Blog Archives - Page 2 of 5 - Deeney Enterprises

Four Years Later: Why Quality Still Needs to Move Upstream

Quality is losing strategic ground, but it doesn’t have to. Discover how to move quality upstream with real frameworks, data-driven decisions, and cross-functional leadership.

Framework vs. Process: Why the Distinction Actually Matters

I see these terms used interchangeably all the time in engineering organizations. I do it too. In my Pierce the Design Fog’s glossary, I define the ADEPT Team Framework as “a process for team collaboration during concept development.” But throughout the book, I call it a framework. So, which is it? The truth is: it’s both. And that’s actually…

Creativity Loves Constraints

Discover why constraints boost creativity in product development. Learn creativity frameworks like the Concept Space Model to turn ideas into design-ready concepts.

The Real Reason Your Product Launches Late (It’s Not What You Think)

The design fog is costing your team weeks of wasted work and your product launches late. Here’s how to pierce it in just a few hours…

The Real Reason Your Product Launches Late (It’s Not What You Think)

The design fog is costing your team weeks of wasted work. Here’s how to pierce it in just a few hours… Have you been in this situation? It’s because of the design fog. We need a shared process that ensures everyone is aligned before we commit resources to the next step, which is usually engineering development.…

The Kill Criteria: How Tesla Decides Which Battery Innovations to Pursue (And Which to Abandon)

At Tesla’s 2020 Battery Day, Elon Musk promised a 56% cost reduction and 69% CAPEX (capital expenditure) reduction through revolutionary dry electrode technology (Manthey, 2020). Three years later, Tesla quietly pivoted to a hybrid approach, delaying their volume ramp. Why did Tesla abandon a technically superior solution? Because innovation without business viability is just expensive…

Choose it: How to Decide Between Viable Options When You’ll Never Have 100% Confidence

You’ve spent 6 weeks and $50K investigating three materials. Your confidence has climbed from 40% to 60-85% across options. Your manager asks: ‘Which one? Are you sure? Should we test more?’ Real decisions involve trade-offs between confidence, cost, timeline, and performance. In Phase 1, we identified a High Impact/Low Likelihood decision (40% confidence). In Phase…