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- Nov 9, 2014
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This is a story of my friend's father, he works as a senior engineer at the government-funded electricity-provider company of my country (tens of billions of dollars in annual revenue). He is a very smart person with amazing qualities, the only thing I have found a bit lackluster about him is that he is the definition of slowlane, you know.. Pretty well off, bound to retire rich at an old age, works for someone else, all that.. His story is one I've followed closely, and now that it is practically over I want to share it with you.
What this guy did is AMAZING. After a while working at the electricity company he found a need that, if solved, would save millions of dollars a year for the company and would cause power issues to be fixed faster by about 90%. The mapping tools of the company were old-fashioned and inefficient, all the power wires and poles that were spread across the entire country were mapped on OLD PAPER MAPS. Could you imagine? Paper maps at a billion dollar corporation at the 21th century? His idea was to replace the maps with a highly-efficient, GPS-based mobile mapping application. Without a doubt, a multi-million dollar worth of technology.
He knew he was the man for the job, but instead of making it a reality on his own (a thing I know for a fact he could have done), he did the horrible mistake of being a good employee and pushed the idea THROUGH THE COMPANY. Do you know how did this idea was recieved by the higher ranks? Like every idea pushed through a governmental corporation. BUREAUCRACY. LOTS OF BUREAUCRACY. People that didn't like the idea (or our guy) gave it their all just to throw his plans of a better future to the curbs. Resources for him to use were scarce. But he didn't give in. Years after his original plan was plotted, one of the best projects ever implemented by the 90 year old company finally came through! The company CEO released a statement to multiple media channels and magazines, telling the whole country about the company's new feat and its benefits: $5 million dollars in tax-payer money saved per year and 90% more efficiency in pinpointing power-malfunctions. Oh, wait, I haven't told you what he got yet?
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
I mean, he got his praises, but as the inventor and leader of this venture, he got nothing as far as money and credit is concerned. The only thing comes to my mind is a recognition as an "Employee of the year" along with 10 other employees. Not one statement to the press made by the company mentioned his name. Such remarkable INNOVATION followed by ACTION, such little return on investment.
He could have pushed this project on his own legally, he could have made his family rich for generations, selling his own technology to the electricity company. He could have been recognized as one of the country's best engineers. I know he could have. But he didn't, and he got nothing but good words.
My advice to you:
Make it on your own. Nobody will make it for you. Play the game and KNOW THE RULES.
Best of Luck.
What this guy did is AMAZING. After a while working at the electricity company he found a need that, if solved, would save millions of dollars a year for the company and would cause power issues to be fixed faster by about 90%. The mapping tools of the company were old-fashioned and inefficient, all the power wires and poles that were spread across the entire country were mapped on OLD PAPER MAPS. Could you imagine? Paper maps at a billion dollar corporation at the 21th century? His idea was to replace the maps with a highly-efficient, GPS-based mobile mapping application. Without a doubt, a multi-million dollar worth of technology.
He knew he was the man for the job, but instead of making it a reality on his own (a thing I know for a fact he could have done), he did the horrible mistake of being a good employee and pushed the idea THROUGH THE COMPANY. Do you know how did this idea was recieved by the higher ranks? Like every idea pushed through a governmental corporation. BUREAUCRACY. LOTS OF BUREAUCRACY. People that didn't like the idea (or our guy) gave it their all just to throw his plans of a better future to the curbs. Resources for him to use were scarce. But he didn't give in. Years after his original plan was plotted, one of the best projects ever implemented by the 90 year old company finally came through! The company CEO released a statement to multiple media channels and magazines, telling the whole country about the company's new feat and its benefits: $5 million dollars in tax-payer money saved per year and 90% more efficiency in pinpointing power-malfunctions. Oh, wait, I haven't told you what he got yet?
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
I mean, he got his praises, but as the inventor and leader of this venture, he got nothing as far as money and credit is concerned. The only thing comes to my mind is a recognition as an "Employee of the year" along with 10 other employees. Not one statement to the press made by the company mentioned his name. Such remarkable INNOVATION followed by ACTION, such little return on investment.
He could have pushed this project on his own legally, he could have made his family rich for generations, selling his own technology to the electricity company. He could have been recognized as one of the country's best engineers. I know he could have. But he didn't, and he got nothing but good words.
My advice to you:
Make it on your own. Nobody will make it for you. Play the game and KNOW THE RULES.
Best of Luck.
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