So I’m in the final week of regular school at MIT. The semester is almost over. I will soon go into the history books as the 257th Norwegian MIT alumni in MIT history. So what have I learned from the USNews #2 ranked US business school, MIT Sloan?
My very interesting class, Technology Strategy, is finally concluded. My group project focused on satellite navigation systems like GPS, and how the technology is about to merge with the cell phone industry. Technology Strategy is really an interesting and important class. It raises questions about how value is created (how do companies actually create the technology?), capture the value (how to make money on it) and how to deliver value (get it out into the market!). Based on technology and economical knowledge the whole value chain of technology and innovation is being discussed. If this sounds interesting, take further read on what we found for the hybrid GNSS / Cell phone market:
Another class project is completed. In my class “managing innovation & entrepreneurship” we’ve talked with senior management of two different companies about what practices they use in their search and development of innovative product to conquer market share. The first one was a smaller Norwegian software company that tries to bring their product into the American market. The other company was a medical product company in the Johnson & Johnson (jnj.com) group. Two very different companies with different approaches. However, they both provided some really good advice that most companies can learn from. (more…)
So I’m done with two projects. Three to go. This was a group project for class “Creating Business Value from IT”, a class I’m really excited about. The class answer why I should work with It in the first place. The project tells how compliance is done successfully, which all banks must do in order to stay in business. If this sound even vaguely interesting, read on:
This is a dreadful message to get when you’re inquiring about your bill. I did that with NSTAR (Gas & Electric company). I cannot believe they use this horrid system. It’s not helpful, it’s not giving them competitive advantage, it’s not a disruptive technology, it simply annoys their customers. On the other hand, I guess fewer people actually bother to ask about their bill when they know what they must go through. Here’s my latest conversation with NSTARs automated assistant:
So I finished my first class today.Or, finished the class project that is. It went really well and it’s such a delight to be done with it. The project was on UAV (Unmanned Areal Vehicle) in the US army and how they’re being used for target acquisition. We got some good data from the U.S Army (on of our project members is a U.S Army Captain and helicopter pilot) and could relate all this data together to analyze whether the technology is disruptive or not.
This blog goes in English so my friend Antonia (and other whoever wandered in here) might understand it. I just got back from a great weekend in New York. I had a chance to stay with Antonia (great, because hotel prices in New York are getting crazy). It turned out to be an adventorous tour where authentic scenes played out. I can mention a meeting with Gordon Gecko, the Pope, a friendly(!) NYC police officer and some real chineze wondering why a white fellow had stumbled into their turf.
Siden jeg nå gjør meg klar for en langweekend og tur til New York (fredag - søndag) hvor mandag og tirsdag er skolefri, slår det meg at jeg har litt av et reiseprogram klart for resten av året. Se listen og når DU kan få en Bård et sted nær deg 
(Advarsel: dyptgående tanker) Det er visse ganger i livet man bare vet er øyeblikk man tar vare på resten av livet. Tidspunkter du vet livet tar en vending. Hva skal man gjøre i det man opplever dette? Skal man reise seg og si høyt: “vet du hva, jeg tror livet mitt tok en ny retning akkurat nå… ” Jeg tenkte på dette da jeg spaserte oppover Mass Ave med MIT domen på høyre side og forsto at dette var siste måneden jeg kunne gjøre nettopp dette. Jeg reflekterte over disse punktene gjennom livet mitt…
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Jeg har en og en halv måned igjen i Boston og mitt eventyr på MIT. Litt for tidlig å konkludere enda, men noen høydepunkter denne måneden har det da vært også: