Just finished the initial writing of my book on innovation leadership. 🎉
After years of developing and launching innovations across diverse industries and working with countless innovation leaders, I’ve distilled the patterns that leaders repeat which inevitably lead to innovation failure.
The working title: “How Leaders Fuck Up Innovation: An Innovation Book That is Not About Innovation”
Ops Is How Innovation Thrives
Innovation captures headlines, but it’s business operations that determine whether those ideas scale—or stall. While everyone loves the energy of ideation, few are eager to dive into the mechanics of execution.
Leaders F-Up Innovation By Believing Users Will Tell You What They Want
When it comes to innovation, it might seem simple—just ask consumers what they want and how much they’re willing to pay, right? But the reality is far more complex.
Chasing Unicorns Over a Cliff: The Hidden Costs of Pursuing Breakthrough Innovation
Despite steady growth, this company’s founder was dissatisfied—not with the company’s success, but with the methods behind it. Captivated by the glamor and allure of breakthrough innovation, they redirected resources towards disruptive ideas they thought would capture headlines and venture capital.
How Leaders F-Up Innovation
When it comes to innovation, most tools, processes and frameworks are prescriptive. They promise, in essence, if you’d just do it right, you’ll always be successful. Somehow despite this, 75% of companies still report that their innovation efforts are not meeting their expectations, 60% of product launches continue to fail and 50% of innovation projects are abandoned.Â
Embracing AI in Innovation
There is no doubt that AI will transform how innovators work, collaborate, and innovate. It will shape innovation itself both in terms of what is created and how it is practiced. AI is creating transformative opportunities for innovation leaders who must adapt quickly or risk being left behind.
INNOVATIONS AT THEÂ 2024 FANCY FOOD SHOW
Almost every booth at the 2024 Fancy Food Show claimed they offered something new, an innovation. But I found most were not more than incremental changes to existing products; new flavors, formats or packaging. However, a few booths did stand out to me as being both innovative and aligned with market trends.
The Need for Speed: The Most Effective Way to Move Quickly is to Make the Right Decisions the First Time
Speed is often touted as a critical factor for success, with businesses of all sizes striving to move swiftly to capitalize on opportunities, stay ahead of the competition and save money. However, there’s a crucial nuance to this need for speed: it’s not just about moving fast; it’s about moving fast in the right direction. Here lies the distinction between mere haste and effective leadership.
How to Fail at Innovation #8: Â Believing Users Can Tell You What They Will Buy
Advising against relying solely on consumer focus group feedback in the innovation process can seem counterintuitive at first glance. After all, customer insights are crucial for designing products or services that meet market and user needs. However, there are compelling reasons why researchers and innovators might need to exercise caution with focus group feedback.
How To F-Up Innovation #16: Poor Project Portfolio Management
Innovations have no value until they are launched. The most effective way to launch more, and better, innovations is to practice innovation portfolio optimization. The issue isn’t ”if” your company is practicing innovation portfolio management, it’s “how”.