Notes from the Valley of Death: A Case for Entrepreneurship in Architecture

摘要

Architects typically work on problems posed by clients, but a different and rewarding approach suggests that architect-initiated problem-finding can lead to meaningful solutions to complex challenges. Research and creative problem-solving channeled towards the development of new products and businesses benefits culture, environment, and society while also offering benefits to the designer in the form of expanded agency. While it takes ingenuity to invent new products for buildings, the real difficulty lies in advancing the conceptual design beyond the proof-of-concept stage into working prototypes, methodical manufacturing, and ultimately the final application. The termination point for most products in the process of commercialization happens somewhere between university research and market readiness. To avoid this a company or inventor must have ample funding, resourcefulness, and the ability to form partnerships. Most importantly, a strong sense of purpose is needed to overcome the hurdles to the final stages of commercialization and emerge with a competitive product. In the world of start-ups, this challenging phase of securing funding and the product launch is commonly referred to as the "Valley of Death," the nickname that reflects a high level of start-up failures (up to 90 percent) due to the inability to attract investors and establish market traction.