Why disrupting the tech industry is challenging

  • May 24, 2022

Anyone who has tried to develop a new technology or technology-enabled product can tell you there is often some resistance to change. New technology should theoretically be viewed as exciting. It has the capability to advance outcomes in various industries and often the ability to make life better/easier/more fun. The illogical reaction to express fear or disdain for new technology has been explained perfectly by author Douglas Adams.

“I’ve come up with a set of rules that describe our reactions to technologies,” writes Douglas Adams in The Salmon of Doubt.

1. Anything that is in the world when you’re born is normal and ordinary and is just a natural part of the way the world works.

2. Anything that’s invented between when you’re fifteen and thirty-five is new and exciting and revolutionary and you can probably get a career in it.

3. Anything invented after you’re thirty-five is against the natural order of things.

Douglas Adams on our Reactions to Technology Over Time

It is especially frustrating to have exciting new technology and be rejected by potential funders because the idea is too new or too risky. This is why we at E.B. Howard Consulting is especially fond of the SBIR/STTR program. These federal innovation grants require applicants to prove that their technology is high-risk and innovative as a prerequisite for applying for the opportunity. We have extensive knowledge surrounding the best approaches to preparing SBIR or STTR proposals with all 11 federal agencies that participate in the program.

For companies still in the ideation stage without a minimum viable product to prototype, our funding menu may be of use. Personalized funding menus can help early-stage technology companies identify funding opportunities that align with their product, purpose, stage, and industry. Pitch competitions, federal funding, accelerators, and local funding opportunities can all be found in these personalized funding menus.

At E.B. Howard, we have a team with ample experience in technology innovation, including but not limited to Spacetech, Ed-tech, ML/AI, Data Analytics, BIM/Digital Twin, and medical technology/mobile health. We can help our clients find and apply for relevant funding to turn their ideas into marketable products. The technology ideas our past clients have brought to the table have been groundbreaking and innovative, and we can’t wait to see what our future clients come up with next.


We work with high-growth startups and organizations that support the startup and innovation ecosystem. We build highly specific non-dilutive funding menus, provide proposal preparation services, and measure outcomes of funding through evaluation. Schedule a consult call with us HERE.

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