Bridging the market gap

摘要

Earlier this year, I witnessed a scout from a consumer electronics firm visiting a university lab to assess a prototype optical chip for potential investment. Holding the fluid-filled device between his fingers, and with an eye on the postdoc who had produced it, the visitor gently shook it. Nothing happened. He shook it more violently. Still no leaks. The postdoc smiled. The scout threw the chip to the floor. Coolly, the researcher picked it up, placed it under a microscope and showed the guest that it still worked perfectly. The prototype was surely well advanced.