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| It’s generally assumed that the Aeron chair was quickly
adopted when it first came on the scene. Ergonomically the chair is a masterpiece,
diffusing peak pressure under the ischial tuberosities (sitting bones)
and providing far better posture support than traditional office seating. The
chair can be adjusted in so many ways that a better customized fit cannot be found.
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In fact, participants in early focus groups initially
shunned the chair’s odd, eggy shape (some called it “insect-like”);
its exposed high-tech underbelly (put on a slipcover?); and its fully loaded price
tag (some did not appreciate an office chair retailing at $900).
The Aeron manufacturer steadfastly backed its product. And things began to change.
Positive reports rolled in from achy lower backs and nine-to-five derrieres. As
time passed, the unfamiliar look caught on. Thus began the Aeron’s ascent
to the de rigueur throne of the financial kingdom. The chair now reigns supreme
as an investment world “must-sit.”
New and inventive advancements often require time to gain acceptance. This is
also true in investing. First Quadrant’s early focus on the separation of
alpha and beta, and the transparency of our alpha engineering was uncomfortable
for many in the early 1990s. Investors have now warmed to this separation of alpha
and beta, and there is broad-based acceptance of the visible use of engineering
in portfolio construction.
The Aeron chair’s key features include:
• new way of looking at old problems
• finely engineered solution to issues of functionality
• exposed technology rendering process transparent.
Need we say more about why we at First Quadrant relate so strongly to the saga
of the Aeron chair? |
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