FONGIT:Force with Brigid O'Donovan

What if the challenges that make hardware hard could become your competitive advantage, and a moat that others cannot easily replicate?

Developing complex, hardware-intensive products is rarely straightforward. Individual components may work well, yet problems emerge where technologies, people and real-world conditions interact.

In this interactive workshop, we explore how to navigate these and other deep-tech challenges by directing leadership attention towards the uncertainties that matter most, recognising interdependent feedback loops, and using purposeful learning cycles to inform development decisions. Through a practical case study, participants will consider how to decide what to test next, preserve options while uncertainty remains, and judge when the evidence is strong enough to commit.

By the end of the workshop, participants should be able to:

1.     Recognise why promising deep-tech prototypes can fail to become viable products, and where leadership attention can make the greatest difference.

2.     Spot critical interfaces and interdependent feedback loops where uncertainties can compound, amplify risks or undermine progress.