This blog is all about making product developers, managers, and innovators more successful and their organizations successful with them. As I do each week, below is a roundup of articles around the web with insightful product development, management, and innovation practices, tips, and examples – and sometimes controversial ideas.

Around the Web

Reasons why innovation is so hard for businesses. “Innovative thinking, like critical thinking, does not come naturally to most people. That’s one reason innovation is so hard.”  Read more from Forbes http://www.forbes.com/sites/darden/2014/08/04/why-is-innovation-so-hard/

Gamification to direct open innovation? “Every company has networks of employees, customers or partners that have a wealth of untapped ideas. This collective intelligence can be directed to develop innovative products, improve internal processes, or to solve specific business problems.” Read more from Forbes http://www.forbes.com/sites/gartnergroup/2014/08/06/how-to-gamify-innovation/

Innovating across cultures? Find your cultural profile. “Even seasoned, cosmopolitan managers often have oversimplified ideas about how people from other cultures operate.” Take the assessment from Harvard Business Review http://hbr.org/web/assessment/2014/08/whats-your-cultural-profile

Innovate your personal life and become a better innovator. “The book is primarily targeted at an audience of women, but the tips are useful for a broader audience as well.” Read more from Your Story http://yourstory.com/2014/08/dare-dream-do-storytelling/

Hydroforming for rapid prototyping, inexpensive product development, and low-volume production. “To further enhance the sheet hydroforming process’ new part development advantages, users can integrate a number of advanced forming simulation suites. Tool design, flat pattern design, and the optimal press recipe can all be determined and stored before a single tool is manufactured or a single flat pattern cut.” Read more from Medical Developments http://www.onlinetmd.com/tmd0814-sheet-hydroforming-technology.aspx

Cradle to grave marketing perspective of product management – short video, important message. View it at http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/article/1306988/bringing-marketing-product-development-together-eureka-moment

Product development – a primer, and not just for gardeners. “Product development has the advantage that customers are more likely to want something different to buy from you along with their regular purchases.” Read more from Horticulture Week http://www.hortweek.com/news/1306821/business-planning-product-development-route-success/

When innovators have to fight through government regulations – Uber’s battle. “The issue is larger than Uber. How many companies, how many products, how many innovations have died prematurely because the government overreached and interfered in the free market?” Read more from Chicago Tribune http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-uber-innovation-republican-perspec-0807-20140807-story.html

Don’t let your brand become a commodity. “In today’s world, you either choose to commoditize, or to innovate.” Read more from Innovation Excellence  http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2014/08/06/innovate-your-brand-experience-to-stay-relevant/

P&G refocusing and reducing its brands by 50% – lessons for innovators in big organizations. “’I’m not interested in size at all,’ Mr. Lafley said in an interview Friday. ‘I’m interested in whether we are the preferred choice of shoppers.’ He said some larger brands may be culled if P&G decides it cannot do well in those segments, and pointed to the company’s recent sale of its pet-food brands, including Iams which had over $1 billion in sales.” Read more from WSJ http://online.wsj.com/articles/procter-gamble-posts-higher-profit-on-cost-cutting-1406892304

From this Blog – The Everyday Innovator™, official blog of Product Mastery Now

How Dyson Innovates: a Product Development and Innovation Lesson from the News. “In the best tradition (to date) of starting down a path towards thinking innovatively, The New York Times reports that Rob Green, veteran Dyson innovative engineer, asked the right question: We wondered, ‘Why shouldn’t vacuuming be more convenient?’ “ Read more from my blog http://www.productmasterynow.com/blog/dyson-innovates-product-development-innovation-lesson-news/

 

 

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