The Everyday Innovator Podcast for Product Managers

This episode is different from others and well worth listening to.  It is the story about the class I helped to organize for eight students who were 9-12 years of age. As I normally teach university graduate courses, this was an entirely new realm for me. We called the class FIL – Future Innovation Leaders. The premise for the class was seeing the connection between the digital world and the physical world. For example, creating a computer program that controlled the actions of a robot, or making a 3D model in software and being able to touch the model and hand it to friends after 3D printing it. We met for 3 hours once a week for eight weeks. The class was constructed around three pieces. 3 Parts to the Class The class involved three distinct elements: * Robotics.  Lego Mindstorms EV3s were used to explore the construction and programming of robots. We had the kids work in pairs, with each pair using an EV3 kit. After building a multiple-purpose robot, they learned basic programming and had to construct programs to solve challenges. The book from No Starch Press, “Art of LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Programming” by Terry Griffin was helpful. * 3D Design. Name plates, key chains,  and many more items were designed and printed. The workflow was to design in Tinkercad web-based 3D design software, slice the 3D model for printing in Makerbot Desktop, and print on an open source Flash Forge 3D printer. * Communications.  As future innovation leaders, the kids would have to know how to discuss and present their work. Each week they learned more about communications and worked towards a presentation at the end of the 8 weeks given to an audience of their parents. The communication element involved many discussions, such as what leadership means and how good leaders act, and playing games that teach the importance of clear communication. A Real-World Product Experience In episode 023 I introduced you to Sam Froggatte, the CEO of Eyeline Golf, which is a company that specializes in creating and selling training aids for anyone to improve their golf play. I met Sam near the end of the FIL class, with only two weeks to go. He had the need to prototype a piece for a putter trainer. We gave the FIL students the option to work on the idea, and they ran with it. Working in small teams of 2 or 3 kids, they developed four distinct designs and printed each. After discussing the pros and cons of each with Sam and what he wanted to accomplish, a design was selected, refined, and over 100 units printed to be tried by PGA players. This was a wonderful real-world product design experiences for the students to learn from. Your Key Take-Away What can you do to help the next generation of innovation leaders? It is easier than you may think. Introduce your kids or your friends with kids to free tools like Tinkercad for exploring 3D design. Volunteer in your local school’s robotics, design, or innovation program or consider starting one if it doesn’t exist. Or, if you know a group of kids who want to explore innovation, create your own version of a Future Innovation Leaders class.   Useful links: * “Art of LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Programming” by Terry Griffin at No Starch Press * Lego Mindstorms Robots * Tinkercad web-based free 3D design * Makerware – now called Makerbot Desktop – for slicing 3D models to print on a 3D printer * FlashForge open source 3D Printer we used – Creator Pro

If you are involved in product innovation, you likely already know about the website Innovation Excellence, home of the global innovation community that provides connection and conversation among its nearly 200,000 visitors each month. The site was co-founded by my guest, Braden Kelley. Braden is also a speaker and executive trainer as well as an author with a growing list of innovation publications.     Practices and Ideas for Product Managers, Developers, and Innovators Highlights from the discussion include: * Organizations that are in trouble often turn to innovation to bail themselves out. They could have avoided the trouble by having an effective innovation program, which requires a culture that supports innovation. * The biggest barrier to innovation is that it is a project, not an inherent capability of the organization. The 5 keys to developing an innovation culture are: * Learn the basics of culture change, such as the 8-step Kotter change model or the Leading Change Formula. Braden is developing a Change Planning Toolkit based on his experience and research helping organizations change their culture to support innovation. We’ll discuss this in detail in a future interview when the Toolkit is available. * Build a common language of innovation. Define what innovation means for the organization. Braden’s definition is that innovation transforms the useful seeds of invention into widely adopted solutions valued above every existing alternative. Then build vision, strategy, and goals for innovation. Finally, consider what infrastructure is needed to support innovation. * Create a connected organization. Design the organization to apply the additional talents and skills employees have but are not used in their primary role. This “overhang” of capabilities can be applied for innovation by connecting people with the work that needs to be done. One model, used at Cisco, is to create internal internships to contribute to other projects. Another is Intuit’s innovation vacations (my term) that allows employees to take a scheduled break from the regular work to work on a short-term basis for another project. * Identify those who care about innovation. Recognize that some employees are most comfortable in day-to-day operational roles and maintaining the status quo while others are constantly looking to change things for the better. Those that are seeking to make improvements, especially from the customer’s perspective, should be identified to contribute to product development. This also involves unlocking employees’ initiative, creativity, and passion. * Make innovation a team sport. There is no such thing as a lone innovator. All innovators have a team around them. Braden defined 9 roles for effective innovation teams: revolutionary,  conscript, connector, artist, customer champion, troubleshooter, judge, magic maker, and evangelist. See details in the blog post he wrote.   Useful link: * Braden’s white paper related to our discussion, “Five Ways to Make Your Innovation Culture Smell Better.” * Braden’s website. * Innovation Excellence – the world’s most popular innovation website. * Braden on Twitter. * Braden on

Sam Froggatte is a golf gadget guru! He is the CEO of EyeLine Golf, a company that specializes in creating and selling training aids for anyone to improve their golf play. Their training products are used by weekend leisure golfers as well as hundreds of PGA players. Sam’s route to becoming a product innovator in the golf industry started in sales and marketing at IBM and then as an independent sales rep for golf equipment.   Practices and Ideas for Product Managers, Developers, and Innovators Highlights from the discussion include: * As a kid, Sam had the “karate kid” experience of golf where he became fascinated with the game. Later he had two sons who played competitively and he could not find training aids for them, so he developed them himself. * Product ideas come from observing problems PGA players have, experiences of PGA instructors, and observing trends in golf. Each product is focused on solving a problem. * Sam focuses on solving problems that PGA players have – they are the lead users and early adopters. If they find a product valuable, the weekend golf player will too. * While Sam is creating golf products, they exist to help a golfer learn and improve a skill. Consequently, he devotes time to studying how people learn. * 3 principles Sam uses to create successful products: * Fundamentally sound – the product has to do the right things, built on sound principles and not faulty assumptions. * Intuitive – products must be simple to use and require little to no training to use. * Un-embarrassing – products that golfers will carry and tell their friends about. * A real example of how Sam created a product… * The problem was trying to improve putting alignment * He created a rough prototype in his basement * He field tested it by taking it to golf ranges and showing it to others and getting feedback * He revised the prototype until it was a viable product, including being ready to manufacture * Sam has never created a product that is “finished” – he focuses on getting products into users’ hands that are “good enough.” This is how you learn to make a product better – get it used by customers. * Sam keeps his network of manufacturers motivated by showing them the completed products. For example, one manufacturer may make an extruded rail but not the final product. When they see the final product, it not only is motivating but also provides them context for providing solutions to improve the product further in future versions. If I am emotionally connected to what I doing, I am more creative.  So are my vendors. – wisdom from Sam. * Most important advice for new product managers: know the trends in your industry. Stay in touch with current literature, participate in industry events, talk regularly with users. Also, know your price strategy. Ask: * What problem are you solving? * How much is it worth to people who have the problem? * Can you manufacture a product that meets the price expectations?   Useful link: * EyeLine Golf website.   Innovation Quote “Be still, and know that I am God.”  – Psalm 46:10a. Sam finds creativity when he is still. “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” –Proverbs11:14. Sam seeks the wisdom of others for feedback on product concepts.   Listen Now to the Interview Raw Transcript   Thanks! Thank you for being an Everyday Innovator and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers.

  I have not one, but two guests to discuss product innovation for this episode. The first is Kimberly Johnson, who I met through the Global PMI Innovation Practice Area. I learned that Kim had recently co-authored a chapter for an upcoming book, and the chapter is titled “Triggering Innovation Through Organizational Development.” Her co-author is my second guest, AB Reynolds.     Kimberly Johnson is NPDP certified, with the majority of her experience formed during more than 20 years with 3M. While at 3M she was the Co-Founder with 3M Corporate Scientist, Dave Braun, of a creativity and innovation network called the GRIT (Grass Roots Innovation Team). In addition she is the Community Leader for the Global PMI Innovation and New Product Development Community of Practice. She most recently has joined the Hamline University Innovations Program Curriculum team.     A.B. Reynolds  has helped more than 40 major corporations in the areas of leader and manager training and coaching, business team planning and organization development projects including 3M, Imation, Prudential, Honeywell, EXCOM, and Xerox. She authored Effective Organizational Development: A Guide to Implementation for Management, Consultants and Trainers and co-authored The Business Leadership Program Source Book and What Works! To Build Your Business.   Practices and Ideas for Product Managers, Developers, and Innovators Highlights from the discussion include: * “Practicing Organization Development: Leading Change and Transformation,” 4th ed, published by Wiley is the book where “Triggering Innovation Through Organizational Development” will appear, expected later 2015. * The material is practitioner-oriented, providing specifics you can implement in an organization.   * The concepts are synthesized from a powerhouse of interviews with 3M innovators, organized around 3 themes that foster organizational innovation: * Conditions must exist to allow individuals and teams to create innovative products. * Leaders must spot, support, and invest in valuable innovations. * As the product matures, leaders must optimize the innovation and eventually harvest the business or choose to renew the organization with a new set of products.   * To overcome resistance to incorporating innovation into the culture, create an organizational conversation about the future to engage people – get people excited about trends taking place and how the organization should participate.   A simple tool is to put a question in a shared area to begin discussions, such as, “How can we …” * If you are an innovator, team up with others that can influence the right people to make change occur. In organizations, innovation requires teams to make things happen.   * The business alignment framework is an integrated model that deals with the concepts of: what your job is as a leader, understanding the environment, setting direction, building strategy, developing a planning process, communicating, designing processes, structuring the organization, and working with employees to promote and encourage the behaviors needed. It supports innovation by understanding how innovation fits within the organizational context and the strategy of the business.   * Kim and AB developed 25 Organizational Development principles that foster innovation. * Match the goals of the company with the strengths and interest of employees. * If you want an innovative company, hire into innovators. * Train the leaders at all levels in innovation processes. * Set and share innovation goals. * See the book for the full description of the 25 principles which are a blueprint for creating an innovative orga...

  Eric P. Rose, NPDP, MBA, has developed new products in many sectors including consumer, healthcare, and industrial safety. He is an inventor with over 80 patents, teaches innovation at Pepperdine, and is certified as a New Product Development Professional – the NPDP certification. And, for those in Southern California near Sherman Oaks, he manages the Inventors’ Mastermind meetup for sharing invention experiences.   Practices and Ideas for Product Managers, Developers, and Innovators Highlights from the discussion include: * Eric’s road to product development and management started by studying industrial design at Arizona State University. * The “ah-ha” moment for a new toy concept came from gluing a webcam onto a laboratory microscope. The QX3 digital video microscope was conceived, which went on to be the best selling technology toy one Christmas. * The toy was a joint creation from Mattel and Intel. * A skunk works approach made the project successful. Mattel product designers and software developers were co-located with Intel engineers in an off-site facility in downtown Portland.  Having  those responsible for hardware, software, and firmware working together in the same office without unnecessary bureaucracy was a new model for the partnership. * After the project, Mattel tried to integrate into the company what they learned from using a skunk works and created the X Team to bring together people in R&D, marketing, and operations. * Finding a supplier that could integrate the technology and optics became a challenge. * Eric wrote an article published in the Product Development and Management Association’s (PDMA) Visions magazine titled “Managing NPD Project Tradeoffs.” * He created the NPD Project Pentagon, taking the common triple constraints of schedule, scope, and budget from project management and categorizing budget into the three parts of product costs, development costs, and capital cost. * The Pentagon approach helps to improve conversations with those controlling finances and helps account for the total costs involved in product development. An example of the trade-off is capital cost versus product cost. More expensive molds could be used to decrease product costs but they increase capital costs. * A useful exercise to understand the trade-offs is to rank the key attributes of the product from the stakeholders’ perspectives and consider the cost contributions of each. An example is a status display on a product that is over 50% of the product’s cost but is a feature that stakeholders rank very low. * The Kano model is useful for understanding customers’ needs in terms of product features on the dimensions of achievement and satisfaction to distinguish between features that delight and wow users from those that cause dissatisfaction. Learn more about the Kano model here.   Useful links: * Eric’s article titled “Managing NPD Project Trade-offs” * Eric’s website * Follow Eric on Twitter   Innovation Quote “Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance”  – unknown   Listen Now to the Interview Raw Transcript   Thanks! Thank you for being an Everyday Innovator and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below.

  Gayle Laakmann McDowell is an experienced software engineer, having worked at Google, Microsoft, and Apple. In 2008 she founded CareerCup, a company to help people get tech jobs and assist tech companies with their interviewing process. She has also authored several books about getting a technology job as well as the book that we’ll focus on today – “Cracking the PM Interview: How to Land a Product Manager Job in Technology.”   Practices and Ideas for Product Managers, Developers, and Innovators Highlights from the discussion include: * While the book “Cracking the PM Interview: How to Land a Product Manager Job in Technology” uses examples from technology companies including Google, Apple, Microsoft and others, the advice is also helpful for interviewing in other industries. * Product managers enjoy thinking about customers’ problems from a broad perspective. People with a diverse skill set are often attracted to it. The role is challenging because you need to be able to influence and motivate others without having actual authority. * Product management is about leading the creation of a product, but the title that is responsible for this varies from organization to organization. * Your background before becoming a product manager, such as in an engineering discipline or business discipline, will impact the type of company and product management role you are best fitted to.   * The 4 Framework: Employers what product managers with skills in four areas: * Technology: the technology related to the work the company does. For example, a product manager should understand software development if they work for a company that creates software applications. * Business: knowledge of marketing, sales, production, etc.,  practices, managing and motivating others, and aligning product management objectives to business objectives. * Industry: specific domain knowledge of the industry. For example, if you’re creating software applications for the finance industry, financial skills and knowledge of the industry. * Product: the ability to think like the user, develop solutions to their problem, and manage the process and people for creating a product. * Recognize that it is rare for a product management candidate to have strength in all four areas. Emphasize the areas where you have strengths and begin learning about the others. * The priorities of the four skill areas do differ based on company. For example, Amazon emphasizes business skills first while Google emphasizes technology skills first. Determine what is important for the companies you wish to interview with before you get into the interview.   * Steps to take to move into a product management role: * Assess your strengths using the 4 Framework: technology, business, industry, product * Expand your coverage in the areas where you have weaknesses. For example, if you want to work in software product management but you don’t know how to code, find a short online programming class and take it.  If you’re weak in business, read business books.  If you lack product experience, start a blog talking about products. Spend some of your spare time developing a product, talking to customers, and getting experience. * Find an industry that is a good fit for your strengths. * Consider the options you have available –don’t just look at the A-list companies but also consider smaller companies that could value your experience. * Meet people and expand your network. Participate in meetups, industry events, and arrange time to talk with other product managers. * Most importantly, if you want to transition into product management, try to do so at your current company where your strengths and skills are already known.

Ethan Appleby is a Design Thinking practitioner and coach. He used Design Thinking to create the last company he founded, Vango, which makes it easy for anyone to select and purchase original art. In the interview he shares the 5 steps of Design Thinking.     What Product Managers, Developers, and Innovators Will Discover Highlights from the discussion include: * Design Thinking used at IDEO and shown in the NightLine video of IDEO creating a shopping cart * Stanford teaches a Design Thinking short course, d.School – first activity is interacting with and interviewing people to understand a problem * When interviewing, insights are not always found in what someone says but what they express via body language, such as sighing * Ethan applied Design Thinking at a weekend hackathon. With a newly formed (unplanned) 2-person team and a new idea, they conducted 100 face-to-face interviews where their target customer could be found on the first day of the hackathon. Armed with a clear understanding of the problem and 3 clear pain points, they prototyped an app the second day and won the hackathon. In contrast, the other teams at the hackathon started building their apps immediately. They looked better, but did not clearly solve an identified problem as well. It is a great story and worth listening to. * Asking “why” several times is an important tool to identify the root cause of a problem. * Design Thinking involves 5 steps * Empathy: learning about the audience you are designing for – interview, observe people, take pictures. Be curious instead of leading the conversation to a conclusion you already formed. * Definition: constructing a point of view organized by needs and insights, based on your results from step 1. * Ideation: a group brainstorming process to generate ideas using the “yes and…” technique to build upon each others’ ideas and create as many as possible in short sprints. Another tool is to ask “how might we…” focused on specific constraints. A sprint is a few minutes of individual ideation followed by sharing of ideas, then using “yes and” to build on ideas. Additional sprints are conducted on other needs and insights and to further explore specific ideas. Constrain ideation to 3 hours. * Prototype: building a representation of one of your ideas to show others. When you build something you discover more about the problem. Keep it simple – playdough, clay, tape, etc. * Testing: Show prototype to potential users and customers to get their feedback. The goal is to continue learning about the customers’ core problem and solutions that provide them value. * The steps are repeated as needed, such as Ideation, Prototype, and Testing until the right product is produced, providing value to the customer and solving their problem. * Check out these resources Ethan shared from his Design Thinking training: * An introduction to  Design Thinking using an exercise to redesign the gift-giving experience. A facilitator’s guide and participant’s worksheet is included. * Ethan’s notes when he conducted the redesign of the gift-giving experience. * A facilitator’s guide and participant’s guide to conducting a 1-day Design Thinking exercise and explanation of how to conduct the 5 steps of Design Thinking. Download these Design Thinking resources.   Useful links: * IDEO Shopping Cart Project Video produced by NightLine – full video or short version. * A good book to get started with Design Thinking is “

  Kriti Vichare writes about the life of  innovators and entrepreneurs as a doodler/cartoonist at #Entrepreneur Fail, which she co-founded. Her work has appeared in Forbes, Under30CEO, and Business2Community, plus many more. She also serves as the Director of Innovation for the United States Postal Service and previously worked for PepsiCo as a Senior Marketing Manager and Kraft Foods as an Associate Brand Manager.   Practices and Ideas for Product Managers, Developers, and Innovators Highlights from the discussion include: * Kriti describes her career path as a cartoonist would – started in statistics, moved to selling juice, and now sells mail for a living. * Statistics provided a good foundation for quantitative decision making and presenting information. * At Kraft, Kriti managed the Tang product (originally an orange drink made from powder popularized when NASA astronauts drank it in space), and learned through market research that a trend among Tang drinkers had changed. Reformulating Tang to use real sugar brought customers back. * Some product ideas are good concepts, but need to wait for the right timing. An example of the right timing is the creation of single-serve powder beverages. Kraft tried to commercialize the product for 20 years, but it was the surge in bottled water sales that finally created a market opportunity. * Providing engineers, developers, and others on cross-functional product/brand teams with experiences from actual customers is motivating. * Showing video of customers using your product is a good means of generating important support from business functions who can help improve products. By seeing the customer experiences, employees understand the importance of their work, generating motivation to make products even better. * Kriti learned the most about innovation and product management when she left the corporate world and founded her own startup. * She skipped validating her product idea with potential customers and plummeted into creating it. After floundering for a bit, she read the Lean Startup and started applying concepts she was already familiar with, such as the Minimum Viable Product. * She quickly learned the best marketing is a great product – something that offers compelling value to customers. * Her startup misadventures and failures led to #Entrepreneur Fail, cartoons and commentary on being a new entrepreneur developing products. * #Entrepreneur Fail cartoons, like the one below, are found at http://entrepreneurfail.com/   Useful links: * Entrepreneur Fail – laugh to launch! Bite-size, visual lessons for first-time entrepreneurs! * Kriti on Twitter * If you are thinking about leaving your corporate job and developing your own product, read Kriti’s eBook “Cheating on Your Corporate Job: A Comic Look at The Startup Dream.”   Innovation Quote “Never mistake motion for action.” – Ernest Hemingway “Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.” – attributed to Benjamin Franklin and others   Listen Now to the Interview   Raw Transcript   Thanks! Thank you for being an Everyday Innovator and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers.

Greg Geracie is an experienced product manager, author of the best selling book “Take Charge Product Management,” as well as editor and chief of the “ProdBOK – The Guide to the Product Management and Marketing Body of Knowledge.” He also co-authors the annual “Study of Product Team Performance.” He teaches product management at DePaul University and for the last 7 years he has served as the president of Actuation Consulting that advises many well-known organizations on product management and innovation practices.   Practices and Ideas for Product Managers, Developers, and Innovators Highlights from the discussion include: * People enter product management from many types of roles, but Greg found his experience in sales to be very valuable. When done well, both are concerned with  solving customer problems and providing customer value. * Greg, as a product manager, found his previous sales experience provided credibility with the sales team. * The Project Management Institute (PMI) is the benchmark for professional organizations that create standardized terminology and processes for a profession. The popular “PMBOK: A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge” is the go-to reference for project managers. * Product Managers in the past did not have a guide or reference book that summarized the product management body of knowledge, not until Greg led the creation of the “ProdBOK – The Guide to the Product Management and Marketing Body of Knowledge.” * The ProdBOK, created by 60 industry and thought leaders and co-edited by MIT professor Steven D. Eppinger, provides a foundation for the product management profession, standardizing terminology, processes, and tools, much as the PMBOK has done for project managers. * The Association of International Product Marketers and Managers (AIPMM) sponsored the creation of the ProdBOK. * The ProdBOK is organized in three primary sections: * History of product management, spanning the last 70 years. The section also includes terms the practitioner should know as well as fundamental concepts. * Product management processes from the conception of product ideas through product launch and finally to product retirement. * Key product management tools most product managers should apply. * Greg provided a useful perspective on product managers responsibilities – sharing that they are ultimately responsible for nurturing and maintaining value of the products they control. * Product management covers the spectrum of activities from idea incubation, through development and launch, and finally ending with product retirement. * Product management professionals tend to have strengths in specific areas and not across the entire spectrum. The ProdBOK provides knowledge across the spectrum. * Greg’s book “Take Charge Product Management” is more of a step-by-step book for new product managers, with the ProdBOK being an important reference of terminology, processes, and tools for product managers at all levels. * Strong alignment between a company’s business goals and objectives and the actual practice of product management is a key predictor of organizational success. * Keys to successful product management include driving towards results, having the right people doing the right things, using the proper processes, incorporating metrics to track performance, and using the right tools. * Greg shared an example of a large consumer products company that created a product strategy aligned with business strategy, allowing key stakeholders to understand how product management was conducted at the organization.

Nis Frome is the producer of a new podcast for product managers and developers called, “This is Product Management,” which is sponsored by Alpha UX. He is also the Director of Demand Generation at Alpha UX, a software validation platform that provides real-time user insights. In addition, he is an award-winning software developer and web designer, and he frequently goes by the title of “Storyteller.” He shares what this title means to him during  the interview.   Practices and Ideas for Product Managers, Developers, and Innovators Highlights from the discussion include: * The importance of storytelling is learning the story of the customer – making sense of the customer’s problem and the best solution that provides the most value. * The podcast, “This is Product Management,” that Nis produces addresses specific challenges that product managers encounter. * The podcast emphasizes digital products, but the content is applicable to anyone working on products in companies, regardless if you are a product manager or not. * The concept of the minimal viable product has been misapplied in larger organizations – it was designed for startups, not enterprises. * Instead of MVPs, large organizations should think in terms of minimal viable experiments – quickly running low-cost experiments to test hypotheses and learn what the customer needs. * Of the topics covered so far on the This is Product Management Podcast, demand validation is one Nis explored further during our interview. Demand validation occurs before optimizing a product and involves a single type of experiment that demonstrates at least one customer is interested in the product concept – getting from zero customers to one customer. * The tools used for demand validation Nis discussed, going from zero to one, include: * In-person interviews. Ask potential customers about the problem, how they solve it, other solutions they have considered, is it an important problem, etc. The benefit of in-person interviews is what can be added through the body language observed. People to interview can be found through existing relationships, past and current customers, paid ads, and other means. * Interactive prototyping. Creating an initial software prototype and asking customers to provide feedback on it can lead to valuable insights in just a few hours. Variations in the prototypes split tested with different cohorts of customers can be used to identify the best approaches to aspects of the problem. Nis works for Alpha UX, which provides a platform for rapidly testing different user interfaces of software products. Useful Links * This is Product Management Podcast. * Follow Nis on Twitter. * Alpha UX for split testing software interfaces for rapidly gaining insights from customers.   Innovation Quote “We are kept from our goals not by obstacles but by a clear path to a lesser goal.” -Robert Brault   Listen Now to the Interview Raw Transcript   Thanks! Thank you for being an Everyday Innovator and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below.

Rowan Gibson is a best-selling author and sought after speaker. His latest book is “The Four Lenses of Innovation.”  Earlier this year he received the 2015 Global Leader of Innovation Award, an honor he shared with two of his innovation heroes, Ray Kurzweil (known for numerous innovations including the digital music synthesizer and currently serving as the Director of Engineering at Google) and Dean Kamen (also a prolific innovator, best known for the Segway as well as his Slingshot water purification system). Rowan has taught and inspired numerous companies to be better innovators, including Apple, Coca-Cola, P&G, Volkswagen, and a long list of other names you would know.   Practices and Ideas for Product Managers, Developers, and Innovators Highlights from the discussion include: * Everyone has the innate capability to be creative by learning the process for creativity. * Examples of innovations coming from unexpected perspectives: (1) the janitor that recommended retrofitting an elevator to the outside of a building, and (2) a janitor at Frito-Lay created the best-selling Flamin’ Hot® Cheetos. * How do we come up with the important insights that lead to breakthrough ideas? That is the purpose of the “4 Lenses” – a focus on the front end of the fuzzy front end. * First Lens.  Challenging Orthodoxies, which is questioning entrenched beliefs and assumptions and then exploring new and unconventional answers. These are people who don’t want to just play the game, they want to reinvent the game. An example is Elon Musk, not just transforming the automotive industry with Tesla electric cars, but also commercializing the space industry. * Second Lens. Harnessing Trends – recognizing the future potential of emerging developments and leveraging those trends to open new opportunities. Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, is a good example of “harnessing trends” by seeing how the growth of internet usage would impact commerce. Amazon has continued to harness trends by developing eBook readers, streaming media, and becoming the hub of the smart home with its Echo system. * Third Lens. Leveraging Resources, which involves understanding our limitless capacity for redeploying skills and assets in new ways, combinations, or contexts. Rowan shared that Walt Disney, the person and the company, are good examples of leveraging resources. The experiences created by animated movies was extended to theme parks, musicals, ice skating performances, cruise ships, and more. * Fourth Lens. Understanding Needs – paying attention to issues and frustrations others have ignored and experimenting with new solutions to problems. A way to identify unmet needs is to ask what is wrong with a product or service from the perspective of a customer. Sherman Williams’ reinvented the paint can for their Dutch Boy product line, replacing the inconvenient metal can that had not changed for a 100 years with a plastic container that has a screw off cap, holding handle, and pouring spout. * The integration of insights from each lens is where real breakthroughs can be found. Develop ideas for each lens and then look at how those ideas intersect with each across the four lenses. * All of us our innovators – keep being an Everyday Innovator! Important links: Rowan’s new book, “The 4 Lenses of Innovation” at Amazon – get the print version, not the eBook, as the book is rich with graphics that enhance the written content. I found the book not only valuable for the descriptions of applying the 4 lenses,

Lee Martucci is a marketing professional and certified New Product Development Professional (NPDP) with over 25 years of experience with numerous roles in product management, from telecommunications and cell phone services to building materials. He is currently helping GAF. You likely know this company if you have been involved in building, repairing your roof, or walking through Home Depot or Lowes, where their roofing shingles and sealants are sold.   Practices and Ideas for Product Managers, Developers, and Innovators Highlights from the discussion include: * How to get your start in product management and overcome the classic catch-22 – job descriptions require prior experience as a product manager. * A job description is a wish-list and you need to learn how to position your experience to best meet the job description. * One way to switch industries as a product manager. * How to frame the lack of industry experience as a real benefit to a future employer by having fresh eyes that lead to valuable innovations. * Learn product management from others, experts who author credible books and provide training, and professional organizations, such as PDMA, AIPMM, and meetups. * Some insights into the relationship between sales, channel, and product management. * Product managers need to help sales people understand how to sell products. * New products and successful repositioning can be found by re-segmenting the markets. Lee shared an example of creating a caulking product targeted to female buyers. * Observing customers and interviews are important tools for understanding customers’ preferences and finding new insights about problems. * Partners have keen customer insights that can lead to successful new products. * Recognizing growing trends in an industry and market and timing trends correctly can position new products for great success. Innovation Quote “Perfect is the enemy of good.” – Voltaire     Listen Now to the Interview Thanks for Listening! Thank you for joining me again. I love discussing product development and learning from the successes and failures of product innovators. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager, developer, or innovator by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below.

Paul knows a lot about what companies are looking for when they hire people for product management. He has been a recruiter for 20 years, helping companies from startups to global organizations hire product managers and developers, as well as other professionals. He is the managing partner for Herd Freed Hartx, the leading executive search firm in the Seattle, WA area. He also recently created the “Job Search Roadmap” website that is full of advice and insider tips for creating a career strategy.   Practices and Ideas for Product Managers, Developers, and Innovators Highlights from the discussion include: * It is a great time to be in Product Management and Development – you’ve got job security. * Product managers are needed to build the right product – one customers value. * If you are dissatisfied with your current work as a product manager, here are Paul’s three steps to making a change: * Fix your attitude – are you giving the job the effort it deserves? * Fix your role – does it allow you to play to your strengths? * Fix your business card logo – look for an organization with the culture you want. * When it comes time to make the move to another company, keep these points in mind: * Know yourself – tools like StrengthFinder 2.0 and  temperament assessments (e.g., DISC) are helpful. * Broaden your perspective – consider options beyond the usual companies. * Narrow your focus – create a target list. * Involve your friends and professional network * Tell your story in a compelling way – make yourself stand out from the crowd. Two questions that make or break any interview – nail these and 80% of the interview is done: * “What are you looking for?” Respond specifically – the five things you are looking for. * “Why are you interested in us?” Apply the research you’ve done on the organization and connect with it personally. Want more details – get Paul’s job search checklist. Innovation Quote “Real artists ship” – Steve Jobs   Listen Now to the Interview   Raw Transcript Thanks for Listening! Thank you for joining me again. I love discussing product development and learning from the successes and failures of product innovators. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager, developer, or innovator by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below.

David Paulson has over 20 years of product development experience and still remembers his first day at work. That’s when he found out how inefficient the product development process was. He’s been working to fix that ever since. David and his partners at Accuer have developed a set of solutions that enable their customers to consistently cut development times by half while delivering more successful products – faster time to market with better products.   Practices and Ideas for Product Managers, Developers, and Innovators Highlights from the discussion include: * Apply Lean product development to cut time to market in half and create successful products – something all innovators want to know how to accomplish! * Lean has many different definitions, but in the product development context, it has three specific characteristics: (1) focus on value to the customer, (2) rapidly learn, and (3) maximize desired results while minimizing effort. * In addition to the benefits of creating more profitable products, applying Lean product development also impacts the organizational culture, resulting in happier and more effective employees. * Lean is related to Agile development as both are trying to get the right product to customers more quickly. * Compared to phase-gate type of development approaches, Lean works in smaller chunks to increase efficiency and reduce waste. * First time David applied Lean product development to a project, the time-to-market decreased from the expected 30 months to 12 months, finished 20% under budget, and generated an additional $3 million profit by being early to market. * Good books on the topic of Lean product development are from Don Reinersten, including “Managing the Design Factory” and “The Principles of Product Development Flow.” Read “Managing the Design Factory” first. Find out more about the Lean process, tools, and software to cut time-to-market and increase profits at David’s website, PLAYBOOK. Innovation Quote “If you do what everyone else does, you will get what everyone else gets.”  – Stephen Richards   Listen Now to the Interview     Thanks for Listening! Thank you for joining me again. I love discussing product development and learning from the successes and failures of product innovators. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager, developer, or innovator by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below.

Cindy F Solomon started her career in hardware and her first job in Silicon Valley was with Apple. She has become an important voice in the product management community. She is the founder of the Startup Product Academy to teach people how to be product leaders. She also produces the Product Summit, which brings together passionate product professionals, developers, designers, managers and marketers to grapple with the important issues that enable excellent products. She also is the host of the Global Product Management Talk live podcast, with over 150 episodes speaking to experts about product innovation and excellence. In addition to podcasts, conference events, and meetups, you will find several articles and writings she has contributed to the profession of product management, including the “Guide to the ProdBOK, Product Management & Marketing Body of Knowledge.” Practices and Ideas for Product Managers, Developers, and Innovators Highlights from the discussion include: * Cindy shared her background, love of hardware and software, and path to becoming a product manager. * We both share a fondness of the Radio Shack TRS-80, Commodore, and other early personal computers. * Stereotypes she grew up with and fought against concerning women not being “good” at math, science, and technology. * Came to Silicon Valley to get involved with startups and also worked for Apple. * Earlier cross-functional roles with a technology foundation as well as a marketing foundation paved the way for work in product management. * Joined the Association of International Product Marketers and Managers  (AIPMM) and earned the product management and marketing certifications (CPM, CPMM) to provide a foundation and framework of knowledge for product management. * People pursuing product management need to be empathetic, good communicators, operate cross-functionally, and realize they are working within a whole system, not one function or department. Organizations and events Cindy has created: * Global Product Management Talk: Podcast forwarding the movement for product excellence. Discussions about the art, craft and profession for managing products that contribute value. All aspects of customer development, user experience, product innovation, design, development, marketing and scaling. Now featuring episodes from this podcast too – The Everyday Innovator. * The Product Summit: Conference bringing together the community of passionate product professionals, developers, designers, managers and marketers over 4 interactive days of events. * Startup Product: Creates and nurtures inclusive local communities for passionate product professionals across disciplines, provides a sandbox for product and skill experimentation, and enables a launch pad forwarding product people, product ideas, product teams, and product success. Innovation Quote “For good ideas and true innovation, you need human interaction, conflict, argument, debate.” – Margaret Heffernan   Listen Now to the Interview   Thanks for Listening! Thank you for joining me again. I love discussing product development and learning from the successes and failures of product innovators. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager, developer, or innovator by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below.