Travis Thul

Every single bit of feedback we received was, this is a great idea, but... Grit versus quit.

Every single bit of feedback we received was, this is a great idea, but... Grit versus quit.

Every single bit of feedback we received was, this is a great idea, but... Grit versus quit.

Fantastic. Travis Thull. I'm a director of operations and senior fellow at the University of Minnesota. Also a reserve Coast Guard officer currently serving with the joint staff.

Fantastic. Travis Thull. I'm a director of operations and senior fellow at the University of Minnesota. Also a reserve Coast Guard officer currently serving with the joint staff.

Fantastic. Travis Thull. I'm a director of operations and senior fellow at the University of Minnesota. Also a reserve Coast Guard officer currently serving with the joint staff.

Yeah, this was a United States Coast Guard Telecommunications and Information Systems Command just south of Washington, D.C., adjacent to Fort Belvoir. And when you're a junior officer on active duty, you are officer of the day on a rotation, which means you are on site for 24 hours and you're responsible for security, making sure doors are locked, gates are locked, nothing crazy is going on.

Yeah, this was a United States Coast Guard Telecommunications and Information Systems Command just south of Washington, D.C., adjacent to Fort Belvoir. And when you're a junior officer on active duty, you are officer of the day on a rotation, which means you are on site for 24 hours and you're responsible for security, making sure doors are locked, gates are locked, nothing crazy is going on.

Yeah, this was a United States Coast Guard Telecommunications and Information Systems Command just south of Washington, D.C., adjacent to Fort Belvoir. And when you're a junior officer on active duty, you are officer of the day on a rotation, which means you are on site for 24 hours and you're responsible for security, making sure doors are locked, gates are locked, nothing crazy is going on.

That evening rolls around, and I'm at my desk, and I'm hungry. I want something to eat. Like most young engineers, I had a supply of ramen noodles, and I've got my secret stash, so I grab a pack. In my building, we had a little tiny kitchenette, 50 or 60 old coffee cups that haven't been washed, and miscellaneous packets of Chinese seasoning.

That evening rolls around, and I'm at my desk, and I'm hungry. I want something to eat. Like most young engineers, I had a supply of ramen noodles, and I've got my secret stash, so I grab a pack. In my building, we had a little tiny kitchenette, 50 or 60 old coffee cups that haven't been washed, and miscellaneous packets of Chinese seasoning.

That evening rolls around, and I'm at my desk, and I'm hungry. I want something to eat. Like most young engineers, I had a supply of ramen noodles, and I've got my secret stash, so I grab a pack. In my building, we had a little tiny kitchenette, 50 or 60 old coffee cups that haven't been washed, and miscellaneous packets of Chinese seasoning.

And I open the microwave, and it looks like somebody just microwaved spaghetti in it. I'm just really struggling to figure out how I'm going to get this dehydrated block of goodness into an edible capacity. And I notice that there is a coffee maker. So I grab the coffee pot. I fill it up, you know, as much as I think necessary.

And I open the microwave, and it looks like somebody just microwaved spaghetti in it. I'm just really struggling to figure out how I'm going to get this dehydrated block of goodness into an edible capacity. And I notice that there is a coffee maker. So I grab the coffee pot. I fill it up, you know, as much as I think necessary.

And I open the microwave, and it looks like somebody just microwaved spaghetti in it. I'm just really struggling to figure out how I'm going to get this dehydrated block of goodness into an edible capacity. And I notice that there is a coffee maker. So I grab the coffee pot. I fill it up, you know, as much as I think necessary.

The ramen will be broken in half because you can't actually fit it through the hole in the top of the pot. So break the ramen up. But the problem is the water ratio is way off. The drip mechanism is not appropriate. And then you can't stick a spoon into a coffee pot, right? Like the ergonomics of it is a fail. But, you know, desperate times call for desperate measures.

The ramen will be broken in half because you can't actually fit it through the hole in the top of the pot. So break the ramen up. But the problem is the water ratio is way off. The drip mechanism is not appropriate. And then you can't stick a spoon into a coffee pot, right? Like the ergonomics of it is a fail. But, you know, desperate times call for desperate measures.

The ramen will be broken in half because you can't actually fit it through the hole in the top of the pot. So break the ramen up. But the problem is the water ratio is way off. The drip mechanism is not appropriate. And then you can't stick a spoon into a coffee pot, right? Like the ergonomics of it is a fail. But, you know, desperate times call for desperate measures.

So, you know, I was able to get a 60 or 70% cooked ramen meal. And as I'm trying to get the fork into the thing and get the noodles out, I'm thinking to myself, if only I knew an engineer, you know, I feel like there's something here.

So, you know, I was able to get a 60 or 70% cooked ramen meal. And as I'm trying to get the fork into the thing and get the noodles out, I'm thinking to myself, if only I knew an engineer, you know, I feel like there's something here.