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.

Product Innovation Tips Around the Web

Innovation is not an aspect of business, it is business. “ Compelling competitive advantages are ways your business meets customer needs better than the competition… to such a degree that you not only retain existing customers but constantly attract new ones.” Read more from Ocala http://pgeist.blogs.ocala.com/10573/improve-122114/

Evidence that non-compete agreements limit innovation. “Knott compared the effectiveness of R&D investment of every public firm across America on a state-by-state basis to arrive at a measure she calls the RQ, or research quotient. In mapping out the findings, she discovered two states stood above the rest when it comes to innovation, California and Minnesota. Read more at Business Administration http://www.businessadministrationinformation.com/news/non-compete-agreements-may-restrict-innovation

A model for conducting deep customer research – and insights about moms. “Indeed, the Mom Complex’s research has uncovered surprising truths about the way families operate now, which has led to real products sold and marketed to real moms. Here are some of those insights…” Read more from Fast Company http://www.fastcompany.com/3039798/most-creative-people/how-the-deepest-darkest-secrets-of-moms-shape-the-products-in-aisle-6

New book for innovators – The Risk Factor. “The Risk Factor is about how risk-taking needs to be applied across the organization in order to enable innovation. The incumbent world of business has become a very risk adverse environment, and while there are exceptions, the traditional business world has become static with unmemorable results.” Read more at the Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christian-josi/improvisational-innovation-the-risk-factor_b_6378986.html

An interview about the importance of marginal innovations and diversification. “Examples of disruptive innovation tend to get more press attention than marginal innovations. Disruptive innovations are rare–less than 1% of innovations can qualify as the disruptive sort–and they are more exciting because of their impact and the often charismatic business leaders who bring them to life. But glitz and glamour aside, maybe there’s something to be said for marginal innovation.” Read more from Forbes http://www.forbes.com/sites/joshsteimle/2014/12/19/who-needs-disruptive-innovation/

MIT’s findings on the future of innovation. “The report includes a number of recommendations for revitalizing innovation-centric infrastructures in four key areas…” Read more at The Wall Street Journal http://blogs.wsj.com/cio/2014/12/19/mit-to-pioneer-science-of-innovation/

7 tips for fostering innovation – not just at accounting firms. “However, creating an innovative culture is not always easy. A Robert Half survey of more than 1,400 chief financial officers (CFOs) found plenty of barriers to innovation in the workplace. The top reason was lack of new ideas (cited by 35 percent of CFOs), followed by too much bureaucracy (24 percent) and too much time required to put out fires (20 percent).” Read more at CPA Practice Advisor http://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/news/12028806/7-tips-for-fostering-innovation-in-public-accounting-firms

Open innovation and community collaboration – a restaurant case study. “The authors found that owner Alice Waters’ success was built upon a community of collaborators — employees, suppliers, customers, and even competitors — in which all participants benefit from sharing ideas and building relationships with external teams.” Read more at News Wise http://www.newswise.com/articles/open-innovation-found-to-be-basic-ingredient-of-chez-panisse-s-success

Do startups need a product manager? “So what do product managers look like in the startup environment, and how should startups recruit for this sort of talent?” Read more from Tech City News http://techcitynews.com/2014/12/23/does-my-startup-need-a-product-manager/

Pricing new products in early stage marketing. “Our discussion primarily focuses on the really new products – products that are facing anew market.” Read more at The Wiglaf Journal http://www.wiglafjournal.com/product/2014/12/pricing-and-early-stage-marketing/

4 biggest challenges for product managers – now these to avoid a breakdown. “Being a product manager in today’s agile world is tough. PMs are pulled in every direction and are encouraged to constantly look down rather than looking up and out. As I was thinking about the product manger on my team who broke down, I started to list the major dangers of being a PM.” Read more at LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/product-manager-had-breakdown-brian-de-haaff

The 6 things leaders need to do for product managers to succeed. “A bad Product Manager can be fatal to an otherwise talented team. But I have often found that the root cause of underperforming teams lives farther up the food chain. So I put together this list of things leaders need to do to create an environment where good Product Managers can thrive.” Read more from Thought Works http://www.thoughtworks.com/insights/blog/what-good-product-managers-need-succeed

5 insights from The Global Innovation 1000 report. “When 500 innovation leaders were asked what they’ve learned in the past 10 years, their answers were decidedly upbeat. Forty-four percent of respondents said their companies are better innovators today than they were a decade ago, while another 32 percent said they are much better.” Read more at Innovation Excellence http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2014/12/24/five-key-ideas-from-new-innovation-research/

 

Still Important – Product Management Flash from the Past

eBook in PDF – To innovate, or not to innovate, that is the question: The seven questions that would-be product developers must ask themselves. “It is essential that would-be innovators ask themselves searching questions about whether innovation is really the right approach for them, given the risks and challenges involved. In this report we’ll examine those in detail and help to define the information you need to answer the most significant question of all – to innovate or not to innovate?” Download the free eBook at http://www.tnsglobal.com/sites/default/files/whitepaper/tns-to-innovate-or-not-to-innovate.pdf

Pricing lessons – the GoPro way. “So how did GoPro convince a cheapskate like me to spend even more money for something I didn’t initially even want?Compelling, effective pricing – that’s how. Let’s jump into action, taking a quick look at what GoPro knows about pricing to demonstrate how you can improve your own pricing strategy by following their lead.” Read more at Price Intelligently http://www.priceintelligently.com/blog/bid/195438/Getting-Suckered-by-GoPro-Yields-3-Lessons-in-Value-Based-Pricing

 

Moving into a product role or need to know more about product development and management – learn what you need to know

An easy-to-understand foundation in product development and management concepts is what you get with this book.   New product team members, managers, and innovation professionals will quickly access a concise, easy-to-follow guide that shows how successful teams develop new products that consumers love. Read more about the book and purchase it at Amazon.