Innovation That Excites

In this three part series, I’ll introduce you to a framework for continuous and reproducible innovation that excites!

Before we start, are you trying to get better at Data Science? Check out the home page for a learning process I use to continuously improve my capabilities. Would welcome your feedback!

Applications of Innovation

Innovation is at the center of competitive businesses today, both on a global, medium, small and micro scale. You can’t run away from it. And highly networked people are taking a risk on those that have a history of reproducible and profitable exciting innovation.

For instance,

1. A constellation of 60 satellites to increase the range of available internet, and other services, around the world.
2. Or how about the massive innovation engine that is the Indian Bakery scene?
3. Or how about a telecommunications service application that uses Speech-To-Text capabilities of brick phones to address global youth unemployment?

If these seem mundane to you, consider how each of these problems are currently being solved. Are the current solutions effectively addressing the problem? This is innovation that excites.

But, you might have asked, “What is innovation?” If you’re like me and knew very little about how to go about it, let me introduce you to the IXL Innovation Olympics. It’s the largest open innovation program, and I was one of the lucky few to compete in the challenge.  They helped me wrap my mind around streamlined innovation management, and want to share my learning with you!

If you get a chance to get involved, I highly recommend it!

The challenge funnels you through a 12 week program aimed at implementing a systematic journey of ideation, a process known as the (Incremental) Innovation Breakthrough Process.

Define an Innovation Intent that Excites you

Why “Breakthrough”? Because if innovation doesn’t come naturally to you, you need to break through static ideation.

Why Incremental? Because streamlined processes of innovation require small steps of “breakthrough” moments to achieve the final desired result. And this is why specifying the justification for innovation is super important. If you don’t set the goal post accordingly, you’ll wander into a forest and never come back.

Recognize that a truly out-of-the box solution is not something that comes easily, if it hasn’t already magically appeared already. And that’s totally fine. Get the direction right, and you’ll reap the tasty treat at the end of it.

So, in the next edition of this article, we’ll dive deeper into the framework.