Deep Technology: The Business Case Needed to Catch Up With the Science

The enterprise sales cycle moved from 18 months to seven, and the work assisted in closing $12 million in initial commercial licenses. The technology was substantial. The business explanation needed to help another organization understand why it mattered.

I worked on technical white papers, interactive economic models and the narrative connecting the underlying research with an enterprise buyer's decision. This is a part of consulting that brings several of my interests into the same room: science, writing, digital solutions and business strategy.

A technically correct explanation can still miss the business question

The reader may understand that a development is difficult and impressive without knowing what it changes for their organization. The commercial account needs to connect the achievement with a defined use, an economic assumption or a reason to evaluate it more closely.

The white papers gave the subject depth. The interactive models let the relevant assumptions become part of the conversation. Neither was intended to replace the technical team. The work helped the team explain the significance of its knowledge to another audience.

Requirements gathering and technical meetings were part of that translation. It takes attention to discover which detail a reader needs next, and which impressive detail is distracting from the decision in front of them.

A model gives the disagreement somewhere useful to happen

An enterprise buyer may accept the technical explanation and question the economic assumptions. That is a productive conversation when the assumptions are visible.

The interactive work gave the business a way to explore those questions with more specificity. The writing established the argument; the model exposed the relationships within it. I am interested in that combination because it helps a company move beyond asking the audience to believe an impressive claim. The audience can begin to understand how the proposition fits its own circumstances and what it needs to evaluate next.

Keep the sales material connected to the work

The quarterly retained scope covered pitch materials, valuation models and content strategy. As the project developed, the commercial account needed to develop with it.

The $12 million figure is a licensing outcome, and my contribution is described as assisting in that result. Enterprise agreements involve a broader organization and a substantial evaluation process. The case does not need to erase those contributions to show the importance of clear writing and useful digital material.

This engagement is a good illustration of what I mean by technical storytelling. The task is to preserve the substance and make its significance intelligible to someone with a reason to act.