June 27, 2014

Filling the Product Pipeline, with Blair Miller

On this week’s episode of the “Innovation Engine” podcast, innovation pioneer Blair Miller joins us to discuss filling your product pipeline with innovative offerings, what you need to know when launching new products to the market, and having the foresight to know when its time to put existing products out to pasture.

Blair Miller has served many Fortune 500 companies since founding Blair Miller Innovation in 1990, including Cadbury Schweppes, Coca-Cola, Dupont, Deloitte, Kodak, and many more. His most notable achievement in the growing industry of innovation is the creation and publication of his one-of-a-kind diagnostic tool Foursight: The Break Through Thinking Profile. This tool has offered thousands of individuals and teams alike the ability to see how their personal approach to problem solving affects their creative output.

If Foursight sounds familiar, you may have remembered hearing about it in episode 12 of “The Innovation Engine” podcast featuring Blair’s friend and innovation partner Russ Schoen.

Here are a few of the highlights from the “Innovation and Filling the Product Pipeline,” episode of “The Innovation Engine” podcast:

  • We kick things off by asking Blair how companies looking for the next big thing can fill their product pipeline regardless of what their actual product is – whether it be people, hours, physical products or even services.
  • Blair talks about the importance that organizational leadership plays in creating the climate for creativity and innovation.
  • We takes a big picture look at capturing ideas – one-on-one brainstorming, conference calling, electronic brainstorming etc. – and some of the best ways to keep them moving through the product development process.
  • We discuss the importance of convergent and divergent thinking, and talk about some recommendations for boiling down a large set of ideas into feasible concepts to take into the marketplace.
  • We discuss some of the challenges companies have faced over the last decade plus, including technological changes and its effects on innovation.
  • Blair talks about some of the leading indicators a current product in the market place may be in need of a refresh or a replacement, and discusses some of the corporate reactions to those indicators.

Interested in hearing more? Tune in to the full episode of “The Innovation Engine” podcast below:

About The Innovation Engine

Since 2014, 3Pillar has published The Innovation Engine, a podcast that sees a wide range of innovation experts come on to discuss topics that include technology, leadership, and company culture. You can download and subscribe to The Innovation Engine on Apple Podcasts. You can also tune in via the podcast’s home on Spotify to listen online, via Android or iOS, or on any device supporting a mobile browser.