The awesomeness of the team in Think Outside (or what Marcus did this summer)
No news here; we all have read and heard countless versions of the subject; team is what the investors are buying in to (not your idea or product). And I totally agree, this is a cliché that makes perfect sense! What I love so much with working with this particular team is the endless self-motivation, the inventiveness, curiosity and drive (You investors, love this too).
So, I am really proud to introduce to you what Marcus did this summer.
But first, a little story. Think Outside makes avalanche prevention technology for skiers. As a CEO, a lot of what I do is meet people, discover opportunities and help make my team have the best framework to deliver and do best at what they do best. So I drink a lot of coffee.
Late this spring I had a coffee chat with a ski guide. We talked about what Think Outside has set out to do. We discussed the vision, the complexity and challenges to get there. I was met with skepticism and reluctance. Then I shared with the guide some field data and that seemed to do the trick. Real, true data is more tangible than a vision. It goes to show that we can actually achieve what we are saying we will do!
So, as impressed as this guide was, he tossed in; would it also be possible to measure, model, and maybe even forecast the effect a skier (and the skiers’ weight) would have on a snow pack, and consequently the chance of triggering collapse of a weak snow layer (this collapse then can lead to an avalanche)? I agreed, that would be amazing! As much as I didn’t think much about it, I did mention it to Marcus, our Head of Research, as something we could maybe do later. And that was it, from my side.
So, summer comes. Think Outside are busy planning the upcoming beta-season, applying (and receiving) grants, and all team members are taking precious time out of the office with family and friends. As Marcus’ holiday comes to an end, he informs the team that he had some news to share.
During the warmest, sunniest, nicest summers in ages, he had worked. He had 3D modeled the effect the skier has on a snow layer, or essentially the pressure the skier is putting on the substrata. These models are made as part of the machine learning model he is building.
To all of you that doesn’t hold a degree in physics, what these models show is the shear stress (the force if you like) that the skier enforces on the snow layers beneath the ski, and how much (or little) it takes before the skier’s force on the snow can lead to avalanche.
Basically, modeled on this particular data set, a skier enforcing a pressure of a little more than 60 kg pr.m2 could trigger a weak layer 31 cm below the skier’s feet! With this data, Marcus has shown that based on our true field data we can do more than identify weak snow layers, we can also model different scenarios that can for a lot of different purposes, including use for ski manufacturers!
Team, Team and Team. I am really proud to have this group of people by my side. That shares my vision and am genuinely committed to drive forward the best solutions for the greatest preventive avalanche tech solution. So what Marcus did this summer is important. More than the scientific advances, it is shows the teams drive and spirit.
Join us, ‘cos we have lots more coming.
