Whatever could a tailor and a software developer have in common?
I would have been unable to answer myself up to a few months ago when I started working on a technology innovation project commissioned by the most prestigious tailor shop in Cernobbio, Sartoria Orefice, under the scientific coordination of the Centro Volta research center. I wrote a bit about this project in the past updates and now that we’re nearing the end, I have been allowed to write in even greater detail.
Sartoria Orefice is one of the few small enterprises in this high quality market sector renowned for excellence not only in Italy but also in many countries of the world so much so that a lot of customers come to Cernobbio from abroad to ask Mr. Lino and his son Cleto, who now runs the business, to create the perfect suit for them.
So, back to the initial riddle, I am convinced the most appropriate answer consists in one simple word: Elegance!
Consider the hard work the tailor, guided only by his year-long experience, engages in every day with such simple tools as needle and thread. Compare it now with the work I have done over the course of the last months with tools only apparently more complicated such as bits and bytes to create a hardware and software system which will make Orefice’s work much more efficient and profitable.
Especially the software part was made to measure, as they say, and the end result is as elegant as a finely handcrafted suit.
No doubt they’ll be able to expand their business with this system. As a matter of fact the reason they invested in it in the first place is they strongly believe in its potential.
I was truly happy to find such great people to work with: Cleto, Lino, their kind staff and Matteo from the Centro Volta. By working side to side with them I had the pleasure to learn some (only a few actually) of the secrets of a craftsmanship as old as the hills and fine-tuned by 5 generations of tailors. This year they’re celebrating 150 years since the first Orefice started the business in 1856.
This project gave me the chance to gain experience in a number of fields, from the development of custom software to familiarization with the latest videosurvelliance and videoconferencing IP-based hardware, Sony’s products in particular, but, above all, gave me the opportunity to learn to deal with people in the best way, understanding their needs and changing a problem into an efficient working solution.
I’d really love to apply this kind of approach to another small local enterprise. The staff at the Centro Volta is ready to enroll me again should someone else request their direct assistance in a technology innovation project, maybe along the lines of the IComo initiative.
You could call me directly if you prefer, while if you need a high quality Italian-made (Cernobbio-made actually) suit now you know who to call.
With their new system Cleto and his father will be able to assist you all the way, from the choice of the fabric to the finest details of your suit even if you live on the other side of the globe.
Recently I came across a pretty significant quote by Albert Einstein which inspired me the initial riddle:

If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor.

This is weird, take a deep breath because this is really weird!
Do you have a cat? Does it live in your house? If so you can’t but love it as you created a special relationship with it since it entered your home and actually took possession of it.
So do I with my cat Willy and if you too have a cat then we have a little problem in common: the Litter!
You have to take care of it keeping it clean, regularly refilling it with new sand and disposing of your pet’s waste since it can’t do that by itself.
And here comes the solution: it’s named Litter Kwitter and it’s meant to gradually train your cat to use the toilet!
Well, I warned you this was pretty weird… as weird as a genial solution to a common problem that no one has thought of yet can be.
The idea of the Litter Kwitter came to the Australian entrepreneur Jo Lapidge by watching the movie with Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro, Meet the Parents. In the movie you can see the superb performance of the cat, Mr. Jinks, actually using De Niro’s toilet.
So Jo designed a particular system to train your pet to do the same thing. There are three steps to follow to make it getting used to climbing onto the toilet pan, putting its claws in the right position, steadying itself and quietly performing its intimate business.
The three stages are well explained on the Litter Kwitter official website and in the DVD that comes with the actual package.
I purchased it since I was amazed by this idea and the advantages resulting from a successful training: no more litter and a bit more hygiene in the house!
Cats are really smart, you know it full well if you live with one, or even more than one, but they are also creatures of habit, so you should proceed very carefully with this method if you’d like to obtain a positive result.
Willy is doing well, he’s still at the red stage, almost ready to proceed to the amber one, and with patience and the right encouragement I think he’ll be fully trained within a few weeks.
Thanks to Jo for her invention then, now I wonder if she’ll come out with a new patented method to train cats to flush the water toilet also!
I told you it was weird!
Love your cat, they’re so special.