About the Episode

Today we’re going to talk about the sometimes unseen power of invention. Often inventors and creators of new ideas and products have a vision in mind, but don’t always see the full value of what they’re created until some time later, or with the help of some outside perspective. My guest today has quite a list of accomplishments. He is the inventor of noise canceling headphones during his time at Bose, he worked with Apple to create the Apple New Product Process which is used in all their product divisions, and has worked with many household names such as Amazon, Cisco, IBM, HP, Fitbit, and more. He has also written a book called “Innovate Products Faster: Graphical Tools for Accelerating Product Development" I’d like to welcome John Carter, Principal at TCGen.

About John Carter

John Carter has been a widely respected adviser to technology firms over his career. John is the author of "Innovate Products Faster: Graphical Tools for Accelerating Product Development". As Founder and Principal of TCGen Inc., he has advised some of the most revered technology firms in the world:

• Abbott, Amazon, Apple
• BOSE, Cisco, Fitbit
• HP, IBM, Roche

He specializes in the value creating aspects of product development – from the strategy and innovation processes, through product definition, execution and launch. He has helped companies cut time to market, rapidly scale their product program, and improve innovation with customer led insights which has led to greater profitability, reduced costs, and improved customer satisfaction.

John currently serves on the Board of Directors of Cirrus Logic (CRUS) a leading supplier of mixed signal semiconductors where he is involved with company strategy and sits on the Compensation and Audit Committees.

He was the founder of Cambridge-based Product Development Consulting, Inc. (PDC), a consultancy advising Fortune 500 companies in the areas of research, development, and marketing. During his time there, he worked with Apple to create the Apple New Product Process (ANPP) which is used in all product divisions. He has been an invited speaker at MIT and Stanford University, and a member of the faculty at Case Western’s Executive program.

Before starting PDC, John was Chief Engineer of BOSE Corporation. John is the inventor of the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones and shares the original patent with Dr. Amar Bose. He was one of the initial contributors in BOSE’s entry into the automobile OEM business and led the product and business development of BOSE’s patented noise reduction technology for the military market. He earned his MS in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a BS in engineering from Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, CA.