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

Why the best brands are co-creating with customers to develop innovative products. “The report notes the emphasis now placed on customer interaction in what CMG labels the ‘M&3Cs’ of product development – market, customer, capabilities and competition – thanks to rising opportunities for customer engagement through digital, social and mobile channels. It also advises companies to keep their eye on the customer, rather than focusing on the art of innovation for its own sake, as well as embrace agile methodologies for product development.” Read more from CMO http://www.cmo.com.au/article/566393/cmg-co-creating-customers-key-product-innovation/

Prioritize features like product manager rock stars. “Prioritizing features is at the core of the Product Manager’s job.  And yet many PMs prioritize based on gut feel, or on the needs of the loudest person at the table.” Read more at Tech Product Management http://techproductmanagement.com/product_management_scorecard/

How to get engineers to love working on unsexy products. “Engineers love to learn new technologies, change how things are done and see their ideas be executed in the real world.” Read more at Enterprisers Project https://enterprisersproject.com/article/2015/2/fostering-innovation-and-challenging-status-quo

3 tips to help entrepreneurs stay innovative – can they work for big companies too? “Today’s entrepreneurs must not only innovate to make their mark: They must also find ways to remain innovative to prevent their companies’ extinction. The following three tips can help entrepreneurs maintain a culture of innovation to keep their business relevant.” Read more at Entrepreneur http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/242913

Turning vocal critics into supporters of change. “He went from being our most vocal critic to our most ardent evangelist–all because I made what was once my innovation his  innovation. By transferring the ownership to him, I helped turn his reactive position into a proactive one.” Read more at The Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeff-degraff/critics-make-the-best-innovation-evangelists_b_6692554.html

Why Millennials expect innovation in products and how to satisfy them. “[Millennials]  have come to expect world-changing innovation as the norm, and they believe that innovation is one of the most important purposes of a company. So, they’re drawn to brands that deliver innovation and scorn brands that don’t.” Read more at PSFK http://www.psfk.com/2015/02/apple-amazon-innovation-millennial-consumers.html

Why loyalty is the critical element in product marketing. “Of course, not every company is Apple. Letting the products do all the talking won’t work for everyone. But here is the takeaway that can work for every brand: try de-emphasizing traditional marketing and focusing on loyalty instead.” Read more at Harvard Business Review https://hbr.org/2015/02/marketing-is-dead-and-loyalty-killed-it

Why prototypes must look rough and far from being finished. “The early prototypes should be all chewing gum and baling wire. They shouldn’t have hardened processes or the people required to go live. Yet they should provide real insight that informs further development.” Read more at Forbes http://www.forbes.com/sites/chunkamui/2015/02/19/pilots-can-be-deadly-for-product-innovation/

5 tips for helping your product team be creative. “At our company Porch.com, we have put creativity front and center for all our disciplines. To do it better than it has ever been done before, you need to rely on our ingenuity and resourcefulness to push the boundaries.” Read more at Inc. http://www.inc.com/matt-ehrlichman/5-ways-to-unlock-the-creative-powers-of-your-team.html

 

Still Important – Product Management Flash from the Past

Customers need to fire something before they can hire your product. “Your true competition is not determined by who you think they are but rather by your customer segment’s current alternatives and the jobs for which they are hiring them.” Read more at Practice Trumps Theory http://practicetrumpstheory.com/customers-need-to-fire-something-before-they-can-hire-your-product/