Innovation: a bunch of posts that I appreciated

Innovation for the Long Term (Three Horizons model)

3 Horizons:

• Horizon 1: Extend and defend core businesses
• Horizon 2: Build emerging businesses
• Horizon 3: Create viable options
  

How this could apply to Google for instance:

• Horizon 1: Extend and defend core businesses
• web search, adwords, gmail...
  
• Horizon 2: Build emerging businesses
• google docs, cloud computing...
  
• Horizon 3: Create viable options
• Solar Panel Project
• Google Improving Mirror Technology For Making Solar Concentrators 2x Cheaper
• ...
  

5 Questions That Kill Innovation: A How-to Guide

• How can we leverage our core competencies to tackle this new market?
• How much money can we make and whats the plan to make it?
• Have you done enough research on the idea and do you need more money to make it happen?
• Who else is doing this, and if no one is, why?
• How big is the market and will consumers want this solution?

Innovators and followers: who wins? What does it take to be a successful follower?

• observe
• build something somewhat different
• experiment and learn faster

 

Using rivalry to spur innovation

Less in line with mainstream R&D practices: the degree to which Renaissance creativity was built on professional rivalries—like the ones between Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Titian—that are commonly viewed as some of the most productive in history. It may be that by overlooking the potential of rivalry, modern R&D organizations are missing an opportunity to promote ground-breaking innovation.