Skunk Works for Software
The term, Skunk Works, was created by the Lockheed Aircraft Company to describe an innovative project, involving a small group of skilled people, that is outside the normal research and development channels within an organization.
© Lockheed Martin
The origin of the term dates back to 1943, during WWII, when the U.S. Army’s Tactical Service Command tasked Lockheed with designing and manufacturing the nation’s first fighter jet: the P-80 Shooting Star, and to deliver it as quickly as possible.
The P-80 Shooting Star, America’s first fighter jet. © Lockheed Martin.
The job seemed to be Mission Impossible:
The jet was needed in 180 days.
It must fly at 500 miles per hour – that’s 100 miles per hour faster than anything the Army Air Corps had at the time.
There was no available floor space for the project since all current Lockheed facilities were in use 24/7.
And, the budget was tight.
A crack engineering team, led by Kelly Johnson, the Chief Engineer of Lockheed Martin’s original Skunk Works lab, delivered it in just 143 days.
Folklore has it that the first site chosen for the design and development of the fighter was a former bourbon distillery that stank badly and quickly proved uninhabitable, so the team rented a circus tent to work on the project, but the tent was situated near a plastics factory that also stank.
One of the engineers working in the tent, Irv Culver, was a fan of a popular newspaper comic strip at the time called "Li'l Abner”. There was a recurring joke in the comic about a mysterious and skunky-smelling place deep in the forest called the "Skonk Works," (spelled with an “o”), where a strong beverage called Kickapoo Joy Juice was brewed from skunks, old shoes and other unusual ingredients.
© Capp Enterprises, Inc.
“Skonk Works!”
As a gag, Culver showed up to work one day wearing a gas mask and began answering the internal Lockheed house phone "Skonk Works!”
Kelly Johnson overheard him and bellowed:
”Culver, you're fired! Get your ass out of my tent."
But Culver showed up for work the next day and continued to answer the Lockheed house phone “Skonk Works!”. He claimed later that Johnson fired him at least once a day. In Kelly Johnson’s autobiography - More Than My Share Of It All - he referred to Culver as "a brilliant designer."
Skonk Works becomes Skunk Works
When the name “Skonk Works” leaked out, Lockheed changed it to "Skunk Works" to avoid potential legal trouble over the use of a copyrighted term in a newspaper comic.
The term rapidly circulated throughout the aerospace community, and became a common nickname for cutting-edge research and development offices getting quality tech built quickly and quietly.
Over time, top companies borrowed Lockheed’s Skunk Works framework, for example:
Google’s Skunk Works division brought to life the space elevators, wearable computers, and self-driving cars;
In the 1980s, IBM ran a Skunk Works project that resulted in the release of the IBM PC;
Steve Jobs also applied the renegade spirit of the Skunk Works to create the Macintosh division, while Microsoft’s Skunk Works teams developed the Kinect and Surface tablets and computers.
Kelly’s 14 Rules
Kelly Johnson summarized in 14 rules how to set up and manage a Skunk Works team.
While some of the rules apply solely to Lockheed military projects, 7 of them apply to any Skunk Works type-team tasked with creating disruptive solutions at incredible speed:
The Skunk Works® manager must be delegated practically complete control of their program in all aspects. They should report to a division president or higher.
The number of people having any connection with the project must be restricted in an almost vicious manner. Use a small number of good people (10% to 25% compared to the so-called normal systems).
A very simple drawing and drawing release system with great flexibility for making changes must be provided.
There must be a minimum number of reports required, but important work must be recorded thoroughly.
There must be a monthly cost review covering not only what has been spent and committed but also projected costs to the conclusion of the program.
Funding a program must be timely so that the contractor doesn't have to keep running to the bank to support … projects.
There must be mutual trust between the … organization and the contractor, the very close cooperation and liaison on a day-to-day basis. This cuts down misunderstanding and correspondence to an absolute minimum.
© Lockheed Martin
In software development, a Skunk Works team operates in accordance with these principles, working separately from an organization’s main development team with a high degree of autonomy and flexibility. This allows the team to work on innovative projects and technologies without the constraints and bureaucracy of a larger organization.
One key advantage of a Skunk Works team is the ability to rapidly prototype and iterate on new ideas. This allows the team to quickly test and validate new concepts and technologies, which can then be incorporated into the main development effort.
With a Skunk Works approach, you can drastically reduce the time it takes to create and launch a new product or feature. You can remain agile and take risks, while still having the ability to pivot quickly if needed.
© Lockheed Martin
This approach also allows you to be creative and experiment with different solutions. You don't have to stick to the same old development process. You can push the boundaries and come up with innovative solutions in a fraction of the time.
Another advantage is the ability to attract and retain top talent. Skunk Works teams often offer the opportunity for developers to work on cutting-edge technology and to have a greater degree of ownership and impact on the final product. This can foster an environment of innovation and creativity and lead to the development of new and unique software solutions.
It's important to note that Skunk Works teams can also have their challenges, like lack of oversight and structure can lead to miscommunication and delays, and sometimes the off-site nature of the team can lead to mistrust and resentment from other teams within the organization.
To overcome these challenges, effective communication and transparency are crucial, regular updates and progress reports should be shared with the rest of the organization, and the Skunk Works team should actively seek feedback and input from other teams.
In conclusion, Skunk Works teams can be a powerful tool for software development, allowing them to rapidly prototype and iterate on new ideas while attracting and retaining top talent. However, the success of a Skunk Works team depends on effective communication, transparency, and a shared understanding of the goals and objectives of the project.
“We are not defined by the technologies that we create, but by the process in which we create them.”
- Lockheed Chief Engineer, Clarence “Kelly” Johnson
