Research QUEST

Introduction to commercial research management

Being an inventor, an explorer, and an innovator is an honorable profession. As with any other profession, it retains a body of knowledge and practices which we humbly tried to assemble in this book.

When applied with diligence, such skills bring fortune and proficiency in due course. Well-prepared captains are able to find their way even when they are puzzled by a strong problem, run out of funds, or find their crew exhausted by failed experiments and protracted research.

Research projects differ from standard projects in many ways. Because of infinite unknown unknowns, they tend to be unpredictable, hard to evaluate and manage, and they often end up taking much longer and being more expensive than originally planned.

Although Project is a word most used today by business people to designate an undertaking with certain goals and budget, we chose to follow the wisdom of old masters and utilize the word Quest for such endeavors that entail extreme uncertainty.

Table of contents

RESEARCH QUEST: INTRODUCTION

I. Research QUEST: Introduction to commercial research management

II. Delivery vs Discovery: Why highly uncertain projects require a new management approach

III. Pick your QUEST character: Are you ready to start your own QUEST?

IV. A new research-driven way of doing business: How uncertainty and risks incite us to change our management tradition

V. Success, then failure, then success: The problem of observable increments in research

VI. In the Labyrinth of uncertainty, keep reserves quadrupled: Why being stingy in research budgeting does not mean being lean.

VII. Four EVIL contentions: The main reasons for possible internal conflict in every research project.

VIII. QUEST Memorandum: The marching song of explorers.

IX. The legend of QUEST (Management)

Q. QUESTIONS

X. ACCCept a new quest: Three “C” questions to be answered before aCCCepting a quest

XI. The Roles and Goals Triangle: Fortune favors the bold, united, and concord.

XII. Decision-to-be-Made: The sharpest tool in your business-understanding inventor

XIII. Understand your MISSION: MISSION Canvas — fast and concise tool to structure definition of your project

XIV. The Good, the Bad, and the Unspoken: Initiating a project with unclear success criteria

XV. Why solving a strong problem is almost like besieging a fortress: Budget estimation under uncertainty

XVI. Level Up: The fundamental principle of planning and execution for complexity and uncertainty.

XVII. Questions answered and unanswered: [Q]uest best practices in a nutshell

U. UNCERTAINTIES

XVIII. Uncertainty is not a peril, but a lottery ticket: How to make uncertainty a driver instead of a blocker.

XIX. You need a MAP: Divide and conquer by structuring your research space for Metrics, Architectures, and Problems

XX. Architecture types, mapping and leveling guides: 9 most common architecture patterns

XX.I. Simple Chain: 1st process architecture pattern: sequence of steps

XX.II. Assembly Chain: 2nd process architecture pattern: several chains converging to construct a compound product

XX.III. Funnel: 3rd process architecture: a process with rapidly diminishing number of items conveyed from step to step

XX.IV. Cycle: 4th process architecture pattern: a repeating process

New chapters will be published weekly. Please follow us and don't miss when a new chapter comes out!