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
How management can set the tone for innovation and free employees from fear. “By their nature, humans are creative and productive. They simply need to be provided the opportunity to unleash that creativity and productivity in a focused, but not impeded, way. The largest roadblock to innovation for companies is fear.” Read more from Business 2 Community http://www.business2community.com/strategy/companys-largest-innovation-roadblock-0886800
Choosing to lead innovation – suggestions for a more innovative organization. “Innovation leadership is not about making choices. Innovation leadership is the art of knowing when choices are arbitrarily false, and then choosing not to choose.” Read more from Forbes http://www.forbes.com/sites/henrydoss/2014/05/26/choosing-to-lead-innovation/
Do’s and Don’ts for technical product managers. “…Technical Product Managers focus those valuable skills on trying to create the technical solution for their product, rather than solving the business and user needs of their target customer. From that perspective, let’s look at key Do’s and Don’ts for Technical Product Managers.” Read more from Managers Build http://www.managersbuild.com/what-is-a-technical-product-manager-anyway
Innovation trends for the next 50 years? 8 technologies that will shape the future. “We don’t know precisely what the next 50 years will bring. But we have an excellent idea of what will be possible, and we know what we hope will happen.” Read more from IEEE Spectrum http://spectrum.ieee.org/static/the-future-we-deserve/?utm_source=techalert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=052914
7 breakthrough business leaders who challenge conventional wisdom and are innovation catalysts. “[Scott Berkun is] one of seven standout business thinkers on this list whose insights will consistently stimulate and surprise you.” Read more from Inc. http://www.inc.com/ilan-mochari/7-business-thinkers.html
Engineering, design, and business focus of Carnegie Mellon’s new Integrated Innovation Institute. “…many have attributed Apple’s success to bringing together technology and design in ways that were not the norm, even in Silicon Valley. It should not be surprising that leading universities are starting to train people in a comparable fashion.” Read more from Forbes http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterhigh/2014/05/27/carnegie-mellons-integrated-innovation-institutes-vision-to-build-innovators-of-tomorrow/
How to apply the TV shows Shark Tank and Dranon’s Den to product development gate meetings. “If you apply the principles of Dragon’s Den to the gated process or pretend each request is your teenage son asking for money and the keys to the car, then unrelenting scrutiny, high visibility and serious fact checking are necessary.” Read more from Innovation Management http://www.innovationmanagement.se/2014/05/19/shark-tank-your-gate-meetings-2/
The EQ component of innovation. “Besides deep scientific research, much of the innovation in the Valley is about the optimal balance between technology and economics. But the social and cultural elements must become equally important, both internally (to the creating team) and externally (to the market).” Read more from re/code http://recode.net/2014/05/28/innovation-the-human-way/
From this Blog – The Everyday Innovator™, official blog of Product Mastery Now
Big Data & Learning from Amazon for Innovation in Health Care: Product Development and Innovation Lesson from the News. “Even in an industry steeped in traditional approaches, reframing problems and leveraging solutions from other domains are sources of innovation. Who benefits? Whether you call them customers, clients, or patients, the people needing your products or services are the ultimate beneficiaries—and so are the companies that apply product innovation practices.” Read more from my blog http://www.productmasterynow.com/blog/big-data-learning-from-amazon-for-innovation-in-health-care-product-development-and-innovation-lesson-from-the-news/
The primary responsibilities for an organization are product management and innovation. They deliver value to customers. They're also exciting responsibilities for those properly equipped. That is my job - equipping product managers and innovators. 