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The Innovator's Method
Read in 14 min.
Listen in 18 min.
Learn the key ideas of the book by Jeff Dyer , Nathan Furr

The Innovator's Method

A training program to help you become a great innovator

In The Innovator's Method, Nathan Furr and Jeff Dyer provide a comprehensive explanation of how to promote and develop an innovative idea within a company. Giving real-life examples, the authors introduce the reader to a new mindset, one that is more open and practical, quite different from the traditional business models that many of us may have been used to in the past.

The Innovator's Method
Read in 14 min.
Listen in 18 min.
IDEA CHIAVE 1/11

For risky and original ideas to be well received, it is important to be prepared and have a method

Companies of all sizes are often opposed to taking risks. Taking risks is scary, and opens a company up to all kinds of unpredictable scenarios, which is why decision makers can end up being too frightened to take the initiative, when it finally comes to the crunch. So, when you come up with a new idea that involves a certain degree of risk, it can be challenging to gather support and enthusiasm from those who should endorse it. This defence mechanism, adopted by many managers, is the result of a traditional mentality that does not have much practice in dealing with uncertainty, and is unwilling to make room for bold choices. But as we all know, that venturing into uncharted territory is a must, if we want to evolve and keep up with the ever-changing, highly competitive business world. 

This is the reason why the authors came up with their Innovator’s Method, to help innovators promote and bring forward ideas that might not otherwise be accepted. The system includes five basic steps which involve coming up with an insight, understanding the customer’s problem, quickly finding a solution to that problem, developing a real prototype called “minimum awesome product”(MAP for short) to test the product (which is part of the solution phase) putting together a business model to introduce the product to the market, and finally scaling the model. 

This approach is inspired by startups which generally rely heavily on preliminary tests to confirm the efficacy of a product, and then make further decisions based on customer feedback. It is an agile and intuitive practice that saves the company from investing years in projects which often fail to take off once they are launched on the market. This method helps a company test the most revolutionary ideas immediately, without having to invest huge amounts of time and money.

  

The key ideas of "The Innovator's Method"

01.
For risky and original ideas to be well received, it is important to be prepared and have a method
02.
For it to flourish, a promising idea should be based on practical experience and field studies, and undergo detailed testing
03.
Projects that come from original ideas need courageous leaders who are not put off by challenges and are not afraid to experiment
04.
If a company aims to generate innovative ideas it should recognise the importance of time
05.
Even professional training should be geared towards innovation, freeing itself from the processes of the past
06.
Innovation must not be an end in itself, but must arise from the desire to solve a real problem
07.
The problem that your idea solves can be of a functional, practical social or emotional nature
08.
Once you have identified a useful product to solve a given problem, you need to think about the price, type of promotion and the resources you have available
09.
To increase your chances of success, you must understand when to take a step back and re-evaluate your idea
10.
Quotes
11.
Take-home message
 
 
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