a
button and the cake sings old McDonald
heard of and a cow and horse starts
walking around on top of the cake it was
fun I think I had more fun than all the
kids in that party I work with robots it
was through working with robots which
can often be complex that I learned
something about simplicity and how
valuable simplicity can be I’d like to
share with you two key lessons which
have significantly transformed my
approach and expectation for others in
solving problems let’s start with lesson
number one simplicity is not easy but
worth it some years ago I started a new
job at a robotic company as the
technical lead for their flagship
product a gait rehabilitation device
which helps patient relearn how to walk
again after stroke spinal cord injury or
other neurological disorders the hot
topic at that time was the critical goal
to extend this device with a
side-to-side shift of the body
center-of-mass an important element of
physiological walking and balance
several approaches have been tried but
there was no feasible solution in the
horizon message was very clear we want
to be on the market yesterday and it was
my job to make this happen
have you ever had an experience where
everyone was working on a very
challenging problem and you saw a very
easy simple solution then you thought
hey wait a second
if you were so easy someone else would
have thought of it before right two
years into the job this happen exactly I
saw a very simple solution to our
problem and I doubt it
hey wait a second people have been
working on this for years
what am I missing here so I did what
anyone would do I waited until my
three-month trial period was over and I
started an underground project quietly
to find out if the idea would work I had
no money no resources but I had good
luck an excellent and cheap mass intern
showed up within one month we came out
of the ground with a proof of concept
and later a functional model together
with a super talented team within ten
months we transformed no way into
product ready for sale one may say this
was an example of thinking outside the
box yeah well okay of course I was
I was literally outside the box I was
brand-new and no I didn’t smoke anything
I just didn’t know that the problem was
so difficult
so now let’s roll back a couple years
this time at the start I was leading the
development of a device for sorting
grains one at a time at very high speed
six months into the job I was fully
absorbed inside the box this time but a
critical issue turned into a roadblock
we had no choice we had to stop and so I
looked at the device for days I stared
at it thinking there has to be an easier
way out gotta be I’m gonna bloody find
it and out of the blue I did I saw that
if I rotate this like that if I do that
and if I move that that way not only I
can solve the problem I can even get rid
of one of two conveyors and one of two
pumps so took it apart make the hole
change and voila
problem solved the best part the device
complexity and – cost drivers were
some people say simplicity is beauty
I say simplicity is money beat robots or
physical products in general simplicity
comes with a long list of cost benefits
fewer simpler parts lower development
costs shorter time to market lower
production cost less maintenance I can
go on all night but we’re all wondering
here though right how do you find this
simple solution I also don’t know for me
it comes when it comes it was so easy to
think out of the box when I was brand
new but you can’t hire someone new every
time you need a simple solution not
sustainable another time it took months
plus a roadblock to get to a simpler
solution how do you know that a simpler
solution or simple solution even exists
you don’t know or at least I don’t know
what I do know is that as soon as we
believe our problem is difficult and we
believe there is no easy way out then
they won’t be and plus we’d also stop
others from trying now let’s move on to
lesson number two knowing lesson number
this very early face of a new product
development where all you have is a
great idea is challenging but exciting
everywhere you look you find
uncertainties how would you develop it
how much would it cost what the
customers say all is based on
imagination at this time so your
customer feedback may also be very
diverse I was exactly in such an early
phase of a new product idea an
overground gate rehabilitation device
for neurological patients to relearn to
walk patient must train walking a lot on
the ground except that they’re not able
to walk we were very excited by the post
ability to support a part patients body
weight just by the needed amount while
walking essentially equivalent to
reducing gravity this would empower
patient to train safely intensively and
physiologically deciding where they want
to go from room to room we were all busy
talking to customers looking for
partners until we started to stall we
couldn’t move without new information
and we couldn’t get new information
without moving innovating a new product
can be complex sometimes there is no
easy way out in the book the subtle art
of not giving an F star CK is the title
really mark Manson quoted a mantra if
you get stuck don’t just sit there do
something and the answer will follow
perfect sense but do what if I know what
to do I wouldn’t be stuck in the first
place yeah so I thought how about doing
something easy I do something easy
something simple just make a very small
hole won’t get me out but maybe I
learned something I decided to find out
how far can we get with the simplest
possible solution for detecting patients
movement and following them because it
was the problem I considered most
challenging also with an alternative
simple low-cost drived mechanism even
though it comes with a compromise
because with the mechanism needed to
follow patients from behind as in the
original idea it would be very costly to
make things easy I did once again
underground this time with two master in
terms you think my boss would have
detected a pattern by now but I had a
change of policy within four months and
I have to say completely unexpected our
way to simple solution was able to
follow a healthy
person and with something to show we
could also get more concrete customer
feedback the small step got us out of
this cloud of risky uncertainty into hey
maybe this is something easy to do after
all in 10 months our product was in the
clinic for the first test in another 10
months product was on the market the
plus point our way to simple solution
landed us at a fraction our initial cost
estimate these experiences have
certainly transformed the way I think
and approach problems I’d like to close
by sharing two rules which I use when I
don’t know how to solve a problem rule
number one complex problems don’t always
need complex solutions sometimes a
solution is very easy however the moment
you decide that your problem is
difficult and that there is no easy way
out then they won’t be important is
don’t don’t stop others from trying rule
number two
even if you get stuck do something don’t
just sit there do something easy
something simple make a small hole maybe
it moves you forward maybe it doesn’t
but doing nothing will definitely get
you nowhere now let’s get back to this
person in your office with a simple
solution to your problem what will you
do now thank you [Applause]
many of you in this room face big
problems tough problems every day or
maybe it’s just from the number of
expensive suits I see here everywhere
another one there good evening everyone
I’d like to ask each of you to do
something
can you please choose one of your
toughest hottest problem you’re trying
to solve at the moment everybody got one
like everyone please even if you don’t
have expensive suits thank you so now
what if someone walks into your office
tomorrow and tell you that he or she has
a very simple solution which can very
easily solve your problem what would you
do now hold on to that thought we’ll get
back to this later
my name is legionary ananda blutter
I forget that part
I’m a roboticist I make these robotic
cakes for my butt for my daughter’s
birthdays this year she can press a
button and the cake sings old McDonald
heard of and a cow and horse starts
walking around on top of the cake it was
fun I think I had more fun than all the
kids in that party I work with robots it
was through working with robots which
can often be complex that I learned
something about simplicity and how
valuable simplicity can be I’d like to
share with you two key lessons which
have significantly transformed my
approach and expectation for others in
solving problems let’s start with lesson
number one simplicity is not easy but
worth it some years ago I started a new
job at a robotic company as the
technical lead for their flagship
product a gait rehabilitation device
which helps patient relearn how to walk
again after stroke spinal cord injury or
other neurological disorders the hot
topic at that time was the critical goal
to extend this device with a
side-to-side shift of the body
center-of-mass an important element of
physiological walking and balance
several approaches have been tried but
there was no feasible solution in the
horizon message was very clear we want
to be on the market yesterday and it was
my job to make this happen
have you ever had an experience where
everyone was working on a very
challenging problem and you saw a very
easy simple solution then you thought
hey wait a second
if you were so easy someone else would
have thought of it before right two
years into the job this happen exactly I
saw a very simple solution to our
problem and I doubt it
hey wait a second people have been
working on this for years
what am I missing here so I did what
anyone would do I waited until my
three-month trial period was over and I
started an underground project quietly
to find out if the idea would work I had
no money no resources but I had good
luck an excellent and cheap mass intern
showed up within one month we came out
of the ground with a proof of concept
and later a functional model together
with a super talented team within ten
months we transformed no way into
product ready for sale one may say this
was an example of thinking outside the
box yeah well okay of course I was
I was literally outside the box I was
brand-new and no I didn’t smoke anything
I just didn’t know that the problem was
so difficult
so now let’s roll back a couple years
this time at the start I was leading the
development of a device for sorting
grains one at a time at very high speed
six months into the job I was fully
absorbed inside the box this time but a
critical issue turned into a roadblock
we had no choice we had to stop and so I
looked at the device for days I stared
at it thinking there has to be an easier
way out gotta be I’m gonna bloody find
it and out of the blue I did I saw that
if I rotate this like that if I do that
and if I move that that way not only I
can solve the problem I can even get rid
of one of two conveyors and one of two
pumps so took it apart make the hole
change and voila
problem solved the best part the device
complexity and – cost drivers were
some people say simplicity is beauty
I say simplicity is money beat robots or
physical products in general simplicity
comes with a long list of cost benefits
fewer simpler parts lower development
costs shorter time to market lower
production cost less maintenance I can
go on all night but we’re all wondering
here though right how do you find this
simple solution I also don’t know for me
it comes when it comes it was so easy to
think out of the box when I was brand
new but you can’t hire someone new every
time you need a simple solution not
sustainable another time it took months
plus a roadblock to get to a simpler
solution how do you know that a simpler
solution or simple solution even exists
you don’t know or at least I don’t know
what I do know is that as soon as we
believe our problem is difficult and we
believe there is no easy way out then
they won’t be and plus we’d also stop
others from trying now let’s move on to
lesson number two knowing lesson number
this very early face of a new product
development where all you have is a
great idea is challenging but exciting
everywhere you look you find
uncertainties how would you develop it
how much would it cost what the
customers say all is based on
imagination at this time so your
customer feedback may also be very
diverse I was exactly in such an early
phase of a new product idea an
overground gate rehabilitation device
for neurological patients to relearn to
walk patient must train walking a lot on
the ground except that they’re not able
to walk we were very excited by the post
ability to support a part patients body
weight just by the needed amount while
walking essentially equivalent to
reducing gravity this would empower
patient to train safely intensively and
physiologically deciding where they want
to go from room to room we were all busy
talking to customers looking for
partners until we started to stall we
couldn’t move without new information
and we couldn’t get new information
without moving innovating a new product
can be complex sometimes there is no
easy way out in the book the subtle art
of not giving an F star CK is the title
really mark Manson quoted a mantra if
you get stuck don’t just sit there do
something and the answer will follow
perfect sense but do what if I know what
to do I wouldn’t be stuck in the first
place yeah so I thought how about doing
something easy I do something easy
something simple just make a very small
hole won’t get me out but maybe I
learned something I decided to find out
how far can we get with the simplest
possible solution for detecting patients
movement and following them because it
was the problem I considered most
challenging also with an alternative
simple low-cost drived mechanism even
though it comes with a compromise
because with the mechanism needed to
follow patients from behind as in the
original idea it would be very costly to
make things easy I did once again
underground this time with two master in
terms you think my boss would have
detected a pattern by now but I had a
change of policy within four months and
I have to say completely unexpected our
way to simple solution was able to
follow a healthy
person and with something to show we
could also get more concrete customer
feedback the small step got us out of
this cloud of risky uncertainty into hey
maybe this is something easy to do after
all in 10 months our product was in the
clinic for the first test in another 10
months product was on the market the
plus point our way to simple solution
landed us at a fraction our initial cost
estimate these experiences have
certainly transformed the way I think
and approach problems I’d like to close
by sharing two rules which I use when I
don’t know how to solve a problem rule
number one complex problems don’t always
need complex solutions sometimes a
solution is very easy however the moment
you decide that your problem is
difficult and that there is no easy way
out then they won’t be important is
don’t don’t stop others from trying rule
number two
even if you get stuck do something don’t
just sit there do something easy
something simple make a small hole maybe
it moves you forward maybe it doesn’t
but doing nothing will definitely get
you nowhere now let’s get back to this
person in your office with a simple
solution to your problem what will you
do now thank you [Applause]
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