March 27, 1986 – Pizzazz Games is incorporated.

After 10 years, Doug Hall "retired" from Procter and Gamble to pursue his version of the American Dream. Like so many other business success stories, Doug started his own company, Pizazz Games, with what he had, from the basement of his home. Fortunately, though, he had "big money" behind him... in fact, the biggest investor in small businesses, the one investor who supports more new businesses than any other... you guessed it, the VISA credit card corporation. Yes, with three Visa credit cards, Doug funded the start-up of his American Dream.

In those early years, the company was known as Pizazz Games. It’s focus – creating and licensing games and toys. The company saw success with games like “Once…” and a range of others that were taken to market.

February 1990 – Richard Saunders International takes over.

The company transitions to Richard Saunders International, taking inspiration from Ben Franklin and using his pen name when writing Poor Richard’s Almanac.

Actually, there were two companies at this time: Richard Saunders International (an innovation/invention company) and AcuPOLL (a revolutionary market research company). The latter was sold in the early '90s to allow more time for the Eureka! Team to focus on inventing and writing. Soon after, the efforts of the Eureka! Team were evenly split between consulting and inventing ideas for licensing.

During it’s early years, the company was based on classical Procter & Gamble beliefs. It was an "ask consumers" invention approach. The "death" of the system occurred in the Procter & Gamble Board Room when then CEO John Smale remarked that the new soft drink that we were so excited about -- and that had been developed based on discussions with hundreds of consumers (focus groups and one-on-ones) -- was in essence "Coca-Cola." As Eureka! founder Doug Hall has said, "In an instant I realized that the Emperor had no clothes on - and I was the Emperor. By listening to customers we had conceptually created a modern version of Coca-Cola. Instead of taking responsibility for our future we had abdicated our leadership responsibility to consumers."

In 1989 the work of Dr. W. Edwards Deming and Tom Peters inspired a more future focused, revolutionary approach. The foundation of the new techniques for anticipating the future was the bible of innovation techniques, Techniques of Structured Problem Solving by Dr. Arthur VanGundy. The time proven methods were "energized" with the unique Eureka! energy and flair. Immediate improvements were realized in the depth and breadth of ideas being invented. The success drew the attraction of the Wall Street Journal who wrote a feature story on Eureka!.

In 1991 a conversation with George Prince, cofounder of Synectics inspired new insights and methods. He talked about how invention experts were clearly more effective, however when experts’ ideas entered companies they were frequently killed as a result of "not invented here" syndrome. The idea of blending experts with clients - in a non-threatening manner -- took root as Eureka! Ranch Trained Brains®. Their mission was "to ignite a pioneering spirit" among clients. In time we were surprised to find that the best Trained Brains were not copywriters, marketing or advertising experts. Rather, small and medium sized business owners turned out to have the right "whole brain balance" of logic, practicality, vision and people skills.

1992 - The Eureka! Mansion is open for business

Richard Saunders International purchased the historic Edwards estate in Newtown, Ohio and transformed it into the Eureka! Mansion. This new office site was inspired in part by the Ritz-Carlton's incredible style and service and in part by Jim Henson's Eclectic Muppet Mansion in New York City.

In 1994 Doug and his good friend, David Wecker, wrote and published their first book together - Jump Start Your Brain . The book quickly developed a cult-like following.

The Eureka! Team became world famous following two appearances on "Dateline NBC" and features in media articles, including two Inc Magazine cover stories that hailed Doug as "America's Top New Product Idea Man."

With the publication of Doug's first book, Jump Start Your Brain as well as two appearances on DATELINE NBC Team Eureka! exploded on the American business scene. Eureka!’s updated approaches the three dimensions that the book identified as important: stimulus, diversity and fun. A virtual "Wal-Mart" of stimulus was created in our back room. The number of Trained Brains tripled. To reduce the fear and increase the participation of Logical Left Brainers we became experts at Nerf Guns, Water Cannons and Whoopee Cushions. When Logical clients "played" the impact on quantity and quality of ideas created was dramatic.

1997 - The Eureka! Ranch: Innovation Research Lab

In 1997 the Eureka! Team and office relocated next door to a new, custom-built facility named the Eureka! Ranch. Doug and his family moved into the Mansion.

The Eureka! Ranch is a work-hard, play-hard kind of place that clients have called "a safe haven for original thinking." It's a place where you can kick back, relax, and really think about where your business is and where it's going.

It sits on eighty acres and features a walking track, bicycles, a sand volleyball court, basketball hoops, and a street hockey rink. There is even a lake out back for bass fishing, water skiing and tubing.

You enter the Ranch through the Brain Brew Saloon that features a 100-something-year-old hand-carved bar, a well-stocked collection of beverages and a professional espresso machine. Beyond the saloon is The Eureka! Room... where your team and ours engage. This room features a dozen of the top arcade games, including Area 51® and the ever-popular Wii game system.

Despite the fanciful appearance of the Ranch itself, a far-reaching quantitative research effort begins and this marks the beginning of another company transformation. Executives from Coca-Cola, American Express, Johnson & Johnson, and others became our research subjects. We studied how they thought, created and evaluated ideas for new products and services. This, in turn, led us to develop a method of continuously monitoring our brainstorming techniques for quality. Additionally, we completed an in-depth study of how the mind works with more than 4,000 innovation teams.

The result: Eureka! Inventing sessions were revolutionized, both in terms of efficiency and effectiveness. Eureka! Inventing's research efforts were honored with the George Land Award, presented by Fast Company Magazine and the Innovation Network.

Doug and David's second book, Maverick Mindset (released as Making the Courage Connection in paperback), was written and published in 1997 as well.

Deming’s Statistical Process Control Brings REAL SCIENCE to innovation. Eureka!’s systems were redesigned yet again to reduce process variation. With previous versions we saw huge volatility of results. One week the system would be spectacular - the next week we'd be struggling for ideas. Deming's system of statistical process control became the guiding development system. The greatest challenge in using Deming's approach was defining a key metric. Following six months of research we finally validated the world's first real time brainstorming measurement tool. Specifically, a set of questions were validated that could be asked during the process - with the results correlating with the number of "big ideas" at the end of the project.

The consequence of having a real measurement tool was we could now adapt and adjust our Eureka! process on a real time basis. It also resulted in massive change to the specific exercises that we did and didn't do. The overall research behind the system published in the book Jump Start Your Business Brain. From a strategic standpoint stimulus and diversity were confirmed as critical for success. However, in place of "fun" it was found that in truth "fear" had a more significant impact and a negative impact at that.

A huge analysis was conducted to discover "what drives success." It was a monumental research effort involving for a period of time three statisticians working full time searching for what drove success or failure for 10,000 concepts. The result was the Three Laws of Marketing Physics along with the creation of the patented Merwyn Research. Merwyn (named after Doug's Dad) made it possible to get overnight research results allowing for smarter decisions. The Three Laws of Marketing Physics gave a clear focus to Eureka! Brainstorming efforts. Now there was common agreement on what constitutes a big idea.

Eureka! research efforts continued to break new ground. In 1999, all aspects of our Eureka! Inventing projects began to be constantly measured. Hypotheses were developed and experiments conducted. The company's passion for continuous learning, coupled with its' extraordinary work environment, resulted in its selection as "One of the Top Dream Jobs" in America by the TV program, "A&E Top 10".

Doug and his good friend, Craig Kurz, reached the North Pole as part of the Great Aspirations! Expedition.

The Art of Innovation Becomes a Reliable Science – In 2001, seven years of research culminated in the publication of Doug's third book, Jump Start Your Business Brain , a national best-seller. The book was brought to the market by Richard Hunt, publisher of Emmis Books

Doug and David filmed their first TV special - working with small business owners on the CBC show, "Venture ". Tracie Tigh, commentator and video journalist, makes the future Brain Brew Crew believe they actually have a little talent - and thus, the initial idea for the radio show begins to ferment.

A Radio Show Is Launched In 2002, Doug and David started a weekly public radio show in the Cincinnati, Ohio, market. It focused on "providing ideas and encouragement to help folks turn their American Dreams into reality."

The Matrix Company of Glasgow, Scotland and Tech-PEI in Charlottetown, Canada became the first licensees to present the Jump Start Your Business Workshop program – helping small businesses hone their marketing and new product creation skills.

New Interface Creates More Reliable and Reproducible Results. In 2002, Eureka! invented a new way to "interface" to further enhance reliability. Smart stimulus exercises were crafted utilizing a common form and format. Dozens of exercises were designed and developed. Initially the standardization of creative techniques improved results.

However, a mega shift in client attitudes caused a slow and steady decline in the effectiveness of the Eureka! system. Analysis identified that while the session stimulus was more effective - corporate managers were less effective. The decline in effectiveness was driven by declines in participant's - "courage to take action", "optimism" and "right brain" focus. In effect, the STRESS FACTORS caused by challenging economic times drove major declines in the ability of clients to invent big ideas. To maintain end idea quality the Eureka! Ranch staff took on more of the burden of idea invention.

In 2003, Doug and David seek professional help with the Brain Brew Radio show ...and it arrives in the form of Mark Perzel, from WGUC-FM, who foolishly agrees to become their adult supervisor. On the appropriate date of April 1, 2003, it is nationally syndicated by PRI, Public Radio International. A state-of-the-art recording studio is completed at the Ranch in November.

Doug's fourth book, Meaningful Marketing , was published. It has been acclaimed as a marketing handbook for novices and experts alike.

Doug was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Prince Edward Island in Canada in recognition of his research and charitable efforts.

New System Addresses Client Stress, Pessimism and Logical, Rational Focus. To address the changes in the corporate world - a major revolution in the Eureka! process was initiated in 2004. The key design criteria for the system were born in Glasgow Scotland during a weeklong visit by Ranch founder Doug Hall during November 2003. The trip was part of our Jump Start Your Business program that focuses on helping small and medium sized businesses increase their odds of success. The objectives were:

1. Leverage the "Whole Brains" of Stressed Participants - Invent an idea invention system that works even when clients are feeling stressed, negative and risk adverse. The result was The Three Dimensions of Creativity™ a patent pending process of three sequential exercises (Individual Brain Writing, Paired Dialog and Group Brainstorming). This new approach builds the confidence of all participants by encouraging them to "think deeper" and makes the process more "whole brain balanced" i.e. less threatening to logical "left brainers" and more focused for emotional "right brainers."

Additional changes made to reduce client "fear factor" included: 1) Changing project management from a "creativity guru" approach to an Active Accelerated Learning system designed to spark individual discovery and understanding, 2) Personal Invention Journals that allow clients to capture, write and refine their thinking in private and 3) A new background music track was created that leveraged the latest science on music - up tempo music without vocals (jazz, baroque, rock).

2. Accelerate Results To Address Shorter Attention Spans - Invent a way to help today's stressed managers quickly see meaningful results. To address this a unique Concept Card Capture system was created. It involved rapid translation of the raw ideas - in the middle of the session - into persuasive customer/consumer centric concepts. It did this by focusing on the three key questions in buyer's minds (Why should I care? - Dramatic Difference, What's in it for me? - Overt Benefit and Why should I believe you? - Real Reason To Believe).

3. Leverage Personal Passions To Give Momentum for Change - Invent methods for inspiring greater courage to change. The courage and energy for change must come from within the individual. No amount of motivational talks or statistical analysis can cause someone to voluntarily throw himself or herself into the uncertainty inherent in change. To address this challenge three changes were made: 1) Leverage pride of authorship by demanding that everyone in the group writes their own ideas and signs them with their autograph, 2) Split company teams into smaller sub-company teams to build momentum on ideas before exposing them to the more critical mass team and 3) Publicly post ideas on giant idea grids, behind each team, to encourage a competitive spirit.

The net effect of the changes was nothing short of miraculous. The new system immediately generated a step change improvement in effectiveness. Clients who had used previous Eureka! Versions were unanimous in their support for new system.

Meaningful Marketing gets a total rewrite to make it more actionable and practical. It also gets a new name for introduction in February 2005 as Jump Start Your MARKETING Brain.Leading the (patented) revolution. Using the rich original research done in years past and testing a few theories led to the development of some breakthrough new thinking technologies in 2005 (and the filing of several patents!)

Ideas to Paper™ was a new method for helping clients articulate their ideas in the most powerful way possible. Once we discovered that clients were outscoring us on concept writing using this process, we knew we were onto something.

Continued work on our latest Idea Engineering system helped us become so efficient and effective we could offer clients an invention system that is 60 times more effective than the process we used only a few years ago (and one that most companies still use today.)

We also altered our MERWYN® research system to give clients benchmarked scores on their ideas – to make the results easier to interpret and take action on. Plus, we ramped up our external research efforts to include regular reading of 41 academic journals a month – so we remain on the bleeding edge of innovation.

And we invented an entirely new approach to development called Trailblazer building on systems Doug used to launch 9 products in 12 months at P&G. It is a rapid problem solving system that gets your development team aligned, focused and energized. It's a "fail fast, fail cheap, get smart" approach that dramatically reduces costs, risks and time to market. A P&G study found that Trailblazer required just 16% of the time, 10% of the cost & staffing versus their classic development approach

Add all those things up, an you get our newest product offering for 2005: Eureka! Winning Ways® , a whole brained brainstorming system that incorporates all our best technologies to help clients invent great ideas every time.

In 2006 Doug signed on to be the truth teller judge on ABC TV's first season of American Inventor. It was a wild ride, but gave Doug a deeper look at the life and work of the inventor and how they’re taken advantage of. It would prove to be the fuel for one of Eureka!’s biggest breakthroughs.

Systems so reproducible and reliable, they’re licensed by the US Department of Commerce and the world’s leading marketing research company. In 2007, the US Department of Commerce’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) division licensed Eureka! Winning Ways. As the #1 resource for small and midsize companies across the USA (especially manufacturing companies), they were poised to use Eureka! Winning Ways balance their cost cutting services portfolio.

In short, Eureka! Winning Ways fit with their vision of 20/20+. MEP will get you a plan to cut your costs by 20% using proven scientific systems like Lean Manufacturing. They’ll also get you a plan to grow your company by 20% using proven scientific systems like Eureka! Winning Ways. Plus, they’ll help you make those plans a reality. And with over 180 of their national staff licensed as Eureka! Coaches, there’s a certified coach within a 2-hour drive of almost every corner of the country.

The fall of that same year, AC Neilsen/BASES licensed another specialized service – Eureka! Concept Development . With their premier position as the global leader in market research, Eureka! Concept Development gives them a system to help their clients turn insights and technology into persuasive customer/consumer concepts. It allows them to offer their clients the complete solution: a validated way to test concepts and a validated way to create new ones.

2008 – Eureka! Ranch International goes global with Innovation Research & Development

Continued dedication to the research and development of innovation systems and an increasing amount of international work leads Eureka! rebrands as Eureka! Ranch International: Innovation Research and Development Specialists. As Doug says, “We’re not the same company clients remember us to be. The way we work and help clients has been completely revolutionized with rigorous discipline and blow-away systems, and our name and branding should reflect that.”

In keeping with creating Scientific Methods to help Business Leaders FIND, FILTER & FAST TRACK Innovations that are Meaningfully Unique vs. Competition Hall and the team start development on Planet Eureka! It’s the world’s first National Innovation Marketplace that gives all Inventors - no matter what their age, education or background - a FAIR SHOT at selling their invention to companies small and large. And it Help Companies PAINLESSLY FIND AND FILTER innovations that can help them more profitably compete in the global economy.

In related work, Merwyn Research gets a kick with development of Merwyn Business Simulation, which quantifies in one easy to understand report the 1) quality of your idea (Merwyn Concept Research report) , 2) innovation status, 3) sales forecast and 4) Fair Market valuation. Eureka! Innovation Scorecard powers Planet Eureka! It also powers private innovation development databases. It makes it easy to quantify and track corporate innovation pipeline investments on a common scorecard.