SteveConsumer Electronics
Are you doing what you always imagined you'd be doing?
I love product development. It combines studying people's passions with innovative applications of technology. I've often been called "an engineer gone bad" since I am half in marketing and half in engineering.
Any personal highlights after 20+ years developing products?
The game tablet for the Wii our team developed is a personal high. Seeing our product on the Ellen DeGeneres show was very cool.
Prior to BDA, your product development focus was in housewares and sporting goods. What was it like jumping to the consumer electronics world?
Actually, I've been involved in submarines, turbine generators, transport refrigeration health and fitness electronics and other markets. There are big differences in all of them, but many lessons from each. Not just in products, but also in processes. I had quite a bit of time in commercial, military and consumer electronics. But consumer electronics is my favorite product category; you can make products "smart" now and embed a great deal of fun in the features.
BDA can't publicly take credit for a lot of your team's innovative OEM projects. But it's still a great feeling when a product we developed blows up at retail, right? Please describe what types of projects are the most personally satisfying to you.
I love to see people using products that I helped make real. But I really love it when the product—really the experience the product provides—makes a healthy difference. The word "healthy" can mean a lot of things; for the most part, I mean the person benefits from the experience and they are happier with it.
What does the future hold for the video game accessory market?
The video game market is a stepping stone to broader entertainment, enrichment and more social interconnections. Handheld portable gaming is becoming indistinguishable from phone apps; console video machines are also playing video movies on TVs; and music is on everything. The game tablet fosters creative art and social games on these systems.
Where do your ideas come from?
Studying people. What they do, what they love, what frustrates them and what delights them. That's where the ideas come from. Innovation comes from discovering the unmet needs of these people. Product concepts come from marrying the ideas with technologies and features that make a difference.
Is innovation the most important ingredient for BDA to remain an industry leader? How else can we keep our edge?
It's all about innovation. Surprising people with features that they never thought of, but after experiencing it, they can't understand how they lived without it. Fast followers will always copy these innovations, so we always have to find the next one. Our work is never a marathon—it's one fast sprint followed by another and another.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Very funny.