The goal of computer architecture research is to move the needle, that is to affect the future of computing in a positive way. Publications, prototypes, and studies are all just different means to this common end. This talk will address how to move the needle in academic and industrial settings discussing what works and what doesn't. Our work is constrained by applications, technology, and commercial reality. The architecture funnel starts with many concepts that proceed through stages of evaluation and refinement. A relatively few successful concepts make it out the far side to deployment. Most concepts fail, and good researchers cut their losses early. The funnel has many years of latency and good researchers aim for results that are relevant beyond this latency. Academics are best at the early stages of the concept funnel - where their long-term perspective and freedom from constraints are advantages. Industry excels at the later stages of the pipeline where resources and experience are well suited to refining ideas for deployment. Too often good concepts fall into a chasm between the two. Good partnerships are needed to bridge this chasm. This talk will give illustrate this exploration of architecture research with numerous examples of successes and failures. It will give recommended best practices for academic and industrial research. I will close with a glimpse of the future of architecture.
