The Inversion Factor, How to Thrive in the IOT Economy
Thursday, January 18, 2018 at 5:30pm to 8:00pm
MIT Stata Center, 32-155 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge MA 02139
In the past, companies found success with a product-first orientation; they made a thing that did a thing. The Inversion Factor explains why the companies of today and tomorrow will have to abandon the product-first orientation. Rather than asking “How do the products we make meet customer needs?” companies should ask “How can technology help us reimagine and fill a need?” Zipcar, for example, instead of developing another vehicle for moving people from point A to point B, reimagined how people interacted with vehicles. Zipcar inverted the traditional car company mission.
The authors, Linda Bernardi, Chief Product and Strategy Officer at Element AI, and Sanjay Sarma, Vice President for Open Learning and Fred Fort Flowers (1941) and Daniel Fort Flowers (1941) Professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT, and Managing Partner IoTask LLC, will talk about how the introduction of “smart” objects connected by the Internet of Things signals fundamental changes for business.
The IoT, where real and digital coexist, is powering new ways to meet human needs. Companies that know this include giants like Amazon, Airbnb, Uber, Google, Tesla, and Apple, as well as less famous companies like Tile, Visenti, and Augury. The Inversion Factor offers a roadmap for businesses that want to follow in their footsteps.
Event Schedule
5:30 - 6:00pm - Registration and Networking
6:00 - 8:00pm - Welcome & Fireside Chat
8:00 - 9:00pm - Networking