Six little questions

At a recent speed-networking event, I found myself at a table with the founders of a new wave technology development company. They were armed with a list of 6 substantial questions. As there was no way these topics could be covered in our 15 minute slot, I noted down the questions for further consideration. While writing the email reply, I realised that my answers might be of interest to other technology developers – no so much as advice, but as a starting-point for internal discussions about the questions posed.

Field trail adventures

In this instance, the misspelling of ‘field trials’ was intentional. This ‘alternative spelling’ amuses me, because it served as a regular reminder of my exceptional gift for switching letters. I once misspelled the name of the folder containing field trial data, and couldn’t change it because an external contractor had set up a data transfer to this folder. So I had plenty of opportunity to ponder over what a 'field trail' might possibly be. Surprisingly, I found it a very useful concept. After a discussion with a technology developer recently, I thought it was worth sharing with a wider audience.

Deciding on a development path for a new technology is a bit like hacking a trail through a jungle with a machete. Heading straight for our destination, say a mountain, may not be the best route.