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IBM research scientists go their own way
- Jun8 16y agoAlthough this article reads like a paid ad for IBM (journalists, like everyone else, have to eat) I did a summer internship in Almaden in 2000 and the place was awesome, albeit not as quite open-minded as described here perhaps. The important thing many companies don't realize is that having 20% (or "wild duck") projects is only the first tiny step in the right direction. Many tech companies have these and it means nothing by itself. It needs to be coupled with a healthy way of percolating these ideas upwards in a combined peer-manager controlled way. Doing this is hard. When I read comments from their managers I get the feeling that they are just doing it for the looks/fun/PR, i.e. they're not taking it as a serious source of their future revenue. Well, with this approach, it will never become such a source.
- elblanco 16y agoI really can't stress how important these types of pure R&D incubators are for future tech. Almost every major piece of technology we use today came out of one of these types of labs.