Event description

Do you have a working prototype, but feel that it’s not enough for a successful startup? You’re right.

Most technology projects don’t fail because of a lack of ideas, but because of the critical transition phase from a working prototype to a product. Our workshop is designed for creators who want to cross that line and create technologies that have a real impact.

We will teach you that in today’s engineering, it is not enough for a device to “just work.” It must be robust, secure, scalable, and sustainable. We will show you how to transform your thinking from an intuitive search for ad-hoc solutions to a rigorous approach where technical debt does not arise on paper. You will leave the workshop with the ability to work with models not as pretty pictures, but as risk management tools, so that your innovative prototype does not end up as an expensive toy, but becomes a successful market product.

Contents

● Solving the problem instead of looking for a solution: Using first-principle thinking and failing fast to correctly define the problem, eliminate the “hammer and nail” syndrome, and avoid dead ends in development.

● How to build and not just invent: Practical application of design thinking and system thinking at the right stage of the project and the transition from creative chaos to systematic development.

● How to optimize the essentials: Practical methods for quick expert estimates and validation (back-of-the-envelope, one-factor-at-time), key principles of complex technology development (model-based system engineering), and eliminating technical debt.

● Practical decision-making architecture: Examples of good practice in the use of these principles and procedures, which can help avoid the trap of endlessly searching for the perfect approach.

Who is František Mach?

František Mach is a researcher, developer, and leader of a young research group at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the University of West Bohemia, where he also serves as vice dean for science. Together with his colleagues, he founded the startup nextdrop, which provides a comprehensive platform for sustainable water management, and the spin-off company nextcycle, which develops technology for plastic separation. His work focuses on deep-tech projects, from miniature magnetic robots and microfluidic pumps for biomedical applications to valves for rocket engines and other industrial technologies. He has long been involved in software development (such as the Agros2D application, which is used by engineers around the world) and other technical projects, such as a 3D-printed respirator and a personal Tiny (Lab) House. He is dedicated to popularizing science and working with students at all levels of study. He received the Creative Heroes Award for connecting science, technology, and education.

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