Each week I scour articles, wading through the dogs, and bringing you the best insights to help product managers, developers, and innovators be heroes.

 

Time tested tips for successfully launching a product – interview with Brenden Mulligan. “A well-designed launch includes everything from messaging to metrics and press relations to marketing hooks. Every launch is a leap, but Mulligan’s tips will give your products the best lift.” Read more at Frist Round http://firstround.com/review/the-simple-rules-that-could-transform-how-you-launch-your-product/

The biggest ideas at ‘Mind the Product’ 2015 conference. “World-renowned speakers from Google and Spotify address over 1,000 Product Managers in London.” Read more at Medium https://medium.com/@djones655321/the-biggest-ideas-at-mind-the-product-2015-1d3bca8ca67

How to help your team know they are responsible for results. “Initiating these boundary discussions, and raising them again when need be, is an essential part of learning how to manage.” Read more at Harvard Business Review https://hbr.org/2015/09/first-time-managers-dont-do-your-teams-work-for-them

9 optimal conditions to unlock your creative potential with Flow. “This is a state in which we are so immersed in a given activity that we become unaware of the passage of time. We’ve all felt it at one point or another. We are so engaged and focused on a certain task–and enjoying it intensely at the same time–that we forget about how long we’ve been doing it, while everything else around us recedes into the background.” Read more at https://medium.com/@bellegit/how-to-unlock-your-creative-potential-using-the-flow-method-part-1-a153c7977e90

How to pitch your innovation idea and align it with business needs. “Knowing managers have a tendency to reject the most innovative ideas, how can you work against this bias when looking to get buy-in for your next big idea?” Read more at batterii http://blog.batterii.com/how-to-pitch-innovative-ideas

Good news – study shows innovation budgets increase in 2016. “The research was conducted online in July and August 2015 by Harris Poll® on behalf of NineSigma, and tapped over 300 executives at companies with $1 billion or more in revenues. The survey finds executives affirming that external collaborations offer a fast lane to accelerate innovation and overcome their biggest challenges, and they are allocating resources accordingly…” Read more at Innovation Excellence http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2015/09/18/to-succeed-innovative-companies-need-to-be-decisive-and-fearless-in-opening-up/

Learn to ask better questions to be a better innovator. “Asking Powerful Questions is a skill you can learn and practice to get better results in work and life.” Read more at Sources of Insight http://www.sourcesofinsight.com/powerful-questions-how-to-design-better-questions-for-better-results/