This blog is all about making product managers, developers, and innovators more successful. 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.

Innovation Tips Around the Web

4 assumptions that drive Google’s innovative culture. “1. People want to do a good job. 2. Given enough eyeballs, every bug is shallow. 3. People perform best that tasks that interest them. 4. Great leaders provide a sense of mission and purpose.”  Read more at Harvard Business Review https://hbr.org/2014/12/the-google-way-of-attacking-problems

8 ways to get more innovation mojo and innovate like a startup. “Let’s face it: most big companies are bad at innovating. While there are always outliers — Google and Amazon come to mind — innovation at blue chips tends to be the exception, not the rule. What’s more, when innovation at large companies is realized, it’s often achieved by acquiring smaller, nimbler firms rather than via in-house, organic growth.” Read more at Entrepreneur http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/239062

Why innovation needs strong leaders to be successful. “According to the PwC 2013 survey of 246 CEOs and their approach to innovation, the two most important ingredients for successful innovation were strong visionary leadership and having the right culture.  So the leaders clearly think leadership matters for innovation.” Read more at Innovation Excellence  http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2014/12/12/why-innovation-leaders-and-management-fail/

6 factors to foster an organization of innovation. “Design Innovation is not just about coming up with new ideas and products— it’s also about changes that lead to growth and differentiation. Before you address new products, services, technologies, and processes, you need a foundation that leads to innovation.” Read more at Business 2 Community http://www.business2community.com/business-innovation/design-innovation-01093422

Get middle managers onboard or they will prevent innovation. “The role of a middle manager is to maintain the status quo and ensure that set targets are met and the organisational cogs keep turning as expected. They are not needed to pursue flights of fancy – a.k.a. ideas. They are employed to keep order and manage resources. And then they and their team are asked to innovate. What’s in it for the manager?” Read more at Management Today http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/opinion/1326281/six-ways-stop-middle-management-blocking-innovation/

The need for the rhetoric of innovation. “If we are to talk precisely about innovation, in a shared language and a shared nomenclature, we need to realize that innovation requires a domain all its own.  Innovation requires a distinct rhetoric and its own realm of meaning and nuance and distinctions.  Speaking about and to innovation is not the same thing as speaking about or to specific outcomes.” Read more at Forbes http://www.forbes.com/sites/henrydoss/2014/12/16/the-rhetoric-of-innovation/

How to properly use market research to test your product idea. “Quite simply, you must conduct market research. Many business owners neglect this crucial step in product development for the sole reason that they don’t want to hear any negative feedback. They’re convinced their product or service is perfect just the way it is, and they don’t want to risk tampering with it.” Read more at Entrepreneur http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/240164

Mistakes – the secret to Mark Zuckerber’s success. “Mr. Zuckerberg said that successful people not only learn from their mistakes but spend most of their time making mistakes.” Read more from Bits http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/11/facebook-chief-says-secret-of-his-success-is-making-lots-of-mistakes/?_r=0

24 amazing business books from 2014. “Here are 25 amazing business books from 2014 that will inspire, motivate and offer priceless advice for the entrepreneur, business leader, or hopeful business owner for upcoming year.” Read more from Entrepreneur http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/240061

Make the most of your time. “What goals are you aiming for in your work? Does the way that you are spending your time actually correlate to those goals? Without answers to these questions, you won’t know how the many tasks on your list should be prioritized, organized, and ultimately accomplished.” Read more at https://hbr.org/2014/12/align-your-time-management-with-your-goals

 

Still Important – Product Management Flash from the Past

Why you should learn product management instead of coding. “A 50-person Brooklyn-based dev shop called Happy Fun Corp thinks the pressure to program should be replaced by something else. Don’t just learn to code, HFC says—learn to make products.” Read more at Fast Company http://www.fastcolabs.com/3033050/why-you-should-learn-product-management-instead-of-coding

 

 

 

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