Business Opportunities Weblog

August 31, 2006 by Rich Whittle | 1 Comment

Business 2.0 Magazine:

Trying to come up with the next big thing? Forget flashy tricks – start with a simple insight and shape it into something unique.

When you look at some of the most successful innovations of recent years – products like Apple’s iPod and Motorola’s Razr – it’s apparent that the best innovators take a different approach: They focus on developing compelling solutions to common problems. Simple innovators don’t seek to be the first to create something, but rather to be the first to perfect it so it will thrive in the real world.

1. Do Your Homework
Instead of wild brainstorming, start by getting a handle on what’s really happening in the world. Go shopping. Watch how customers interact with products in everyday settings like their homes, cars, or offices.

2. Aim For Excitement
Simple innovations aren’t understated. They have to be tangibly more effective than anything already on the market. Otherwise they’re just line extensions.

3. Whittle, Shape, Iterate, Repeat
Instead of rushing to identify a breakthrough, simple innovators treat product development as an iterative process that’s very different from the rigid “spec, freeze, and implement” approach used by most companies.

4. Get Real
Memos and presentation slides aren’t fertile ground for shaping product ideas, yet that’s where managers spend most of their time during the specification and development process.

5. Don’t Fail The ‘Sky Mall’ Test
To avoid creating a gizmo, ask yourself, “Would this be a natural fit in the Sky Mall catalog?” If the answer is yes, you’re probably creating something with limited innovative value.

Photo by jurvetson.

In Execution, Invention, Planning, Public Relations, Strategy, Tools | 1 Comment