TRIZ for the Real World

There are now 2 TRIZ-related discussion groups on LinkedIn and many more elsewhere (and the original TRIZ topica listserve, and the discussion Forum in the TRIZ Journal.) I'm concerned that the fragmentation of the groups will be wasteful--for example, I just spent time answering the question about resources in English and Spanish for Trees of Evolution on a Linked-In list, then found it on another list. BUT there are about 40 members total on those lists, where the bigger groups have hundreds (topica) or thousands (TRIZ Journal) of people. The theory of networks is that the usefulness goes with n(n-1). I think the person who asked the question could get much better answers from a bigger network of people.

So, should we have multiple networks of multiple sizes? Or put more energy and support into a few big ones?

Darrell Mann's LONG-awaited book Systematic (Software) Innovation is now available from http://www.systematic-innovation.com/. I'm offering this blog as a way to collect comments/questions/discussion, either on the book or on the subject in general.

I've been posting travel reports to the TRIZ Journal commentary column, so this blog has been languishing. Interesting happenings at the Business Innovation Conference in Chicago, the Innovation and Quality Forum in Zacatecas Mexcio, and the 3d Iberoamerican Innovation Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico, plus a report from Paul Filmore on the Japan TRIZ meeting.

I have had several reminders that today is "World TRIZ Day" honoring the anniversary of G.S.Altshullers death, and all the contributions he made throughout his life. We've come a long way, but there is a very long way yet to go to make the benefits of TRIZ available to everyone.