Better than the neighbor’s kid


Kids are great. And now I’m not just talking about the five minutes of fame while making them. But about the time you spend with them, teaching them new skills and seeing them learn stuff by themselves as well. They also give you the possibility to learn new sides about yourself.

Cooperation, negotiation skills, multitasking, patience, a sense of urgency, focusing on the things that matter… these are present in everyday life, regardless if you are a parent or a product manager. Or both.

I have kids at home, and a different sort of “kids” at work. My two daughters are competing with two generations of full-power converters (FPC).

In both, I can see the same pattern repeating itself. As the older one gets something new or is learning something new, the younger one does or wants to have the same. If the parents have done something wrong with the older one in the past, most probably they have learned from their mistake, and hopefully do not repeat it again with the younger one. Continuous improvement gives a better result in the end.

Of course, comparing my two daughters is impossible. But my kids at work can be compared with each other. The first generation FPC is not bad, nor obsolete. But the new FPC+ is better, stronger and bigger in power than its older sister. Most importantly, they can both do things better than the neighbor’s kid.

Product-wise we are living in extremely interesting times. Just wait and see what the autumn and early winter will bring!

Finally, we’ll be introducing a killer cabinet for powers above 2 MW and perhaps something else will be bigger as well in addition to the power and current… So, stay tuned and keep focusing on the things that matter.

Jussi Paakkunainen
Product Manager, Full-power converters