FIRE

January 20, 2014
Lt. Col. Ward, an engineering officer in the U.S. air force and blogger, spins a full-length book out of an overly simple concept. His first process was “FIST” (Fast, Inexpensive, Simple, Tiny), created to develop military gear. “FIRE” (Fast, Inexpensive, Restrained, Elegant) was developed for civilian use. According to Ward, the most successful leaders from both the military and civilian worlds do best with the least: small teams, a tiny budget, and hell-bent-for-leather deadlines. Spending less time and money is the best way to ensure greatness and innovation, he suggests. Efficiency for its own sake is not the goal; instead, readers should design the best and most creative products possible. Ward offers examples from engineering, the military, and NASA, among others, to model necessary speed, handling, and risk assessment, avoiding unnecessary oversight and meetings, and creating better, simpler presentations and information dissemination. His suggestions on letting users be beta testers, allowing for a quick and short-cycle development process, and avoiding unnecessary features are solid, but ultimately Ward falls on the wrong side of the line between high-concept strategy and vague storytelling. Despite an admirable proposition and some lively writing, there’s not enough here to prop up an entire book. 7 b&w illus. Agent: Sandy Dijkstra, the Sandy Dijkstra Literary Agency.

June 1, 2014
Ward's military career led to his expertise in high-speed, low-cost innovation, and he transposes his military principles and techniques into a marketplace-innovation system he calls FIRE (fast, inexpensive, restrained, and elegant). He explains his marketplace acronym: fast is about defining a project objective that can be satisfied on a short time line; inexpensive means delivering meaningful capabilities on a shoestring, a respected skill; restrained means self-control, tight budgets, small teams, activities focused on the short-term; and elegant values simplicity over complexity in design of organizations and processes, relying on experience and rules of thumb to solve specific problems as they arise rather than adhering to rigid rules. FIRE is an approach to innovations that focuses on outcomes rather than compliance. Ward concludes, By placing a premium on speed, thrift, simplicity, and restraint, we can deliver first-in-class and best-in-class products without spending decades and billions. This thought-provoking book, developed with a military perspective, offers valuable insight for those striving for innovation in their business activities.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)