The art of innovation

Original post:  June 3, 2015
Yesterday's keynote address at the GS1 meeting was given by Guy Kawasaki. He is perhaps best known as the chief evangelist for Apple and one the original team members responsible for the Macintosh. He gave a stirring address on "The Art of Innovation".

The talk covered his ten points which talk about innovation. While they are geared more towards retail-style products, there are elements that we can take and apply towards innovation within medical devices as well.

Here are the ten:

  

1. Make meaning: this point is about finding the higher purpose for your company, product, or service.

2. Make mantra (why product exists):  what separates your company, product, or service from others on the market?

3. Jump to the next curve:  Look for landmark innovation that transform, not just incremental improvement. He cited the case of ice collecting from ponds, then from centralized warehouses, then refrigerator/freezers. Each was a step change from the previous innovation.

4. Roll the dicee. Dicee stands for :Deep intelligent complete empowering elegant. Your innovation should have these qualities. Admittedly, this is likely more for retail products but aspects may still apply in medical devices.

5. Don't worry, be crappy:  Ship fast and improve later. Don't worry about getting a perfect pilot out the door, just a functional one.

6. Let 100 flowers blossom (unintended product uses):  If you start out with one intended use but your customers go in a different direction, roll with them! His example was Avon Skin-So-Soft which found a second life as an insect repellent.

7. Polarize people:  don't be afraid of people who can't stand your product as long as you have those who love it. Innovation always creates detractors.

8. Churn baby churn:  Look for ways to revise and improve always. If you don't cannibalize yourself, someone else will.

9. Niche thyself:  Create competitive advantage by finding some way to separate yourself from the crowd and becoming the top dog in at least one area.　

10. Perfect your pitch:  Create a simple way to convey your value proposition and win over converts or backers.　

If you have 21 minutes to spare, here is his TED talk: