Each week I scour articles, wading through the dogs, and bringing you the best insights to help product managers, developers, and innovators be heroes.

 

Product Innovation Tips Around the Web

5 innovation models to help companies become more innovative. “For most companies, innovation is handled behind closed doors in a secluded part of the company that only a few have access to. This type of innovation is no longer practical, scalable or effective when thinking about the future of work. In order to succeed and thrive in this rapidly changing world, organizations must adapt by implementing five innovation models, all five of these are crucial.” Read more at Forbes http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobmorgan/2015/07/27/the-5-types-of-innovation-for-the-future-of-work-pt-1-employee-innovation/

Why Kanban is not enough for product development. “If you have adopted Kanban as your development software, you have probably also done so for nearly identical reasons. But there is something critical missing that will cause problems later if you do not stop and address it now. To take your product to the next level, you must connect your daily work to your higher level strategic goals. Otherwise, you can easily build yourself to nowhere by working on the wrong initiatives.” Read more from Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brian-de-haaff/why-kanban-is-never-enoug_b_7870378.html

Game-changing innovation begins with knowing what game you are playing. “Step  outside your silo, use the right metrics and incentives, and become faster and more flexible.”First, you have to step outside your existing organizational silos. Design thinking (a business methodology that helps with problem solving and solution creation) can help you rethink your products and services from a customer’s point of view, taking advantage of new technology opportunities.” Read more at Business Analytics http://timoelliott.com/blog/2015/07/3-key-steps-to-game-changing-innovation.html

The case for the product manager and the product owner being the same person. “Ultimately, when you do divide the role, individuals and the business suffer. Here are the two major reasons why…” Afraid I can’t agree with this position, but it is interesting to consider. Read more from Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brian-de-haaff/the-product-manager-is-th_b_7853688.html

How the right partners lead to successful innovation. “Wharton management professor Exequiel Hernandez and Wharton doctoral student Sarath Balachandran examine what is the optimal mix of domestic and foreign partners in a particular network. What they found is that it depends on what type of innovative solution a firm or group of firms is trying to produce.” Read more at Wharton Knowledge https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/the-first-step-to-successful-innovation-choosing-the-right-partners/

5 ways product managers can better listen to customers. “Your customers are your most important collaborators. Their ideas represent untapped market opportunities. But getting customers to share the right information is no easy task, and turning ideas into action poses significant challenges. Product managers who successfully master this advanced level of collaboration will have a significant impact on your company’s bottom line – and will enjoy near-guaranteed job security as a result.” Read more at Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/danny-wong/5-ways-product-managers-c_b_7861758.html

Product road mapping in a startup – infographic. “The most immediate short-term details should ideally be flushed out on a weekly basis, based on data: What have customers been saying? What have you learned from survey subjects in your usability tests? What have you learned from your web/mobile analytics? What great new advice have you gotten from your advisors?” Read more at Entrepreneur http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/248455