Jan Ariesen of Technetix on Prioritizing Innovation
b'This is the second interview from my time at the Cable Tec-Expo Show in Philadelphia. Jan Ariesen, the CTO of Technetix, joins us to discuss how his organization\\u2019s prioritization of innovation, paired with the right team, helps them solve tomorrow\\u2019s problems.
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\\nJan Ariesen of Technetix on Prioritizing Innovation
\\nEngineers typically focus on solving today\\u2019s problems but don\\u2019t take time to think about tomorrow. Technetix has a reputation for solving tomorrow\\u2019s problems that others in the broadband industry don\\u2019t think of. Predicting the future is not simple, as you will almost always be wrong. Technetix empowers its employees by giving them the freedom to predict the future without fearing failure. Jan said that most of their ideas at Technetix fail, and only a few succeed. This is simply the nature of innovation. For example, it took the engineers at Technetix five years to develop a new style of broadband amplifier. While everyone told them it was impossible, they are now building amplifiers that can do 1.8 gigahertz. Technetix pushes its people to \\u201cmake decisions\\u201d from the top down. People in the innovation space often get hung up on analysis and allow the fear of failure to overcome them. Organizations with a heavy experimentation culture give their people the tools they need to make game-changing innovations.
\\nHiring the Right Team
\\nWhen Jan is conducting interviews for engineers, he looks for two key attributes. He always asks specific questions to those he interviews. \\u201cIf your bike got a flat tire, would you go to the shop or fix it yourself?\\u201d. If the interviewee says they would take their bike to the shop, then he says they are not an engineer. True engineers want to understand things and desire to solve them. They have an unconventional way of thinking that others do not possess. Jan also looks to hire those that are team players. These people will help others and learn from them along the way. People often overlook the importance of collaboration and cooperation and overemphasize technical skills. You can always teach the technical, but you can\\u2019t teach the attitude and mindset.
\\nCheck out Jan\\u2019s LinkedIn here.
\\nCheck out Technetix\\u2019s website here.
\\nAbout Our Guest: Jan Ariesen
\\nJan Ariesen is an experienced engineer with 30+ years of broadband cable TV design experience. He leads the CTO, Marketing, R&D, and QA teams at Technetix. Before 2008, Jan was the VP of Engineering, leading teams in the UK, Belgium, and the Netherlands. His teams were responsible for researching, developing, and inventing new products and technologies. Jan joined the Technetix board in 2018.
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\\nTo know more about prioritizing innovation, listen to: Jan Ariesen of Technetix on Prioritizing Innovation.
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