📈 #54 Operations Research reimagined (Part IV): marketing
The name is just the beginning of the problem
Imagine walking into a room and introducing yourself as an "Operations Researcher."
Yes, it happened to me too.
The blank stares, polite nods, and unspoken confusion—this is the daily reality for professionals in a field struggling to communicate its value. The name "Operations Research" carries historical significance but also misunderstanding.
But this is just the tip of the iceberg.
A bigger problem is stopping the field from being recognized and creating unnecessary barriers.
Today in Feasible, we’ll examine this problem at three stages:
🏷️ The name is more than just words
🔍 The marketing challenges around OR
🚧 Adoption barriers and solutions
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This is the fourth post in a six-part series on the issues that have prevented OR from reaching its full potential and help you avoid these patterns. If you missed them, read Part I, Part II, and Part III.
🎧 At the top, you can listen to a podcast-like version of this post!
→ Ready? Let’s get started! 🪂
🏷️ The name is more than just words
Names are more than labels; they’re powerful communication tools that trigger cognitive associations.
They impact the field’s perception, talent attraction, and market positioning.
The naming debate in OR reveals deeper challenges at the intersection of branding, professional identity, and market communication.
This debate recurs. Two years ago, Edward Rothberg (CEO and co-founder of Gurobi) wrote an article titled What’s in a name? in Forbes. He says they were using Mathematical Optimization then, and now Gurobi is moving towards Decision Intelligence.
There’s a spectrum of alternative names for our field, like:
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