Steve Rader spent decades at NASA leading open innovation and crowdsourcing efforts, connecting the agency's toughest technical challenges to global talent networks. In this episode he explains why understanding a problem matters more than rushing to solve it, and why the old model of hiring full-time in-house experts can't keep pace with today's exponential rate of technological change. He shares data on the explosion of the world's scientific population, real examples of crowdsourced breakthroughs like NASA's MagQuest challenge, and practical advice for startups and companies looking to tap into freelance and crowd talent through platforms like Freelancer, Wazoku, and Upwork. Steve now runs Crowd Resources Consulting, advising organizations on how to open up their innovation process.
Key Takeaways:
Quote of the Show (31:26):
"In the open world, you can always find a cutting-edge technology expert, always." – Steve Rader
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Ways to connect with Steve Rader:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steverader/
Company Website: https://sites.google.com/crowdresources-consulting.com/home
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