On this week’s episode of ‘The Innovation Engine’ we take a look at the innovator’s method and how it can be applied in any organization. We talk about how lean start-up principles and design thinking can help accelerate the innovation process, the 4-step process that makes up the innovator’s method, and the merits of using Minimum Awesome Products to test out concepts and validate ideas.
Nathan Furr joins us to discuss those topics and more. Nathan is an author, speaker, and Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Strategy at Brigham Young University. His most recent book is The Innovator’s Method: Bringing the Lean Start-Up Into Your Organization, which he co-authored with Jeff Dyer. Nathan is also the co-author of Nail It Then Scale It: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Creating and Managing Breakthrough Innovation, which he wrote with Paul Ahlstrom. Among the outlets in which his writing has appeared are Forbes.com and the Harvard Business Review.
Here are a few of the highlights from this episode of ‘The Innovation Engine’ podcast:
- We talk about why uncertainty means innovation is more important than ever before for large companies looking to maintain their competitive advantages
- Nathan delves into each of the 4 steps of the Innovator’s Method and which traps to avoid in each phase of the process: Developing an Insight>Understanding the Problem>Matching a Solution to the Problem>Aligning a Business Model to the Problem
- Why using prototypes can be an effective way to determine whether or not there is demand for a certain product before launching it
LISTEN TO THE EPISODE
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Will Sherlin
Senior Manager of Digital Marketing
Will Sherlin is the Senior Manager of Digital Marketing at 3Pillar Global. He oversees the 3Pillar website and other web properties, hosts 3Pillar’s ‘Innovation Engine’ podcast, and manages 3Pillar’s social media accounts. Prior to its acquisition by 3Pillar, Will was an Account Manager at PointAbout, a DC-based mobile app boutique that specialized in developing iPhone and iPad apps. He holds a BA in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina.