Invent X

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Invent X

The Big Picture

Welcome to Invent X!

In this workshop, our focus is sharpening your innovation skills. We go about it like a personal trainer at a professional gym. We leverage your strengths as we guide you to the next level of your performance.

The material we cover is curated and synthesized for your purpose. We adapt it to your needs. Some workshops are mechanically produced like fast food: limited, predetermined options. Others, overwhelm you with more concepts than you can chew on like an all-you-can eat buffet: quantity over quality. Ours is a meticulously crafted process designed to stimulate your creative problem solving skills.

Our Objective

Develop and validate a practical solution to a real problem that matters to your unit and unit commander. We have 10 weeks to do it. At the end, we pitch our solution to line up funding to deploy it.

Our Process

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We acquire a target problem before we start solving. We build solutions from the ground up and learn what works as we go. We de-risk the solution our target beneficiaries choose, that’s our MVP, when they are ready to adopt it. The process is non-linear and requires frequent collaboration.

Team Contract

Please complete a team contract using this template. Upload your final team contract PDF to your team’s workspace:

Team Agreement Template MO.docx

15.2 kB

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Faculty and Mentors

Dr. Sid Hanna Saleh

Sid’s LinkedIn profile

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Sid’s portfolio

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Daniel Smith

Danny’s LinkedIn profile

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Steve McKnew

Steve’s LinkedIn profile

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Col. Joshua Burger (Retired)

Josh’s LinkedIn profile

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Workshop Expectations Q42024

As you will soon experience, this innovation workshop is unmatched in a few important aspects. For example, we emphasize real-time application of rigorous principals and leverage constraints. We will review the outline below in more detail when we start.

THE BIG PICTURE ________________________________________________________________________

Your invaluable experiences and expertise are integral component of this program.

Our aim is to sharpen our skills and acquire new ones.

We follow the objective process of testing hypotheses to turn assumptions into facts.

Our end goal is to create value through a funding-ready minimal viable product (MVP).

OUR FRAMEWORK _______________________________________________________________________

Frame a challenge that matters: We investigate the problem and frame it before attempting solutions.

Iterate practical solutions: We learn by testing MVP candidates we shall call pretotypes (pre-prototype).

Turn initial interest into ongoing acceptance: We collaborate with early adopters.

OUR PROCESS __________________________________________________________________________

Follow Facts: We look for behavioral evidence not verbal flattery: action beats words.

Learn Lean: We learn fast by doing. We have no intention of failing or doing so fast.

Manage Mentors: We stand on the shoulders of giants to see farther. Seek and build relationships.

Beneficiaries Rule: Only they can judge that a pretotype (pre-prototype) is an MVP.

Time is Scarce: There is never enough time. Teaming up is the key.

WEEKLY CADENCE (ALL WEEKS) ______________________________________________________________

You will be assigned to a team working on a specific problem.

Teams sets weekly goals, action plans and document all work.

Teams regularly report out on accomplishments, plans, constraints and level of interest.

Engage beneficiaries, stakeholders and decision-makers early and often.

NEXT STEPS ____________________________________________________________________________

• Please confirm that your chain-of-command is supportive of your participation in this workshop.

• Discuss a challenge problem with your chain-of-command. This is a current problem that your commander would like to see resolved. Use the attached Challenge Problem Template to discuss and capture the problem.

• Schedule a 30-minute virtual get-acquainted meeting with the faculty leading this workshop, Dr. Sid Hanna Saleh. Please share two or three time slots with Dr. Saleh via email (sid@matrixowl.com).

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ARCWERX PARTICIPATION RULES

With your assigned team, you will tackle a challenge tied to priorities and transformational needs of the Department of the Air Force set by former Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and now Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General CQ Brown. Most challenges have multi-domain and multi-service relevance.

INVESTING IN YOU________________________________________________________________________

Many stakeholders are invested in your successful completion of Invent X. These include:

ARCWERX and the Air National Guard: provided the funding to cover your Invent X tuition.

MatrixOwl: provided the course material, facilitators, subject matter experts and support staff.

Invent X Coaches: are experts who invest their time and energy to help you achieve.

Your unit/organization: allocated TDY funding to cover your travel for all three in-residence weeks.

YOU: we’re investing in you. Your matching personal investment in Invent X work, pays dividends.

Thus, it is incumbent on you to put your best efforts in this workshop.

The work is both challenging and rewarding. Because successful innovation is elusive, your full commitment is expected. Your reward is an addition to your portfolio of accomplishments and sharper innovation skills that advance you professionally now and into the future.

By participating in the Invent X program, you agree to meet the following expectations and requirements:

You and your assigned team are expected to produce a minimal viable product (MVP) or fundable value proposition that addresses your assigned challenge in a concrete way.

During the final week, your team will pitch your innovation proposition to senior leaders and other members of the Department of Defense innovation ecosystem who may fund or otherwise agree to support the next steps your team recommends.

Leave rank, grade and status at home. Do NOT wear military uniforms to Invent X. At no time during the workshop will military and/or government civilians use rank or status to force ideas, influence decisions or pressure you. Yet, be sure to adhere to customs and courtesies when working with external military personnel.

You are tasked with supporting operationalized innovation: to employ both your existing knowledge and newly learned innovation techniques in developing your team’s innovation concept throughout Invent X.

During TDY in-residence weeks, dedicate 100% of your time to workshop activities not your work center duties.

Attend all in-residence weeks entirely. Arrive the day prior to workshop start and stay through the day following the last day of the workshop. With Director’s authorization for emergencies only, you may be allowed to arrive half a day late or leave half a day early. Missing more than half a day cumulatively is an automatic disqualifier.

If you need to be excused for any duration, contact the Director immediately.

If an emergency arises at your duty station work center that requires your attention, inform the Director immediately. This will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

During online weeks, make Invent X activities your top priority.

Hold yourself accountable for completing assignments on time. Take the initiative. Be proactive. Bring your best self, positive attitude and open mind to each Invent X activity. Act in line with your organization’s core values.

Teams often elect to meet after hours to build team dynamics and work through assignments. Carry your fair load of teamwork during all in-residence and virtual weeks.

At any time, if you are unable to meet the expectations and requirements charged to you by the Invent X cadre, the Director, by recommendation of Invent X cadre, can remove you from the course. While unlikely, in the event you are removed from the course, the Director will report removal to participant’s higher echelon command (Regiment, Brigade, Wing, Group, etc.).

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