Innovation matchmaker
Company: AT&T
Employee: Sanjay Macwan
Job: Assistant vice president, AT&T Chief Technology Office
Sanjay Macwan is charged with the daunting task of speeding up the rate of innovation for telecommunications company AT&T. To get real results out of a cloudy concept, Macwan and his team have introduced specific ideas to encourage innovation. One of his projects aims to spark innovation the way that people try to spark a new romance: through speed-dating.
Macwan runs AT&T's speed-dating sessions -- they're crash meetings with potential business partners who have 15 minutes to pitch innovative ideas. Companies with good ideas then collaborate with AT&T to bring new products to market during 90-120 day periods that Macwan calls "sprint sessions."
Despite the cute name, speed-dating sessions can be nerve-wracking. Presenting companies have to prove why their technology disrupts the industry and why it jibes with AT&T. Then AT&T executives have to make fast, gut decisions about whether or not they can work with the proposal. "One of the key things we do is really drive on-the-spot decision making," Macwan says.
AT&T has been conducting speed-dating sessions for about two years, and several products are being tested now to go to market. "Making the decision to adopt a cool idea is one thing, but then carrying it through to commercialization is much more important. I think we have proven that we are able to do that," says Macwan. The long-lasting relationships Macwan is committed to building would likely render speed-daters everywhere green with envy.
Employee: Sanjay Macwan
Job: Assistant vice president, AT&T Chief Technology Office
Sanjay Macwan is charged with the daunting task of speeding up the rate of innovation for telecommunications company AT&T. To get real results out of a cloudy concept, Macwan and his team have introduced specific ideas to encourage innovation. One of his projects aims to spark innovation the way that people try to spark a new romance: through speed-dating.
Macwan runs AT&T's speed-dating sessions -- they're crash meetings with potential business partners who have 15 minutes to pitch innovative ideas. Companies with good ideas then collaborate with AT&T to bring new products to market during 90-120 day periods that Macwan calls "sprint sessions."
Despite the cute name, speed-dating sessions can be nerve-wracking. Presenting companies have to prove why their technology disrupts the industry and why it jibes with AT&T. Then AT&T executives have to make fast, gut decisions about whether or not they can work with the proposal. "One of the key things we do is really drive on-the-spot decision making," Macwan says.
AT&T has been conducting speed-dating sessions for about two years, and several products are being tested now to go to market. "Making the decision to adopt a cool idea is one thing, but then carrying it through to commercialization is much more important. I think we have proven that we are able to do that," says Macwan. The long-lasting relationships Macwan is committed to building would likely render speed-daters everywhere green with envy.
NEXT: A real-life Dr. Frankenstein?
Last updated May 18 2011: 8:41 AM ET
