After a 3 weeks break, the group get together again to discuss and learn more on the flipchart “LAG”.

Someone shared that LAG is a generalized principle from Bucky. This is what Bucky’s definition of LAG: The time between the conception of the idea to the acceptance of the idea is called LAG.

Here are some examples given by Bucky:

For electronic industry —– 6 months to 2 years
For aerospace industry —- 5 years
For motor car industry —– 10 years
For railway industry ——— 15 years
For skyscraper industry —- 25 years
For real estate industry —– 50 years

It was discussed that in the Ring Toss Game, the shorter the LAG, the better it is. However, is it really true in real situation? It really depends on where is your position. Someone mentioned that LAG can be the time between the acceptance of the idea to someone copying that idea.

Being an inventor, the person would love to have a short LAG (from idea to acceptance). At the same time, this person would like to have a longer LAG (Acceptance to copying).

LAG may be determine by the ready-ness of the market. Sometimes it may not be best to be the first in entering a new market. One example will be Coffee Club vs Starbucks entering into Singapore market.

Coffee Club is the one that first launch a lifestyle cafe into Singapore, however the market is not ready for that social change. Starbucks came in at the right time, it came in when the market is more ready for this change of lifestyle. And the result? Starbucks sweeps the market share.

If someone has a product that is way in front of that curve of market ready-ness, it will have to wait for the market to catch up to that curve. LAG is also kind of connect to the rate of change, product life cycle.

For Bucky case, he was always ahead of his time. He invented things that is way ahead of the curve. However Bucky didn’t care. He continued his invention, left it on the shelf and move on to the next invention. While he was on his next invention, he was also waiting for the market to catch up on his previous invention. He truly believes that one day, someone will have uses for his invention. And true enough, Henry Ford called him to solve some of Ford’s problems because he knew that Bucky had invented something that can solve his problems.

Now do you have any idea to apply LAG to your business?