The White Space of Opportunities in Practice: Speed and Simplicity

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, business owners have faced, and are still facing, the uncertainties that accompany a worldwide pandemic. While many businesses struggle to navigate the ongoing effects on the economy and consumer market, some are thriving. These thriving businesses have pivoted, came up with creative solutions, and experienced growth and success. Creativity leads to innovation.

Creativity is at the cornerstone of every business, and every owner a storyteller through merchandising and messaging that endeavors to be unique to their brand.

While in challenging times, it can feel like it’s enough to keep the doors open, shelves stocked, and your business staffed, it’s the ability to be creative and adjust quickly that is unique to small businesses. While the pandemic has put creativity to the test, some companies have gotten their marketing mojo back and are reenergizing their efforts in exciting new ways.

A Case Study – Seymour Cray

Seymour Cray is recognized as “the father of supercomputing” and is credited with single-handedly creating and leading the high-performance computing industry. He was regarded by many as a maverick and serial pioneer.

His high-performance computers were sold principally to government research organizations. These machines were used in military applications such as design calculations for atomic weapons and code-breaking and relatively peaceful uses such as weather forecasting, modeling complex systems, and the aerospace industry.

Seymour founded Control Data Corporation, where he developed the Cray-1 and delivered to Los Alamos National Laboratory in 1976. The machine was immediately recognized as a design classic. In addition to being the first super-computer, it was visually attractive. Some jokily referred to it as the world’s most expensive loveseat. The low-slung machine was built around a cylindrical structure containing the main processing units. This geometrical arrangement minimized the lengths of the internal connecting wires – because electric signals take one billionth of a second to travel one foot. The design was simple and fast.

The Cray-1 is now in the Los Alamos National Laboratory Museum.

When Seymour invented a new computer, his goal was to achieve speed and simplicity, and he referred to the process of invention as “starting with a blank sheet of paper” – his white space of opportunities.

I was fortunate to work for three companies founded by Seymour Cray. Cray Research and the spinoff, Cray Computer Corporation, where I served as Corporate Controller. Later I served as Chief Financial Officer for SRC (Seymour Roger Cray) Computers, a technology startup company.

How can you use the white space of opportunity to innovate and implement new business solutions?