Author Archives: Kevin McFarthing
Innochat is a weekly Twitter chat involving a wide range of really interesting people from all over the world, linked by one thing – a deep interest and passion for innovation. One recent chat focused on the role of users and innovation. We tried to distinguish Lead Users (LUs), Early Adopters (EAs) and Brand Advocates (BA), and assess the impact each one has on innovation. Continue reading
The concept of Open Innovation (OI) has gained tremendous traction in recent years, as companies realize the potential offered by capabilities, technology and resource outside the organization’s borders. Continue reading
I’m a big fan of the book Obliquity by John Kay. Despite the clumsy nature of the word, the message is simple. Objectives are rarely achieved in straight lines, you get there by oblique means. So if you want to achieve something, don’t aim directly for it, do the right things and you’ll eventually get there. Continue reading
It’s an old saying that if you continue to do what you’ve always done, you’ll continue to get what you’ve always got. If you keep on banging your head against the metaphorical brick wall, your headache won’t go away, it’ll just get worse. It’s the same with creativity and idea generation. New products and services will continue on the same themes they always have if you have the same input and approach. Continue reading
It’s the stuff of legend that Henry Ford is reported as saying “if I’d asked people what they wanted, they’d have said a faster horse”. This statement is trotted out (sorry….) to justify not doing consumer research on new products and services. Continue reading
It must be a terrible feeling to be trying to innovate in the depths of a corporate morass, surrounded by the urgency of the day-to-day and banging your head on the metaphorical brick wall. Nobody seems to care and the corporate leadership is not only distant in the organization chart but never contribute to innovation.
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