The Innovation Maestro of Google and Stanford, Alberto Savoia

Alberto Savoia is Google's first Engineering Director and a renowned innovation expert. He has taught methodologies for idea design, validation, and innovation at the Stanford School of Engineering's d.school and the Technology Ventures Program (STVP), often referred toas the cradle of Silicon Valley. As Google’s Innovation Agitator Emeritus, he continues to lead internal innovation workshops and collaborate on numerous joint projects.

After joining Sun Microsystems in 1985, he served as the Director of Software Research and played a pivotal role in the development of Java technology and tools. Joining Google in 2001, he took a leading role during historical moments when countless ideas began transforming human life.

In 2012, he co-founded PretotypeLabs along with several startups in the software development and testing sectors. His accolades include the Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award (2005), the InfoWorld Top 25 CTO Award and Technology of the Year Award (2005, 2006), and the AlwaysOn Best Innovation Award (2004–2006).

Savoia’s first book, The Right It: Why So Many Ideas Fail and How to Make Sure Yours Succeed, is a culmination of his 30-plus years of passion for technology and engineering in Silicon Valley, combined with his deep experience in innovation and startups. In 2011, he produced a small booklet titled Pretotype It, which outlined the core methodologies of "pretotyping" (a portmanteau of pretend and prototype), and distributed it for free to developers in his network.