The ARPA Model isn't what you think it is

The "zeitgeist" of ARPA-Parc stretches back to the WWII musterings of scientists and engineers, much of it fostered by Vannevar Bush. One of the things they learned how to do was to "do Art at scale". The ARPA funding by Licklider starting in 1962 carried that context forward into computing, and the results speak for themselves. It's not that it is... See more

A commander can exhibit leadership, create and inspire followers (rather than have minions), and create new leaders at every level, without using the threat of positional power. Equally, when there is a lack of consensus, a leader may adopt more of a command style, especially if it is to get out of danger or to prompt action due to a lack of consen

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Take Home Messages

1. A critical niche in the innovation ecosystem once occupied by industrial labs is unfilled.


2. The current innovation ecosystem — academia, startups, and modern corporate R&D — do not cut it.


3. A private organization that riffs on DARPA's model could fill this niche.


4. Private ARPA (PARPA) will de-risk a series of hypotheses and

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Pierce, to put it simply, was asking himself: What about Bell Labs’ formula was timeless? In his 1997 list, he thought it boiled down to four things: A technically competent management all the way to the top. Researchers didn’t have to raise funds. Research on a topic or system could be and was supported for years. Research could be terminated with

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