Innovation Talks

Paul Heller

Welcome to Innovation+ Talks. Each week our host, Paul Heller talks at the executive level about how strategic innovation and new product development are essential for thriving in the modern marketplace. Paul is regularly joined by top executives and cross-industry thought leaders who share their unique insights and key learnings garnered from decades of experience. read less
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Avoiding the 'Feature Factory' Trap with Partho Ghosh
6d ago
Avoiding the 'Feature Factory' Trap with Partho Ghosh
Partho Ghosh is a customer-centered, data-informed product executive and GM who specializes in B2B SaaS, MarTech, product-led growth, and creating measurable product processes that lead to efficient growth and market fit. He is the VP and Product & General Manager at SecurityScoreCard, the global leader in cybersecurity ratings, response, and resilience. He also serves as an advisor for OpenView, through which he advises on product-led growth. Before working at SecurityScoreCard, Partho served as a general manager for Hootsuite. Partho holds a Bachelor’s of Business Administration, Business Management from British Columbia Institute of Technology.Partho joins me today to explore the “feature factory” trap and how having a clear product management lifecycle can help avoid it. He emphasizes the importance of future thinking in product management decisions, even when dealing with short-term revenue goals. He outlines his philosophy on product management and the “Build, Measure, Learn” principle. Partho also highlights the value of having a data-informed mindset and offers advice to product managers seeking leadership support. “I’ve always used ‘feature factory’ in a negative connotation, but that might be unfair if you’re a scaling start-up. Founders need revenue growth, profitability, and to make ends meet.” - Partho Ghosh This week on Innovation Talks:●     Partho’s background as a business analyst, his transition into product management, and diving into B2B SaaS●     The challenges of testing and validating the effectiveness of a free-to-sales motion in the self-serve space●     The importance of future-thinking in product management decisions●     Navigating organizational changes and cultural shifts●     Careers as marathons and the evolving nature of the professional journey●     The need for continuous learning in product management●     Embracing generative AI and how customer expectations around AI have changed●     The transformative nature of technological advancements●     Partho’s product development process and lifecycle●     The “Build, Measure, and Learn” philosophy●     The value of rooting decisions in data and why companies need to invest in analytics capabilities●     Experimentation beyond split testing●     Overcoming challenges in measurement and learning●     Allocating resources to data analysis and promoting a data-informed mindset●     The crucial role and challenges of collaboration within a product team Resources Mentioned:●     Miro●     Figma●     Book: Testing Business Ideas: A Field Guide for Rapid Experimentation (The Strategyzer Series) by David J. Bland and Alexander Osterwalder Connect with Partho Ghosh:●     SecurityScorecard●     SecurityScorecard on LinkedIn●     SecurityScorecard on Instagram●     SecurityScorecard on Facebook●     SecurityScorecard on Twitter●     Partho Ghosh on LinkedIn This Podcast is brought to you by Sopheon Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Innovation Talks. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify | iHeart | Amazon Be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more listeners, like you. For additional information around new product development or corporate innovation, sign up for Sopheon’s newsletter where we share news and industry best practices monthly! The fastest way to do this is to go to sopheon.com and click here.
Brewing brand loyalty using AI and emerging tech with Adam Brotman and Andy Sack
Nov 27 2023
Brewing brand loyalty using AI and emerging tech with Adam Brotman and Andy Sack
Adam Brotman is the co-founder and co-CEO of Forum3, an organization committed to building and partnering with creators, brands, and projects that leverage the unique innovations and creativity unlocked by Web3. Prior to co-founding Forum3, Adam served as the Chairman and CEO of Brightloom and the CEO of J.Crew. He also served as the EVP for Global Retail Operations at Starbucks. Adam holds a BA in Classical Civilizations specializing in Business & Administration from UCLA and a JD from the University of Washington School of Law.Andy Sack is the co-CEO of Forum3. He also serves as a managing partner at KeenCapital—a fund of blockchain native venture funds—and co-founder and managing partner of Founders Co-op. He was the former CEO of The Body Shop Digital as well as the founder and Executive Chairman of Lighter Capital. Andy holds a BA from Brown University and received his MBA from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.Adam and Andy join me today to discuss cultivating brand loyalty through generative AI and other emerging technologies. They share insight on how companies can successfully navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape. They illustrate how emerging tech has allowed Gen Z and Millennials to become a new generation of “creator-consumers.” They also highlight how generative AI can unlock creativity and help brands transition from transactional connections to emotional connections. “As social media has evolved, today’s consumer doesn’t want to be marketed or sold to. The successful brands are the ones that invite consumers to participate and engage with them.” - Andy Sack This week on Innovation Talks:●     Adam and Andy’s backgrounds and professional journeys●     Using AI and emerging technology to tell your brand’s story●     Forum 3’s mission and how it’s creating Hive 3 to help brands and AI creators collaborate and tell stories●     How brands like Starbucks, Balenciaga, and Heinz are exploring AI●     Generative AI and the privacy of brands●     The significance of AI and data-driven strategies in the evolving marketing landscape●     Rapid AI development across various tech giants like Microsoft, Meta, Google, and Amazon●     Challenges and opportunities for companies navigating the fast-paced AI landscape●     The emotional shift in consumer behavior and the role of AI in fostering emotional connections●     The importance of emotional connections in the digital age●     Social media, influencers, and the evolving ways consumers express their feelings about brands●     Starbucks' digital innovation, Starbucks Odyssey, and its impact on consumer engagement●     Brand innovation amid rapid AI and tech developmentConnect with Adam Brotman:●     Adam Brotman on LinkedIn●     Email: adam@forum3.com Connect with Andy Sack:●     Andy Sack on LinkedIn●     Email: andy@forum3.com Connect with Forum3:●     Forum3●     Forum3 on Twitter●     Forum3 on LinkedIn●     Forum3 on MediumConnect with Hive3:●     Hive3●     Hive3 on Twitter●     Hive3 on Instagram●     Hive3 on YouTube●     Hive3 on DiscordThis Podcast is brought to you by Sopheon Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Innovation Talks. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify | iHeart | Amazon Be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more listeners, like you. For additional information around new product development or corporate innovation, sign up for Sopheon’s newsletter where we share news and industry best practices monthly! The fastest way to do this is to go to sopheon.com and click here.
Insights from an AI Product Manager with William Mulholland
Nov 20 2023
Insights from an AI Product Manager with William Mulholland
William Mulholland is a senior AI product management consultant and AI product leader. He currently serves as Senior AI Product Leader at the AI Accelerator Institute, an organization dedicated to connecting and empowering passionate AI infrastructure innovators. He is also a product leader member of the Product-Led Alliance. William attended the University of Wollongong’s Computer Science program and holds a BBA in Accounting and Management Information Systems from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.William joins us today to discuss his journey into AI product management. He describes the value of cultivating a culture of curiosity and adaptation amid the accelerated speed of AI adoption and innovation. He illustrates how AI could be leveraged to address key challenges in government services, including reducing time and costs, promoting transparency, and creating positive social impacts. He explains the significance of aligning AI product strategies with an organization's strategic objectives and shares the keys to successful alignment. William also offers advice to organizations and individuals who are exploring the potential of AI technologies and underscores the importance of maintaining an agile mindset. “With the speed of AI innovation, maintaining a culture of curiosity and adaptation is essential—especially for organization leaders to stay at the forefront of AI advancements.” - William Mulholland This week on Innovation Talks:●     The role of an AI Product manager●     Why product managers need to stay current with AI technologies●     Leveraging AI to understand customers, product analytics, and software development●     The AI Accelerator Institute and its mission●     The rapid growth of interest in artificial intelligence●     Challenges in adopting AI●     Balancing AI experimentation and innovation with IP concerns and data security●     The need for governance and standards in artificial intelligence●     AI in state and local governments and William’s mission to leverage AI to improve government spending analytics●     The growing openness to AI in government when presented as a tool to enhance public services●     Fostering creativity, handling massive data, and enhancing user experience in digital products through AI●     Measuring model accuracy, false positives, false negatives, ethics and fairness, and other metrics specific to AI products●     The need for agility and adaptability in AI development●     Innovations and breakthroughs in AI and its potential in health and medical research●     William’s advice to organizations and individuals starting to explore AI●     The power of collaboration and community spirit in AI Resources Mentioned:●     Huberman Lab PodcastConnect with William Mulholland:●     AI Accelerator Institute●     AI Accelerator Institute on LinkedIn●     AI Accelerator Institute on Facebook●     AI Accelerator Institute on Twitter●     William Mulholland on LinkedInThis Podcast is brought to you by Sopheon Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Innovation Talks. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify | iHeart | Amazon Be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more listeners, like you. For additional information around new product development or corporate innovation, sign up for Sopheon’s newsletter where we share news and industry best practices monthly! The fastest way to do this is to go to sopheon.com and click here.
Navigating innovation challenges for success with Dave MacAdam
Nov 13 2023
Navigating innovation challenges for success with Dave MacAdam
Dave MacAdam is the Director of Portfolio Management for Global R&D at Novelis, the leading producer of flat-rolled aluminum products and the world’s largest recycler of aluminum. As director, Dave focuses on optimizing Novelis’ global R&D project portfolio, including portfolio and project governance, analytics, and economic modeling. Before joining Novelis, Dave served as an electrical engineer for over 13 years on various aspects of semiconductor design, including product concept modeling, analysis, specification, and design. Dave holds a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from the University of Waterloo in Canada, and an MBA from Goizueta Business School at Emory University. Dave also holds 13 patents in multiple areas of semiconductor design.Dave joins me today to discuss navigating innovation challenges for success. He explains change management in portfolio optimization and highlights the role of metrics in strategic decision-making. He discusses the need for resource allocation buffers in portfolio management and outlines the challenges of portfolio prioritization, especially when dealing with constrained resources. Dave also underscores the growing relevance and influence of sustainability on customers’ decisions and offers advice to individuals starting their journey in portfolio management.Addendum: The Ball Aluminum Cups Dave mentions in 27:22 are made of 90% recycled content. “Prioritize the change you want and be mindful of the time and investment it takes and of the organization that will use those systems. Keep focused on that as your guiding principle.” - Dave MacAdamThis week on Innovation Talks:●     Dave’s role as Director of Portfolio Management at Novelis●     Novelis products in automotive, aerospace, electronics, and construction●     The importance of innovation and sustainability●     What good and bad data look like●     The evolution of portfolios●     Portfolio management in a sustainable world●     Defining the portfolio●     The impact of sustainability on portfolio management●     The push for environmental sustainability in the supply chain●     Challenges related to portfolio prioritization●     Leveraging the right metrics to drive change●     Dave’s advice on portfolio management●     Novelis’ contributions to sustainable solutions●     Change management in portfolio optimization●     The challenges of driving and sustaining change Connect with Dave MacAdam:●     Novelis●     Novelis on LinkedIn●     Novelis on YouTube●     Novelis on Facebook●     Novelis on Twitter●     Dave MacAdam on LinkedIn This Podcast is brought to you by Sopheon Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Innovation Talks. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify | iHeart | Amazon Be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more listeners, like you. For additional information around new product development or corporate innovation, sign up for Sopheon’s newsletter where we share news and industry best practices monthly! The fastest way to do this is to go to sopheon.com and click here. b
Mapping innovation: The Importance of setting your course with Jim Fava
Nov 6 2023
Mapping innovation: The Importance of setting your course with Jim Fava
Jim Fava is a leading pioneer in sustainability. He is the co-founder of the Forum for Sustainability through Life Cycle Innovation, a multi-stakeholder and membership-based community organization for everyone interested in and working with Life Cycle approaches to enhance the sustainability of economic activities. He is the former Executive Director of the Antithesis Group, an organization that supports businesses and governments in understanding and navigating risks and opportunities. Regarded as the “Father of Modern-Day Life Cycle Assessment,” Jim has made significant contributions to the sustainability and environmentalism movement for more than 40 years. He has spent his career guiding businesses and governments through risks and opportunities, enabling them to hold environmentally responsible and sustainable operations. Today, alongside Neil D’Souza, Jim co-hosts Five Lifes to Fifty, a podcast that explores the intersection between society, business, environment, and technology, and negotiating the path to sustainable products.Jim joins me today to discuss the importance of having a clear goal or destination in mind when using tools for sustainable innovation. He explains how the Golden Rules of Sustainable Innovation evolved. He defines the fifth and seventh rules and emphasizes the need for organizations to align their sustainability efforts with their strategy and market position. Jim also reflects on the importance of a pre-competitive space where businesses can collaborate on sustainability goals and highlights the acceleration of incorporating sustainability into product innovation. “Any time you’re going to develop a tool or any kind of assessment, you have to know where the future looks like before you can decide how to get there.” - Jim Fava This week on Innovation Talks:●     The evolution of the Golden Rules of Sustainable Innovation●     Golden Rule #5: knowing your destination●     Why organizations need to understand the purpose of a life cycle study●     The ACDB Framework and bringing LCA to the beginning of innovation●     Golden Rule #7: meeting them where they are●     The four strategy levels companies need to adopt in their sustainability efforts●     California’s Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions requirement for larger industries●     Golden Rule #10 and the growth of the global life cycle community●     The future of LCA and artificial intelligence●     Collaboration and knowledge-sharing in a pre-competitive spaceRelated Episodes:●     How to embed sustainability into your innovation process with Jim Fava●     Embracing change for positive impacts with Jim Fava●     Golden rules for a sustainable business with Jim Fava Connect with Jim Fava:●     Podcast: Five Lifes to Fifty●     Jim Fava on LinkedIn This Podcast is brought to you by Sopheon Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Innovation Talks. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify | iHeart | Amazon Be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more listeners, like you. For additional information around new product development or corporate innovation, sign up for Sopheon’s newsletter where we share news and industry best practices monthly! The fastest way to do this is to go to sopheon.com and click here.
Fearless transformation: Revolutionizing B2B services for profitable productization with Eisha Armstrong
Oct 30 2023
Fearless transformation: Revolutionizing B2B services for profitable productization with Eisha Armstrong
Eisha Armstrong is the co-founder of Vecteris, an organization that supports B2B services companies in productizing their offerings. Eisha advises CEOs, product management professionals, and companies on cultivating a culture where innovation can flourish. Before co-founding Vecteris, she held senior business management at E.W. Scripps with CEB (now Gartner). Over her 20 years of experience launching new data and information service businesses, she has managed million-dollar businesses and global teams of professionals. Eisha earned her MBA at the Harvard Business School and her Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Studies and Economics at the University of Kansas.Eisha joins me today to discuss the role of culture in helping a services organization to successfully productize. She discusses the challenges of productization in B2B services and the need for significant change management and culture change. She outlines the "Four Horsemen of Innovation" that can hinder the transition to a culture of innovation within service organizations. Eisha also highlights the benefits of productization and underscores why organizations need to clarify their “why” before embarking on the journey of productization.“There’s a lot of fear associated with going through a digital or a business model transformation. Those fears are hindrances when you try to create a culture of innovation—so naming them is important.” - Eisha Armstrong This week on Innovation Talks:●     Eisha’s background and current role at Vecteris●     What motivated Eisha to write Productize and Fearless●     Three reasons for productizing services●     Anxiety over generative AI disrupting business services●     Significant challenges companies encounter when productizing services●     Three key transformations of the productization of services●     Overcoming the challenges related to productizing services●     Understanding why you want to productize your company’s services●     The LEAP framework to overcome fear and challenges during the productization process●     How mindfulness and gratitude practices can help with fear and anxiety around productization●     How companies are experimenting with generative AI●     The innovator’s dilemma and the four horsemen of innovation●     How Vecteris helps organizations looking to embark on the productization journey●     The importance of understanding the "why" behind the productization journey Connect with Eisha Armstrong:●     Vecteris●     Book: Productize: The Ultimate Guide to Turning Professional Services into Scalable Products●     Book: Fearless: How to Transform a Services Culture and Successfully Productize●     Vecteris on LinkedIn●     Eisha Armstrong on LinkedIn●     Eisha Armstrong on Medium This Podcast is brought to you by Sopheon Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Innovation Talks. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify | iHeart | Amazon Be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more listeners, like you. For additional information around new product development or corporate innovation, sign up for Sopheon’s newsletter where we share news and industry best practices monthly! The fastest way to do this is to go to sopheon.com and click here.
How to make innovative thinking your competitive advantage with Carla Johnson
Oct 23 2023
How to make innovative thinking your competitive advantage with Carla Johnson
Carla Johnson is a global keynote speaker, author, marketing and innovation strategist, and innovation architect. She is the author of RE:Think Innovation: How the World's Most Prolific Innovators Come Up with Great Ideas that Deliver Extraordinary Outcomes. Carla was formerly the Programme Director of Digital Marketing at HARBOUR.SPACE and the Director of Media Relations and Employee Communications at Time Warner Telecom. She has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and is a graduate of the Influence / ICAN Leadership Institute. On a mission to teach one million people how to become innovative thinkers, Carla has partnered with leaders and Fortune 500 brands to train thousands of people to rethink the work they do and make an impact.Carla joins me today to discuss fostering a culture of innovative thinking and turning it into a competitive advantage. She explains how observing the world around us can increase creative thinking. She outlines the six innovation archetypes and explains how understanding these archetypes can improve teamwork and idea generation in organizations. Carla also highlights the bottom-up approach to building a culture of original thinking and innovation and underscores the role of structured processes in idea generation and problem-solving. “Innovation really is everybody's business and we all have the ability to contribute if we just understand how.” - Carla Johnson This week on Innovation Talks:●     Carla’s background and work as an innovation architect●     How design architects did design thinking before it became popular●     How creatives and innovators are perceived differently in organizations●     Connecting emotions to products and user experiences●     The relationship and difference between innovation and creativity●     Why creativity is undervalued in organizations●     How observing the world can fuel creativity and innovation●     RE:Think Innovation and Carla’s goal to teach a million people to become innovative thinkers●     The six innovation archetypes and their application to teams and organizations●     The importance of culture-shapers and storytellers in today’s companies●     How diversity can make innovative ideas powerful●     Bringing empathy into the innovation process Resources Mentioned:●     Book: Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days by Jake Knapp Related Episode:●     RE:Think innovation with Carla Johnson Connect with Carla Johnson:●     Carla Johnson Website●     The RE:Think Lab Newsletter●     Book: RE:Think Innovation: How the World's Most Prolific Innovators Come Up with Great Ideas that Deliver Extraordinary Outcomes●     Book: Union Pacific and Omaha Union Station●     Carla Johnson on LinkedIn●     Carla Johnson on Instagram●     Carla Johnson on Twitter This Podcast is brought to you by Sopheon Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Innovation Talks. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify | iHeart | Amazon Be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more listeners, like you. For additional information around new product development or corporate innovation, sign up for Sopheon’s newsletter where we share news and industry best practices monthly! The fastest way to do this is to go to sopheon.com and click here.
How to move from project thinking to product thinking with Steve Johnson
Oct 16 2023
How to move from project thinking to product thinking with Steve Johnson
Steve Johnson is an author, speaker, and coach dedicated to helping teams overcome the chaos in product management. He is a founding partner and the CEO of Product Growth Leaders, an organization that helps product leaders remove the confusion of managing products by providing a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities and a playbook of modern techniques. Before Product Growth Leaders, Steve served as the CEO of Under10 Consulting LLC and the Vice President of Products for Pragmatic Institute. Steve holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Computer Science from Hallam College of Business at the University of Tennessee.Steve joins me today to discuss how the lack of standardization, best practices, and conversations about product management makes the field chaotic. He describes his journey from marketing and computer science to product management. He explains the importance of understanding both the business and technical aspects of product management. He highlights how generative AI like chat GPT—though it can spark creativity and generate ideas—still needs the guidance of human judgment. Steve also offers advice to people interested in delving into the product management career and shares insights on offering consulting services as products. “Everything's a product. If you sell it, it's a product—and it should be treated that way.” - Steve Johnson This week on Innovation Talks:●     Encountering chaos in product management●     How product management emerged as a specialized role in organizations●     The difference between brand management and product management●     How Procter & Gamble created the brand manager job●     The “servant” and “god” product manager●     Why business thinking should be brought into product management●     Why generative AI will not cost you your job●     The importance of human judgment and guidance in the effective use of generative AI●     Why you need to look at generative AI as a college intern●     Using generative AI as an ideation and pattern-matching tool●     The value of Generative AI and chatGPT in open innovation●     The distinction between project and product management●     Why companies are shifting from project to product management●     Shifting from a project-based to a product-based mindset●     The drawbacks of treating products as projects Related Episode:●     Taking a systematic approach to the product management process with Steve Johnson Connect with Steve Johnson:●     Product Growth Leaders●     Product Growth Leaders on LinkedIn●     Product Growth Leaders on Twitter●     Steve Johnson on LinkedIn●     Steve Johnson on Twitter●     Email: steve@productgrowthleaders.com This Podcast is brought to you by Sopheon Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Innovation Talks. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify | iHeart | Amazon Be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more listeners, like you. For additional information around new product development or corporate innovation, sign up for Sopheon’s newsletter where we share news and industry best practices monthly! The fastest way to do this is to go to sopheon.com and click here.
Embracing change for positive impacts with Jim Fava
Oct 9 2023
Embracing change for positive impacts with Jim Fava
Jim Fava is the former Executive Director of the Antithesis Group, an organization that supports businesses and governments in understanding and navigating risks and opportunities. Regarded as the “Father of Modern-Day Life Cycle Assessment,” Jim is on a mission to make the world a better place and has been one of the leading pioneers in sustainability. He has made significant contributions to the sustainability and environmentalism movement for more than 40 years and has spent his career guiding businesses and governments through risks and opportunities, enabling them to hold environmentally responsible and sustainable operations. Today, alongside Neil D’Souza, Jim co-hosts Five Lifes to Fifty, a podcast that explores the intersection between society, business, environment, and technology and negotiating the path to sustainable products.Jim joins me today to discuss embracing change for a more positive, sustainable impact. He shares the eighth and ninth Golden Rules for sustainable innovation and discusses the foundational changes needed to embed sustainability and life cycle information into the innovation process. He highlights the role of sustainability professionals in translating environmental and life cycle data into business value. He also outlines the five attributes needed for any kind of change and illustrates how customers around the world are driving the need for greener, more sustainable products. “The whole ecosystem is changing; customers, governments, regulators, competitors, and markets globally want greener products—and sustainable innovation is the next frontier for greener products.” - Jim Fava This week on Innovation Talks:●     Sustainable innovation as the next frontier for greener products●     The eighth Golden Rule: focusing on positive impacts and results rather than just data and information●     Why life cycle professionals need to engage with information users and stakeholders at the beginning stages of a life cycle or sustainability study●     The differences between data, information, knowledge, and wisdom●     How sustainability and life cycle professionals can bridge the gap for decision-makers by translating data and information into applicable knowledge and wisdom ●     How a computer company connected their sustainability professionals with their innovation team to shift perspective●     The ninth Golden Rule: actions, changing behavior, and business practices●     The five attributes that can help you achieve change and embed sustainability into innovation●     Why companies avoid change regarding positive environmental and sustainability impact●     How consumers, governments, and regulators are driving the need to integrate sustainability into innovation Resources Mentioned: ●     Book: Greener Products, 1st Edition: The Making and Marketing of Sustainable Brands by Al Iannuzzi Related Episodes:●     How to embed sustainability into your innovation process with Jim Fava●     Golden rules for a sustainable business with Jim Fava Connect with Jim Fava:●     Podcast: Five Lifes to Fifty●     Jim Fava on LinkedIn This Podcast is brought to you by Sopheon Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Innovation Talks. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify | iHeart | Amazon Be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more listeners, like you. For additional information around new product development or corporate innovation, sign up for Sopheon’s newsletter where we share news and industry best practices monthly! The fastest way to do this is to go to sopheon.com and click here.
Innovation leadership 101: How chief innovation officers shape culture and drive change with Alex Slawsby
Oct 2 2023
Innovation leadership 101: How chief innovation officers shape culture and drive change with Alex Slawsby
Alex Slawbsy is the Chief Growth Officer of InnoLead, an organization that creates content, events, and tools to help the world's largest network of corporate strategy, innovation, and R&D leaders drive change more successfully. Over the past 20 years, Alex has dedicated his time to researching, teaching, guiding, and leading corporate innovation strategy development, capability building, and new business incubation. Before InnoLead, Alex served as the Director of Innovation at Embraer-X and an innovation consultant for several years for organizations including Clayton Christensen’s disruptive innovation consultancy, Innosight. Alex holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Brown University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the MIT Sloan School of Management. Alex joins me today to discuss why innovation leaders need to shape culture to drive organizational change. He explains why innovation is difficult to quantify and how it’s challenging for innovation leaders to argue their necessity to an organization. He outlines why innovating and change-making imply the need to build trust and relationships within an organization. Alex also discusses hybrid work in the post-COVID era and how remote work may affect organizational culture, change-making, and innovation. “If you’re trying to move the organization, you need to build the relationships, the bonds, the trust, and perhaps the mentorship with the people who will support you.” - Alex Slawsby This week on Innovation Talks:●     Alex’s background in corporate innovation and the history of InnoLead●     The difference between innovation and invention●     Alex’s insights on current shifts in innovation●     Current conversations around innovation, uncertainty, and the economy●     Communicating the value innovation leaders and innovation teams bring to an organization●     The innovator’s dilemma and navigating innovation and change-resistant people●     The challenge of getting people to support something that may not be in the best interest of their careers●     How innovation teams are often perceived in companies●     How to avoid and manage the clash between innovation and the core business●     Connecting with consumers to understand what’s best for them Connect with Alex Slawsby:●     InnoLead●     InnoLead on LinkedIn●     InnoLead on Instagram●     InnoLead on Facebook●     InnoLead on Twitter●     Alex Slawsby on LinkedIn This Podcast is brought to you by Sopheon Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Innovation Talks. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify | iHeart | Amazon Be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more listeners, like you. For additional information around new product development or corporate innovation, sign up for Sopheon’s newsletter where we share news and industry best practices monthly! The fastest way to do this is to go to sopheon.com and click here.
What is lifecycle assessment and why should I care with Jim Fava
Sep 25 2023
What is lifecycle assessment and why should I care with Jim Fava
Jim Fava is the former Executive Director of the Anthesis Group, an organization that supports businesses and governments in understanding and navigating risks and opportunities. Known for his holistic desire to make the world a better place, Jim has been deemed the “Father of Modern-Day Life Cycle Assessment” and regarded as one of the leading figures in the industry. A pioneer in sustainability, Jim has made significant contributions to the sustainability and environmentalism movement for more than 40 years. Today, alongside Neil D’Souza, Jim co-hosts Five Lifes to Fifty, a podcast that explores the intersection between society, business, environment, and technology and negotiating the path to sustainable products.Jim joins me today to discuss product life cycle assessment and how it can help provide an understanding of impact over an entire product life cycle. He outlines three golden rules for life cycle assessment. He describes the applications and limitations of product life cycle assessment. He shares the story of how The Coca-Cola Company realized the impact of all materials and challenged its suppliers to be greener. Jim also highlights why, when designing a product, you have to think about not just sales, but also how it’ll be used, disposed, reused, recovered, and recycled. “Life cycle assessment is a process that identifies environmental and social issues associated with a product and how those issues can occur at various stages of a product’s life cycle.” - Jim Fava This week on Innovation Talks:●     Three golden rules for life cycle assessment●     Why there are no green products, only “greener” products●     The stages of a product’s life cycle and the impacts throughout●     Life cycle assessment from the perspective of innovation portfolios●     Why life cycle information is essential, but not sufficient●     Introducing the LCA Standards in the International Organization for Standardization●     What Jim’s most proud of in his career Resources Mentioned:●     Book: Greener Products: The Making and Marketing of Sustainable Brands by Al Iannuzzi Related Episode:●     Golden rules for a sustainable business with Jim Fava Connect with Jim Fava:●     Podcast: Five Lifes to Fifty●     Jim Fava on LinkedIn This Podcast is brought to you by Sopheon Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Innovation Talks. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify | iHeart | Amazon Be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more listeners, like you. For additional information around new product development or corporate innovation, sign up for Sopheon’s newsletter where we share news and industry best practices monthly! The fastest way to do this is to go to sopheon.com and click here.
The open innovation playbook: How to work with scale-ups and maximise success with Marie-José van den Boomgaard
Sep 18 2023
The open innovation playbook: How to work with scale-ups and maximise success with Marie-José van den Boomgaard
Marie-José van den Boomgaard is the Liaison Manager for Start-ups and Scale-ups at KPN, a Dutch telecommunications company. MJ has demonstrated her passion for open innovation throughout her role as Liaison Manager and through the 300 deals she has closed between KPN and scale-ups. In addition to her role at KPN, MJ is an active board member of Costa, an initiative from VNO NCW where the 25 top brands in the Netherlands exchange information on working with scale-ups. In September, MJ will be launching The Innovation Cast—a podcast sharing and discussing personal stories from innovation heroes—with Kirsten van Rijn.MJ joins me today to discuss her role as the mediator between KPN and scale-ups. She offers advice to people new to the scale-up world. She explains how COVID-19 has changed the relevance of telecommunications. She describes why process optimization is the easiest innovation type for scale-ups. MJ also reveals how top-level commitment has helped her create successful collaborations between KPN and scale-ups and highlights the importance of assessing your organization’s internal processes when working with scale-ups. “Experiment and fail fast. Optimize your processes, get a coalition of the willing, experiment, and use a CRM.” - Marie-José van den Boomgaard This week on Innovation Talks:●     The responsibilities of the Liaison Manager KPN●     Why open innovation is highly valued at KPN●     How to create impactful collaborations between your organization and a scale-up●     The types of innovation that work best with scale-ups●     Engaging with scale-ups and the importance of the culture of collaboration●     Speeding up the deal-making process and the emphasizing strategic relevance of deals●     Finding, hiring, and developing interns Resources Mentioned:●     Magnet.Me Connect with Marie-José van den Boomgaard:●     KPN●     KPN on LinkedIn●     Marie-José van den Boomgaard on LinkedIn●     Email: kpnscale-ups@kpn.comThis Podcast is brought to you by Sopheon Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Innovation Talks. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify | iHeart | Amazon Be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more listeners, like you. For additional information around new product development or corporate innovation, sign up for Sopheon’s newsletter where we share news and industry best practices monthly! The fastest way to do this is to go to sopheon.com and click here.
How to Embed Sustainability into Your Innovation Process with Jim Fava
Sep 11 2023
How to Embed Sustainability into Your Innovation Process with Jim Fava
Jim Fava is the former Executive Director of the Anthesis Group, which supports businesses and governments in understanding and navigating the risks and opportunities they face. Renowned as the "father of modern-day life cycle assessment," Jim has provided invaluable guidance, tools, and expertise on strategies and actions that enable organizations to operate in a more environmentally responsible and sustainable manner. His efforts have contributed significantly to supporting global decision-making processes and have led the United States delegation responsible for shaping the first generation of ISO LCA standards. He is the co-founder of influential organizations such as the UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative, Five Winds International, and the Forum for Sustainability through Life Cycle Innovation (FSLCI). Alongside Neil D’Souza, Jim co-hosts Five Lifes to Fifty, a podcast that explores the intersection between society, business, environment, and technology and how to negotiate the path to sustainable products.Jim joins us today to discuss the golden rules for embedding sustainability into the innovation process. He shares how he was inspired to conceptualize the golden rules of innovation and sustainability. He outlines the foundations of sustainable development and why those foundations need to be led by governance. He explains why sustainability officers need to be assigned directly to an innovation department. Jim also highlights why it’s important for sustainability officers to avoid “sustainability talk” and instead speak the language of their audiences. “If you’re going to do something different, do it now. Change is part of what we have to do to make it happen.” - Jim Fava This week on Innovation Talks:●     The Ten Golden Rules of sustainability and innovation●     The increasing awareness of sustainability’s importance●     Integrating sustainability into innovation●     The foundations of sustainable development●     Good governance and its role in sustainable development●     Recalibrating the roles of sustainability officers in an organization●     The value of speaking the language of your audience●     How innovation drives marketing and procurement●     Breaking silos and why people sustainability should be part of the innovation technology department Related Episode:●     Golden rules for a sustainable business with Jim Fava Connect with Jim Fava:●     Podcast: Five Lifes to Fifty●     Jim Fava on LinkedIn This Podcast is brought to you by Sopheon Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Innovation Talks. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify | iHeart | Amazon Be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more listeners, like you. For additional information around new product development or corporate innovation, sign up for Sopheon’s newsletter where we share news and industry best practices monthly! The fastest way to do this is to go to sopheon.com and click here.
Why the ‘Whole is Greater than the Sum of Parts’ in Portfolio Management - PART 2
Sep 4 2023
Why the ‘Whole is Greater than the Sum of Parts’ in Portfolio Management - PART 2
Huub Rutten is the co-founder and Vice President of Product Research and Design at Sopheon. Huub has over 20 years of experience in language management and holds a Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics from Radboud University in the Netherlands. He plays a pivotal role in developing Sopheon’s linguistics and knowledge management technologies and leads the organization into solutions for innovation. Huub integrates his expertise in linguistics and information technology to innovate language management technology within knowledge-intensive business processes and has recently created an in-depth course on innovation portfolio management.Huub joins me today to discuss managing, governing, and balancing an innovation portfolio. He explains why there is no “ideal” portfolio and how the most desirable portfolio is relative to the regional market sector someone is going for. He describes why developing and investing in production and manufacturing plants is as critical in innovation as product research and development. He underscores why larger companies need to create an innovation management council within their organization. Huub also highlights the importance of bridging the gaps between product portfolios and production portfolios and understanding how they impact each other. “The simplicity of looking at a portfolio as a series of projects is ridiculous. If you want to add value from a portfolio management perspective, you have to connect with its complexity.” - Huub RuttenThis week on Innovation Talks:●     Huub’s thoughts on innovation portfolio balance●     Thinking about an innovation portfolio as a “living” business object in itself●     How the direction of a company’s innovation portfolio demands a continued SWOT analysis●     Innovation management in production processes and technology●     Investing in manufacturing and production plants●     Balancing a portfolio of portfolios●     Bridging product and production portfolios●     Creating an innovation management council within a large company●     How people are reacting to Huub’s courses on portfolio management Related Episodes:●     The Importance of Sprint Portfolios with Huub Rutten●     Pillars of Portfolio Management with Huub Rutten Connect with Huub Rutten:●     Huub Rutten on LinkedIn This Podcast is brought to you by Sopheon Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Innovation Talks. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify | iHeart | Amazon Be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more listeners, like you. For additional information around new product development or corporate innovation, sign up for Sopheon’s newsletter where we share news and industry best practices monthly! The fastest way to do this is to go to sopheon.com and click here.
Why the ‘whole is greater than the sum of parts’ in portfolio management - PART 1
Aug 28 2023
Why the ‘whole is greater than the sum of parts’ in portfolio management - PART 1
Huub Rutten is the Co-Founder and Vice President for Product Research and Design at Sopheon. With over two decades of experience in language management and a Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics from Radboud University in the Netherlands, Huub is instrumental in developing Sopheon’s linguistics and knowledge management technologies and continues to lead the organization into solutions for innovation. Huub integrates his expertise in linguistics and information technology to innovate language management technology within knowledge-intensive business processes and, recently, has created an in-depth course on portfolio management.Huub joins me today to discuss why, when it comes to innovation portfolio management, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. He explains why the front-end of a portfolio needs to be separated from the ‘realization’ end of a portfolio. He discusses why the launch strategy of a new product is as important as its development. He also highlights why companies need to focus on establishing the value of realization instead of the value of the front-end of a portfolio, describes why the portfolio leader needs to ensure a portfolio’s balance and direction, and underscores why portfolio management has to be executed in combination with concrete decision-making. “Look at a portfolio—and portfolio management—as a business object in itself, a collection of things, of products, of projects that have value, business cases, and risk.” - Huub Rutten “Companies who look at portfolio management as a tool for change, transformation, and modernization of a company will be more mature.” - Huub Rutten “Innovation management is about making promises for the future, and you have to believe in the promise of the whole thing.” - Huub Rutten This week on Innovation Talks: ●     The tendency of people to look at portfolios as reports instead of a business object●     The fundamentals and foundations of innovation portfolio management●     Distinguishing the difference between the ‘front end’ and ‘realization’ parts of a portfolio●     Separating the front end innovation portfolio from your ‘realization’ portfolio●     Feature development and its prototyping●     Examples of features and components in different products●     Considering the pipeline value of a portfolio●     How a portfolio’s front end is an important knowledge base●     Portfolio management as an organizational transformation tool●     Portfolio leadership and why companies struggle to transform their organization●     Theory versus practice in portfolio management Related Episode:●     AI and machine learning in innovation with Huub Rutten Connect with Huub Rutten:●     Huub Rutten on LinkedInThis Podcast is brought to you by Sopheon Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Innovation Talks. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify | iHeart | Amazon Be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more listeners, like you. For additional information around new product development or corporate innovation, sign up for Sopheon’s newsletter where we share news and industry best practices monthly! The fastest way to do this is to go to sopheon.com and click here.
Beat the 3% Chance: Building New Businesses Inside the Company with Frank Mattes
Aug 21 2023
Beat the 3% Chance: Building New Businesses Inside the Company with Frank Mattes
Frank Mattes is a thought leader, startup mentor, and expert in corporate business-building. He is the founder and CEO of Lean Scaleup LLC, which co-created the Lean Scaleup Framework, the best practice for overcoming corporate scaling-up problems and creating profitable businesses. As an advisor and mentor, Frank helps corporations accelerate the learning cycle in building new businesses, allowing them to create new revenue streams and move swiftly on their transformation journey. He is the author of the books, Lean Scale Up and Scaling-Up Corporate Startups. Frank joins me today to discuss corporate business building, its challenges, and how to overcome them. He explains why only a small fraction of companies succeed in bringing new business models into the market. He describes the two value-creation systems that exist under one corporate roof. He outlines three approaches to overcoming the odds of creating new businesses in a company. He underscores how building new businesses requires solving systematic problems. Frank also highlights why achieving success in building new businesses inside a company involves making two incompatible factors work together. “The success rate of building sizable, profitable businesses is 3%. It’s not that companies don’t know how to create new products, but it’s all about knowing how to launch new businesses.” - Frank Mattes This week on Innovation Talks: ●     Corporate business-building, how it works, and the history of Amazon●     Innovation and creating new business models●     The defined “red shirt” value-creation system●     The innovative “blue shirt” value-creation system●     The success rate of companies creating new businesses and business models●     Frank’s definition of innovation●     The Kodak vs. Fujifilm innovation story Connect with Frank Mattes: ●     Lean Scaleup●     Book: Scaling-Up Corporate Startups: Turn innovation concepts into business impact●     Book: Lean Scaleup: A proven framework for building new businesses from innovation●     Lean Scaleup on LinkedIn●     Lean Scaleup on Twitter●     Frank Mattes on LinkedIn This Podcast is brought to you by Sopheon Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Innovation Talks. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify | iHeart | Amazon Be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more listeners, like you. For additional information around new product development or corporate innovation, sign up for Sopheon’s newsletter where we share news and industry best practices monthly! The fastest way to do this is to go to sopheon.com and click here.
RE:Think Innovation with Carla Johnson
Aug 14 2023
RE:Think Innovation with Carla Johnson
Carla Johnson is a marketing and innovation strategist, author of ten books, and keynote speaker. She has partnered with leaders and Fortune 500 brands to train thousands of people to rethink the work they do and make an impact. Carla’s goal is to teach one million people how to become innovative thinkers by 2025. She is the Leap Advisor at Demand Spring and was previously the Programme Director of Digital Marketing at HARBOUR.SPACE. Carla has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and is a graduate of the Influence / ICAN Leadership Institute. Carla joins me today to discuss creating consistent innovation through new, impactful, and reliable ideas. She defines innovation, and outlines where to find it as well as how to reignite it alongside creativity. Carla shares her five-step “Perpetual Innovation Process” and reveals the things that block innovation, such as the complexity bias. She talks about recognizing those with the courage to pitch new ideas and how to give feedback. Carla highlights the six different personality types that contribute to innovative teams and how they bring ideas to the table. “In order to get fantastic ideas that have an extraordinary impact and outcome, you have to slow down and observe the world around you.” - Carla Johnson This week on Innovation Talks: ●     Carla’s definition of innovation●     Drawing inspiration for innovation by looking outside your industry and what it takes to be successful●     What perpetual innovators are, learning to be one, and waking up your innovative muscles●     Carla’s five-step “Perpetual Innovation Process”●     Inspiring a team to create ideas and the two vital parts of giving feedback ●     The six different archetypes of innovative teams: strategist, collaborator, culture shaper, psychologist, orchestrator, and provocateur  Connect with Carla Johnson: ●     Carla Johnson’s website●     Book: RE:Think Innovation by Carla Johnson●     Carla Johnson on LinkedIn●     Carla Johnson on Instagram●     Carla Johnson on Facebook●     Carla Johnson on Twitter This Podcast is brought to you by Sopheon Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Innovation Talks. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify | iHeart Be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more listeners, like you. For additional information around new product development or corporate innovation, sign up for Sopheon’s newsletter where we share news and industry best practices monthly! The fastest way to do this is to go to sopheon.com and click here.
Unleashing Innovation Through Leadership, Culture and Connection with Cris Beswick
Aug 7 2023
Unleashing Innovation Through Leadership, Culture and Connection with Cris Beswick
Cris Beswick is a highly acclaimed global authority on innovation strategy, leadership, and culture and is renowned for his groundbreaking work in assessing corporate innovation maturity. He co-authored the best-selling book 'Building a Culture of Innovation,' which received recognition from the CMI as a Top Innovation Book in 2017. With a position as adjunct faculty at a business school and advisory roles on the boards of The Innovators CoLab and The Global Innovation Institute, Cris actively contributes to the field. He is also a co-founder of OUTCOME, a boutique innovation advisory firm. Today, Cris and I discuss the importance of leadership and culture in driving innovation within organizations. We emphasize the need for a systemic approach to innovation and owning the innovation agenda. We analyze why designing an intentional culture is crucial to foster innovation, focusing on understanding a culture's significance, fostering a growth mindset, providing psychological safety, and continuous culture design. We highlight the effect of strong leadership, particularly during uncertain and disruptive times. We also discuss how to proactively shape organizational culture to drive innovation and adapt effectively.  “It's now becoming evident that the innovation system as a whole isn't where organizations really need it to be because they're recognizing that the system needs all of the components to work in harmony.” - Cris Beswick This week on Innovation Talks: ●     The challenges and opportunities for innovation organizations ●     Why leadership and culture are crucial factors in driving innovation ●     Why Cris advocates for a systemic approach to innovation ●     Why ownership of innovation is not limited to the CEO ●     How to design an intentional culture that fosters innovation●     The four key principles of design culture ●     Why culture design is a continuous process ●     The importance of strong leadership during uncertain times ●     How to proactively shape an organization to adapt  Connect with Cris Beswick: ●     Cris Beswick’s Website●     OUTCOME Website●     Book: Building a Culture of Innovation: A Practical Framework for Placing Innovation at the Core of Your Business by Cris Beswick●     Cris Beswick on LinkedIn●     Cris Beswick on Twitter●     Email: cris@weareoutcome.co   This Podcast is brought to you by Sopheon Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Innovation Talks. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify | iHeart | Amazon Be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more listeners, like you. For additional information around new product development or corporate innovation, sign up for Sopheon’s newsletter where we share news and industry best practices monthly! The fastest way to do this is to go to sopheon.com and click here.
Roadmapping Field Study Update 2023 with Sven Schimpf
Jul 31 2023
Roadmapping Field Study Update 2023 with Sven Schimpf
Dr. Sven Schimpf is the Managing Director of the Fraunhofer Group for Innovation Research and the Director of the Institute for Human Engineering and Empathic Design at Pforzheim University. He is involved in research, education, training, and mentoring in the field of innovation. Sven has conducted extensive studies on roadmapping and has a degree in Business Administration and a doctorate in Engineering earned during his tenure as part of CC R&D Management at Fraunhofer IAO. Throughout his career, he has actively engaged in national and international research and consulting projects, collaborating with various industrial companies to enhance their R&D strategies, processes, and organization. His focus lies in the realm of strategic R&D and innovation management, where he dedicates himself to monitoring, evaluating, and incorporating potentially disruptive advancements. Today, Sven and I discuss the findings of the updated roadmapping study conducted by the Fraunhofer Group for Innovation Research with three other organizations. We discuss how organizations use roadmapping and the challenges they face. We highlight the importance of clear communication and why excessive details should be avoided in roadmaps. We analyze how software developers can use the insights gained from the study to improve their roadmapping processes. Sven explains the basics of roadmapping and why mismatches between market-oriented information sources and the responsibility for roadmapping occur. We also discuss how organizations can enhance their strategic planning and decision-making processes, foster creativity, envision ambitious futures, and uniquely engage stakeholders. “There is huge potential because in the long run production technologies there are a lot of things happening and they are enabling the development of the next—or the generation after this— generation of products and services.” Dr. Sven Schimpf This week on Innovation Talks: ●     The definition of roadmapping and why it is important ●     An overview of the roadmapping study ●     The types of companies that participated in the study ●     Why there is a lack of marketing involvement in roadmapping ●     The importance of sharing roadmaps with stakeholders●     The best processes to manage and update roadmaps ●     Roadmapping software recommendations●     Why detail makes roadmaps less useful Connect with Dr. Sven Schimpf ●     Dr. Sven Schimpf●     Dr. Sven Schimpf on LinkedIn●     Fraunhofer Group for Innovation Research Roadmapping Study ●     Fraunhofer Group on LinkedIn This Podcast is brought to you by Sopheon Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Innovation Talks. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify | iHeart | Amazon Be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more listeners, like you. For additional information around new product development or corporate innovation, sign up for Sopheon’s newsletter where we share news and industry best practices monthly! The fastest way to do this is to go to sopheon.com and click here.
The Process of Product Management with Steve Johnson
Jul 24 2023
The Process of Product Management with Steve Johnson
Steve Johnson is a speaker and product coach consulting on modern methods that move ideas to market. He is the author of Turn Ideas Into Product and has served as an advisor and executive for technical organizations and industry associates. He is a former instructor and vice president at Pragmatic Marketing and a co-creator of QuartzOpen Framework. He is also a founding partner of the Product Growth Leaders community. Steve has a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Computer Science from Hallam College of Business at the University of Tennessee. Steve joins me today to discuss the process of product management. He shares why leaders need to understand the differences between the roles of product managers and product owners. Steve shares his definition of product management and discusses the importance of a systematic approach. He reveals where companies should begin with their product process and why it is imperative to start with personas. He shares how to problem solve using design, as well as the issues businesses experience when product managers play the role of designer or developer. “The goal of design is not beauty, but when you are done with the design, if it’s not beautiful, you have made a mistake.” - Steve Johnson This week on Innovation Talks: ●     How changing the role of product managers to product owners can cause problems●     Why you should only focus on ten or fewer of the 37 boxes of the pragmatic framework●     Finding your best practice and implementing product ops to create consistency and standardization●     How Steve’s “No Chaos Product Process” works and the differences between Waterfall and Agile product development●     The role of documentation in product management and why there should be a more significant focus on communication●     Why achieving superior product management involves loving the problem more than the product●     How many product managers are performing the roles of designers and developers and the problem this creates when building a business Resources Mentioned: ●     Book: Turn Ideas Into Product by Steve Johnson Connect with Steve Johnson: ●     Under10 Consulting●     Under10 Consulting on Facebook●     Steve Johnson on LinkedIn●     Steve Johnson on Twitter●     NotExactlySteve.com This Podcast is brought to you by Sopheon Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Innovation Talks. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify | iHeart Be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more listeners, like you. For additional information around new product development or corporate innovation, sign up for Sopheon’s newsletter where we share news and industry best practices monthly! The fastest way to do this is to go to sopheon.com and click here.