Ideas? Don’t give up on them
Once everyone is settled into the meeting, it’s time to share what you’ve discovered. I generally give a quick recap of our area of focus, not about the ideas yet. I start off by asking the participants to share their own list of the assumptions and rules that define how the industry and organizati
Copycat Innovation and the Ethical Innovator S14 Ep12
Download Copycat_Innovation_and_the_Ethical_Innovator_S14_Ep12.mp3 This year at South by Southwest (SXSW), I facilitated a discussion on neurodiversity hiring. This is part of my work with Hacking Autism. SXSW is a multi-week event, part music festival, part innovation reveal. It’s where big names like
What will future customers’ buying criteria be
A big part of any business is being aware of, and responding to, the life cycles of the industry and its customers. Some of these are easy to see; you only need a cursory understanding of the effect of OPEC on gas prices in the early ’70s to understand why
Group dynamics and ranking
Before we start ranking I want you to think about group dynamics for a second. Ideally you will have somewhere between five and ten people participating in your ideation group. These people will be drawn from all divisions of your company, including, but not limited to, engineering, marketing, and e
Being Content is the Enemy of Innovation S14 Ep11
Download Being_Content_is_the_Enemy_of_Innovation_S14_Ep11.mp3 Being content may be a positive emotion in some senses. Not so with innovation. If you are ready to rest on your laurels after a triumph or a stressful circumstance, get ready. Major change could be looming around the
Who will not buy my product because they feel something is objectionable about it
Have you ever purchased a product that others hated? Or what about the opposite .. .have you ever seen others using a product or service that you absolutely despised? The flipside to any positive emotional connection is a negative one. If you are producing a product or service that is inspiring
Discovering the Roadmap to a Better Future S14 Ep10
Download Discovering_the_Roadmap_to_a_Better_Future_S14_Ep10.mp3 Ever wish you could travel the world discovering better ways of doing things? The next best thing - read the book. Author Mark Stevenson is an innovation explorer. He’s visited remote parts and populous cities worldwide. This ‘reluctant
What Industries Are Analogous To Ours
No matter what business we are in, we are all fighting essentially the same fight—designing a product that a customer will prefer over that of our competitor. To do this, we need to constantly be aware of how our business environment is evolving, how our customers are changing, and
Small Spaces Inspiring Student Innovation S14 Ep8
Download Small_Spaces_Inspiring_Student_Innovation_S14_Ep8.mp3 Exploring rural innovation, I stopped in Paducah, Kentucky. Drs. Lula Luu and John Crilly, founders of FIn Gourmet Foods, joined the mobile studio. Word got around town. Monica Bilak contacted me through The Innovator’s Community. I’m pleased to welcome
How To Prepare For The Unexpected Jolts
If assumptions keep you safe, comfortable, and stagnant, then jolts are their counterpart. Jolts are the earthquakes and the tsunamis, metaphorical and occasionally literal, that you either don’t or can’t see coming. Jolts can be terrifying; one day you wake up and a fundamental assumption about how
