{"id":31732,"date":"2018-11-13T13:31:13","date_gmt":"2018-11-13T18:31:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/littlebits-open-innovation-fueled-by-open-imagination\/"},"modified":"2018-11-13T13:42:24","modified_gmt":"2018-11-13T18:42:24","slug":"littlebits-open-innovation-fueled-by-open-imagination","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/littlebits-open-innovation-fueled-by-open-imagination\/","title":{"rendered":"LittleBits: Open Innovation Fueled by Open Imagination"},"content":{"rendered":"

A LittleBackground<\/strong><\/p>\n

LittleBits, the New York based startup founded in 2011, has the goal of \u201cempowering kids with technology.\u201d \u00a0Just 7 years after its launch, LittleBits is working with 20,000 schools, has partnerships with companies like Disney and Pearson, and has raised over $65 million in funding.\u00a0 It is the source of over 1 million inventions, and 40% of the makers using LittleBits are girls, four times the industry average for this type of toy.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

LittleBits are electronic building blocks that magnetically connect circuit components so that users can create their own electronic hardware inventions.\u00a0 Similar to Legos, LittleBits are sold both as specific kits and as standalone sets.\u00a0 Unlike Lego, LittleBits has an open source online platform where users can publish their inventions for others to replicate\/innovate on.\u00a0 Even further, LittleBits has the cloudBit component which enables creations to connect to the internet.[2]<\/a>\u00a0 Although LittleBits patented the design each individual block, everything created with the tools can be made public on their online galleries and forums.[3]<\/a>[4]<\/a><\/p>\n

LittleBits and Open Innovation<\/span> Imagination<\/strong><\/p>\n

Using open innovation is core to the mission at LittleBits.\u00a0 Ayah Bdeir, LittleBits founder and CEO, identified LittleBits and its online community as a way to keep large tech players innovating.\u00a0 Previously, to design hardware one needed electrical engineering experience and access to expensive circuit components.\u00a0 With LittleBits however, Bdeir claims users can \u201c\u2019make [their] own Nest or Jawbone without having to write a line of code\u2019\u201d which means that \u2018\u201dthe next billion-dollar idea isn’t going to come from Apple; it’s going to come from designers and artists and parents.\u2019\u201d[5]<\/a><\/p>\n

Open innovation at LittleBits has also helped them design new kits for resale.\u00a0 Initially, LittleBits created a hardware app store called bitLab where inventors could post their creations, initiating the process for potential replication.\u00a0 Once an idea was posted on bitLab, other users could vote on the utility of the project and those passing the voting threshold of 1,000 votes would remain on the platform for resale.\u00a0 If a project was selected, the designer would be eligible for 10% of any future sales of his\/her kit.[6]<\/a>\u00a0 In 2017 LittleBits closed bitLab because of resource constraints, but its open forums remain.[7]<\/a>\u00a0 Additionally, company continues to recognize and monetize the community\u2019s projects with the introduction of Hall of Fame kits inspired by open source ideas.[8]<\/a><\/p>\n

Finally, open innovation allows LittleBits users to troubleshoot for and teach each other.\u00a0 This provides an opportunity for students to apply what they\u2019ve learned by helping others and alleviates the need for excess customer service staff.\u00a0 The LittleBits community helps each other work through challenges, thereby decreasing the necessary staff at the company and simultaneously strengthening the community.<\/p>\n

Next Steps for LittleBits<\/strong><\/p>\n

In August, LittleBits made its first strategic acquisition when it purchased DIY Co, an educational online network for kids.[9]<\/a>\u00a0 This signals LittleBits\u2019s continued commitment to open source education for its customers and will allow it to more seamlessly integrate its competency in hardware with the possibilities of including software.\u00a0 The merged company will serve as an online education platform as well as a social network where users can more formally and seamlessly teach one another.\u00a0 With the acquisition, LittleBits is evolving from an open source project library to an open source education platform.<\/p>\n

In her TED talk, Ayah Bdeir says she was inspired to create the \u201cbuilding block of our generation\u201d to make innovation more accessible.[10]<\/a>\u00a0 The world seems to agree it is necessary to enable children, parents, teachers, designers and inventors to create electronic prototypes.\u00a0 However, the power of Bdeir\u2019s idea comes not only from the blocks themselves, but from the community that supports, teaches, and shares the possibilities the blocks represent.<\/p>\n

I believe that LittleBits plus<\/em> many brains will help create the most innovative future, but skeptics have the following questions:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Are open innovation and open imagination at odds? Some challenge the idea that allowing children to build on the ideas of others results in more copycats than creators.<\/li>\n
  2. What is next for LittleBits? Will it continue to be a tool just for students\/educators or will LittleBits be adopted by the masses to bring hardware ideas to life?\u00a0 Can growth be fueled by open innovation?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    (799 words)<\/p>\n

    [1]<\/a> \u201cAbout,\u201d LittleBits, https:\/\/littlebits.com\/about\/<\/a><\/p>\n

    [2]<\/a> Kuang, Cliff,\u00a0 \u201cLittleBits, A Favorite Tool of Hardware Hackers, Is Now Cloud Enabled,\u201d Wired<\/em>, (2014), https:\/\/www.wired.com\/2014\/07\/little-bits-the-favorite-toy-of-hardware-hackers-is-now-cloud-enabled\/<\/a><\/p>\n

    [3]<\/a> Zipkin, Nina, \u201cLittleBits: Balancing Open Source Innovation and Competitive Edge,\u201d Entrepreneur<\/em>, (2015), https:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/video\/252120<\/a><\/p>\n

    [4]<\/a> Zareva, Teodora, \u201cEveryone Can Become an Electronics Wiz Thanks to LittleBits,\u201d BigThink.com, <\/em>(2014), https:\/\/bigthink.com\/design-for-good\/everyone-can-become-an-electronics-wiz-thanks-to-littlebits<\/p>\n

    [5]<\/a> \u201cLittleBits, A Favorite Tool of Hardware Hackers, Is Now Cloud Enabled\u201d<\/p>\n

    [6]<\/a> \u201cEveryone Can Become an Electronics Wiz Thanks to LittleBits\u201d<\/p>\n

    [7]<\/a> \u201cThe bitLab is Closed\u201d, LittleBits, https:\/\/littlebits.com\/blog\/the-bitlab-is-closed\/<\/p>\n

    [8]<\/a> \u201cHall of Fame Kits Announcement\u201d, LittleBits, https:\/\/wp.littlebits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Hall-of-Fame-Kits-Announcement-FINAL.pdf<\/p>\n

    [9]<\/a> Heater, Brian, \u201cLittleBits Acquires Kids Educational Community DIY Co\u201d, TechCrunch<\/em>, (2018), https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2018\/08\/14\/littlebits-acquires-kids-educational-community-diy-co\/<\/p>\n

    [10]<\/a> Bdeir, Ayah, \u201cBuilding Blocks that Blink Beep and Teach\u201d, TED<\/em>, (2012), https:\/\/www.ted.com\/talks\/ayah_bdeir_building_blocks_that_blink_beep_and_teach?language=en<\/p>\n

    [11] “LittleBits Image,”\u00a0https:\/\/www.pcmag.com\/review\/355844\/littlebits-code-kit<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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