Meet the Authors: Jon M. Quigley and Amol Gulve
Posted: May 23, 2023
Sometimes the most valuable knowledge is knowing where to begin.
Modernizing Product Development Processes: Guide for Engineers provides a foundation for engineers, entrepreneurs, and innovators to develop products more effectively. Value Transformation Leader Jon M. Quigley and Industry Leader Amol Gulve wrote the book to provide a platform for new engineers to learn while enhancing those well-engrossed within the field.
Jon and Amol share the way Modernizing Product Development Processes addresses specific needs within modern development cycles as a highlight of the text. It’s a critical topic to today’s state of technology that’s updating with unprecedented speed. 
“Everybody's wanting to do more—faster—but they're not really taking advantage of the things that are available to allow that to happen,” Jon said.
And though products and tools advance at a rapid rate, the same cannot be said for how these technologies get utilized.
“We want to jump straight to a solution, giving us the illusion that we're in a lot further along than we really, in fact, are,” Jon said.
To address this gap, Jon and Amol’s work emphasizes the importance of frontloading, modularization, and creative thinking. Frontloading allows one to effectively manage objectives and prioritize what actions to take. The context of objectives, and how they work to complete a goal, play a crucial role in development cycles.
“We take more risk by front loading all those challenges in the early stages,” Amol said—and in doing so, save valuable time and resources.
Creating clear, referenceable objectives will not only avoid hyper-fixation, but will make every part of the process completely vital, the authors say. Amol detailed his own process in four steps:
- Identify the risk.
- Identify “fortunates,” or benefits.
- Take new technologies into account.
- Identify ambiguous or unknown information.
Amol recalled how in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many new professionals found themselves transitioning from their former fields, and into engineering. He initiated the collaboration with Jon to help these people.
“There's still more work to do, but it's a step in the right direction,” Amol said.
Creativity also plays a crucial role in Modernizing Product Development Processes, as nuanced thought can lead to discovery. The book describes how modularization can aid in the creative process by providing high possibility while reducing complexity.
When Jon originally pursued a path in engineering, he did so with the intent of creating FX pedals for live musicians. As a bass player, he recalled a time in which he switched from playing with a pick, to using three fingers to pluck the strings. The style in which he played required a new approach.
“And often from experience, what you find is that an element from this thing, plus an element from this design, is really the better solution…weigh the attributes of each design solution,” said Jon.
Jon and Amol emphasize their ideas from an engineering perspective, but these processes can be applied to almost any field. As technology advances, so too must the process by which we engage with it.
“By challenging traditional ways of working and thinking outside the box, we transform the way people will interact with future technologies,” Amol said.