Comments on: The InnoCentive Insider: The Lifecycle of a Challenge – Behind the Scenes http://blog.innocentive.com/2009/01/09/the-innocentive-insider-the-lifecycle-of-a-challenge-%e2%80%93-behind-the-scenes/ Highlighting Global Open Innovation Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:56:18 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Gabriel Eichler http://blog.innocentive.com/2009/01/09/the-innocentive-insider-the-lifecycle-of-a-challenge-%e2%80%93-behind-the-scenes/comment-page-1/#comment-6340 Gabriel Eichler Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:40:02 +0000 http://blog.innocentive.com/?p=157#comment-6340 Hello Steven: Thank you for posting your comment. I appreciate the opportunity to hear your feedback and I can understand your perspective on the situation. We deeply value the relationships we build with both our Seekers and our Solvers since both are critical elements for our model. As such, we try to make sure that we are fair and balanced in how we post and run our Challenges. After every single Challenge we try to get Seekers to provide some detailed feedback for each of the Solvers. This while is not always possible, we make a strong attempt to do so. However, in the case of Ideations, due to the volume of submissions we are unable to provide customized feedback for each Solver. With regard to the winning Solvers, we do post as much information about the winning Solver as he/she will allow. I would encourage you to reach the Awarded Challenges page (http://www.innocentive.com/servlets/project/ProjectInfo.po?s=AW) if you want to see who's actually winning the Challenges. The vast majority of our Challenges create IP and solutions that we are unable to share publicly. However, as you may have noticed on this Blog we recently published a winning solution of a very prolific solver, Tom Kruer. I hope that this helps you get a feeling for what a winning solutions looks like. You can view the blog entry and the winning solutions here (http://blog.innocentive.com/2009/02/05/solution-revealed-solar-powered-mosquito-repellant/). I appreciate your enthusiasm and I encourage you to keep on participating. Many of our winning solvers have told us that they had to try many times before actually winning a Challenge. I hope that you will do the same. Good Luck, Gabriel Gabriel Eichler, Ph.D. InnoCentive Client Services InnoCentive Inc. Hello Steven:

Thank you for posting your comment. I appreciate the opportunity to hear your feedback and I can understand your perspective on the situation.

We deeply value the relationships we build with both our Seekers and our Solvers since both are critical elements for our model. As such, we try to make sure that we are fair and balanced in how we post and run our Challenges. After every single Challenge we try to get Seekers to provide some detailed feedback for each of the Solvers. This while is not always possible, we make a strong attempt to do so. However, in the case of Ideations, due to the volume of submissions we are unable to provide customized feedback for each Solver.

With regard to the winning Solvers, we do post as much information about the winning Solver as he/she will allow. I would encourage you to reach the Awarded Challenges page (http://www.innocentive.com/servlets/project/ProjectInfo.po?s=AW) if you want to see who’s actually winning the Challenges.

The vast majority of our Challenges create IP and solutions that we are unable to share publicly. However, as you may have noticed on this Blog we recently published a winning solution of a very prolific solver, Tom Kruer. I hope that this helps you get a feeling for what a winning solutions looks like. You can view the blog entry and the winning solutions here (http://blog.innocentive.com/2009/02/05/solution-revealed-solar-powered-mosquito-repellant/).

I appreciate your enthusiasm and I encourage you to keep on participating. Many of our winning solvers have told us that they had to try many times before actually winning a Challenge. I hope that you will do the same.

Good Luck,
Gabriel

Gabriel Eichler, Ph.D.
InnoCentive Client Services
InnoCentive Inc.

]]> By: Steven W. Webb http://blog.innocentive.com/2009/01/09/the-innocentive-insider-the-lifecycle-of-a-challenge-%e2%80%93-behind-the-scenes/comment-page-1/#comment-6312 Steven W. Webb Fri, 27 Feb 2009 02:02:39 +0000 http://blog.innocentive.com/?p=157#comment-6312 I've been working 8 challenges the last 4 months. It's alot of fun; that's why I do it. But I share Kurt Baums general comment about lack of feedback. I imagine after a few more months of no feedback I'll get bored and go back to my real engineering job (!). Innocentive is a one-way street. You think, research, type, submit and that's it: silence. How do solvers improve? How do seekers get better solutions? I've got an open mind to this "crowdsourcing" concept. See how it goes. Were I cynical I'd say this is a science/engineering lottery system. Rumor has it somebody wins, maybe somebody does, but nobody knows why or how. You work, and maybe, you'll get paid. There's so many scientists in the world, this is a good deal. The concept only holds water if seekers get answers that make them more profitable. I understand that. Getting them solutions that work. Educating the current crop of 135,000 solvers may not be a better approach vs finding another 100,000 solvers. Sometimes a machine works much better than a rifle! I’ve been working 8 challenges the last 4 months. It’s alot of fun; that’s why I do it. But I share Kurt Baums general comment about lack of feedback. I imagine after a few more months of no feedback I’ll get bored and go back to my real engineering job (!). Innocentive is a one-way street. You think, research, type, submit and that’s it: silence. How do solvers improve? How do seekers get better solutions?

I’ve got an open mind to this “crowdsourcing” concept. See how it goes. Were I cynical I’d say this is a science/engineering lottery system. Rumor has it somebody wins, maybe somebody does, but nobody knows why or how. You work, and maybe, you’ll get paid. There’s so many scientists in the world, this is a good deal.

The concept only holds water if seekers get answers that make them more profitable. I understand that. Getting them solutions that work. Educating the current crop of 135,000 solvers may not be a better approach vs finding another 100,000 solvers. Sometimes a machine works much better than a rifle!

]]> By: Elly Madrigal http://blog.innocentive.com/2009/01/09/the-innocentive-insider-the-lifecycle-of-a-challenge-%e2%80%93-behind-the-scenes/comment-page-1/#comment-4548 Elly Madrigal Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:58:34 +0000 http://blog.innocentive.com/?p=157#comment-4548 @Kurt - Thank you for your suggestion about updating Solvers on the final status of the Challenge (i.e.- # of Submissions, # of Awards & Amount of Payout). We currently have these features being reviewed with our Website Development Team, plus some additional pieces of information to post at the close of the Challenge. Just so you know, last year, InnoCentive awarded 81 Challenges with a total of $1.1 million in distributed Awards. We also paid 141 Solvers in 27 different countries! I know these are aggregate numbers, but once the final format and placement of the individual Challenge numbers is finalized, you should be able to see them on the website. Also, here is a link to all of the Award winners from our website. https://www.innocentive.com/servlets/project/ProjectInfo.po?s=AW Once again, thank you for your suggestion and keep them coming! @Kurt – Thank you for your suggestion about updating Solvers on the final status of the Challenge (i.e.- # of Submissions, # of Awards & Amount of Payout). We currently have these features being reviewed with our Website Development Team, plus some additional pieces of information to post at the close of the Challenge.

Just so you know, last year, InnoCentive awarded 81 Challenges with a total of $1.1 million in distributed Awards. We also paid 141 Solvers in 27 different countries! I know these are aggregate numbers, but once the final format and placement of the individual Challenge numbers is finalized, you should be able to see them on the website. Also, here is a link to all of the Award winners from our website.

https://www.innocentive.com/servlets/project/ProjectInfo.po?s=AW

Once again, thank you for your suggestion and keep them coming!

]]> By: Kurt Baum http://blog.innocentive.com/2009/01/09/the-innocentive-insider-the-lifecycle-of-a-challenge-%e2%80%93-behind-the-scenes/comment-page-1/#comment-4402 Kurt Baum Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:35:43 +0000 http://blog.innocentive.com/?p=157#comment-4402 An important piece of information for the solvers has never been disclosed. After a project is completed, it would be useful to know how many solutions were submitted, how many awards were made, and for how much money. This information would let solvers know how much effort future projects are worth. An important piece of information for the solvers has never been disclosed. After a project is completed, it would be useful to know how many solutions were submitted, how many awards were made, and for how much money. This information would let solvers know how much effort future projects are worth.

]]> By: Perspectives on Innovation » Blog Archive » WELCOME TO 2009! http://blog.innocentive.com/2009/01/09/the-innocentive-insider-the-lifecycle-of-a-challenge-%e2%80%93-behind-the-scenes/comment-page-1/#comment-4393 Perspectives on Innovation » Blog Archive » WELCOME TO 2009! Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:55:57 +0000 http://blog.innocentive.com/?p=157#comment-4393 [...] This led us to launch the Client Services InnoCentive Insider blog series.  The most recent post, The Lifecycle of a Challenge - Behind the Scenes, provides some insight into what happens both before and after you submit your solution to an [...] [...] This led us to launch the Client Services InnoCentive Insider blog series.  The most recent post, The Lifecycle of a Challenge – Behind the Scenes, provides some insight into what happens both before and after you submit your solution to an [...]

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