A skunkworks project, also known as Skunk Works, is an innovative undertaking, involving a small group of people, that is outside the normal research and development (R&D) channels within an organization.

The Skunks’ Den is the only unclassified room at headquarters. The modern space looks like any ordinary conference room. There’s a large conference table and extra seating. But this is also stuffed with some 60 toaster-sized models on display stands lining the walls encased in glass. So Kelly’s team rented a circus tent to work on the project and delivered the fighter in just 143 days. According to lore, the tent had a pungent smell because it was sitting adjacent to a plastics factory in Burbank. The name Skunk Works was born. And there’s more to the book than the story of technical achievements. For one thing, it includes some of the more interesting failures. We also get to hear the dramatic stories of men who flew these planes, like the U-2 pilot who accidentally flew into the Soviet Union during the Cuban Missile Crisis, nearly sparking WW3, to the stealth bomber pilot whose bomb bay doors didn’t close after he dropped his payload in Iraq. With the doors open he was uncomfortably exposed to enemy radar, and he had to crank the doors shut by hand as a missile streaked towards him (once the doors were shut he became invisible again and the missile missed). With a high degree of autonomy, access to funds and exceptional freedom from the bureaucracy and the management constraints of the parent organizations, skunk works teams can truly attempt what has never been done and speed up innovation at an incredible rate.PDF / EPUB File Name: Skunk_Works__A_Personal_Memoir_of_My_Years_-_Ben_R_Rich.pdf, Skunk_Works__A_Personal_Memoir_of_My_Years_-_Ben_R_Rich.epub The Skunk Works manager must be delegated practically complete control of his program in all aspects. He should report to a division president or higher.

Adrian has a unique gift for understanding drivers and racing cars. He is ultra competitive but never forgets to have fun. An immensely likeable man.' Damon Hill My brother, who is an engineer, has been recommending this book to me for years, but I’ve always thought “Sure, YOU like it, because you’re exactly the kind of nerd it would appeal to. I’m a different kind of nerd entirely.” But it was very accessible from beginning to end, and written in a very conversational and easy to digest style. I enjoyed every minute of it. The first was how the Skunk Works defined its mission: "to develop low cost and rapid prototypes to achieve extremely difficult but specific objectives." The combination of extreme difficulty and extreme specificity is the recipe for innovation.The new factory is Skunk Works’ first since the 1980s. Instead of being designed to assemble a specific aircraft, the building has no fixed machines or tooling, which means it can be easily reconfigured to host new projects, Babione said. Our flagship flow training, Zero to Dangerous helps you accomplish your wildest professional goals while reclaiming time, space, and freedom in your personal life.