MR. INNOVATION JAM
What innovations and hip-hop Jazz have in common
An interview with MC Simon
In our dynamic age, the creation and implementation of innovations within long, rigid innovation processes no longer makes sense. Rather, creative “outside the box thinking”, speed and the combination of different creative people are required to create innovations that suit customers and markets – innovation jam!
In this EARLY BRANDS Insight interview Simon being a passionate freestyle Hip-Hop and Jazz musician and Innovation & Technology Consultant gives us insights what innovations and Jazz Hip-Hop have in common – let’s get it on.
EARLY BRANDS Insights: Simon, you and your band „Pecco Billo” have already performed at many concerts. What are “magic moments” for you when you come together as a band and make music?
MC Simon: What is most impressive for us at Pecco Billo is that we always reinvent ourselfes. We have known each other for a very long time now, roughly like “from the inside out.” Nevertheless no rehearsal, no concert and no jam session is like the other. We focus on “continious improvement“. Even our evergreens are constantly being developed. We always challenge the “status quo”. Thus, we spontaneously create and embed creative new input. Without any limits. Everyone in our band has the freedom to focus on their personal skills and preferences. And that is a good thing: influences from classical and electronic music to African beats come together in our common “Billo cooking pot”. Our individual “Pecco Billo DNA” – creativity that you can hear and feel.
This always inspires me to throw the ball further – also concerning innovation. Borders should flow. Gain inspiration from a variety of branches and playgrounds. Approach new things across markets and industries. Be open, stay open. If you put this in the right context with passion and a strong team, it becomes thrilling song or successful innovation.
EARLY BRANDS Insights: From your point of view as a musician and innovator – are there recipes for success of freestyle jazz, hip-hop production that are equally useful for successful innovation development?
MC Simon: Yes, a lot. One principle from jazz that can be translated 1 to 1 into successful innovation development is that there are no “false tones”. Or as Miles Davis describes it beautifully: “When you hit a wrong note, it’s the next one that makes it good or bad.” This is exactly the spirit we celebrate at EARLY BRANDS. There is no “right” or “wrong” in our case. It depends on what you can make of it and learn from it.
This view is essential for successful innovation. It needs an environment that motivates you to try new things and to take new paths + beak through boundaries. This is how great innovations or the next earworm are created. And if something does not go as planned, then you should try something different – just like with the build-measure-learn loop or as with impro in a jam session. You have a certain idea in your head and perform it together in a team. If this does not fit, then it will be changed at the next run or design sprint – open to results, trial-and-error. This is how you create the next innovation hit together. But it’s important to start and try it out. Otherwise you step on the spot and play the same song for the umpteenth time.
Another parallel between jazz/hip-hop and innovation development is that it is enriched by the diversity of different minds. Music and innovation flourish through the creative combination of various skills and instruments. Whether saxophone + drums or programming language + empathy. The only thing that has to be there is passion and a common goal: create something new. In this way, boundaries are broken and horizons are broadened. Several people are reached and the most diverse stages are played. Whether at a jazz prize, an electric festival or an innovation jam. Diversity in total reaches and unites people.
And people are always at the heart of music and innovation. The musicians and the innovation team are the beginning. But a concert or a new business opportunity can only be successfully realized if the listener, the customer, is the focus. Music thrives on the mutual interaction of people. It is the same with innovations. A new solution can still be good in theory: if it is not possible to interact with and inspire people, it is the same as an unused sheet of music – a simple piece of paper…
EARLY BRANDS Insights: Have you ever been able to contribute experiences from your involvement as a jazz and hip-hop saxophonist in your band in the development of digital business models at EARLY BRANDS?
MC Simon: I guess you can say…! I am surprised by myself nearly everyday how my experience with Pecco Billo and music enriches and supports my work around innovative business models.
An example: The wheel does not always have to be reinvented. There is already so much exciting out there that we can use and build on. Traditional jam sessions are based on so-called jazz standards. You use a template, which is then creatively reinvented together. As we built on strong foundations, we can better explore (musical) possibilities and opportunities.
Also, it is super-exciting how inspiration from different music genres, e.g. from electronic music, can be found and integrated into jazzy beats. This is very fascinating. Two supposedly different styles. We also use this approach at EARLY BRANDS with our cross-market and cross-industry innovation & technology scouting. We always have a look at what we can learn and adapt from a wide range of industries and markets. This makes us faster, more agile and helps us to continuously broaden our horizons.
“Listening” is also very important in music and my work as an Innovation & Technology Consultant. Jam sessions thrive on playing creatively together and not passing each other. You take up beats and ideas of others and shape them with your own energy. We do the same at EARLY BRANDS. In team sessions with colleagues, partners and also customers, we work together strongly and quickly to develop and “freestyle” innovative business models. Like an “Innovation Jam Session”. Through this teaming the best is extracted from different minds and experts. And we make 1+1 = 3.
Music and innovations are enriched by creative exchange and combination of different instruments and skills. It needs courage, setbacks and failures + an open, agile mindset to create something new . There are many “mantras” around innovation that manifest the importance of failure: “fail fast, fail often” or ” success is 99% failure“. At Pecco Billo we have dedicated our own song to this topic – Pechvögel (unlucky birds). We illustrate the statement that a “mistake” is important for the success of new ideas as follows:
“LUCKY DEVILS GROW FIRMLY, UNLUCKY BIRDS FLY!”
EARLY BRANDS Insights: Last but not least: what is on your personal playlist for innovation jam sessions? For creativity, jam feeling and a successful team play?
MC Simon: Oh, that’s hard – I try to reduce it to my favorite five:
- For creative jam sessions with the EARLY BRANDS team: Stevie Wonder – I Wish
- For creative design sprints and to suggest that users see innovations and ideas in a completely different way than we do: Bullfrog & Kid Koala – Reverse Psychology
- As an energizer and to bring even more power to sessions: Earth, Wind and Fire – September
- As a reminder that mistakes are essential for innovation: Pecco Billo – Pechvögel
And for the days you realize that you have been rocking creative innovations until midnight: Roman Flügel – Pattern 16
Catch the Future…!
AGILE INNOVATION TOOLS FROM A TO Z
From A gility to Z ero stress
Our toolkit for agile innovation tools
AGILE MANIFEST 1. People and interaction are more important than processes, tools and methods. 2. Functioning solutions stand above a detailed documentation. 3. Cooperation with customers and partners is more important than contract negotiations. 4. Responding quickly to challenges is much more important than creating rigid plans down to the last detail.
BUSINESS CASES Initial assessments of the value potentials behind a business opportunity are essential in the agile design of new business ideas. How high are potential revenues? What are expected revenue streams? Business cases make new opportunities tangible so that innovation ideas are evaluated and prioritized very quickly.
CUSTOMER JOURNEY Nothing is more important than making customers happy customers. That is why constantly improving the customer journey is essential. The Customer Journey is a very helpful tool to detect pain points and white spots early + to find creative solutions for them. Whether digital or analogue, slip into the customer’s shoes.
DESIGN THINKING as a method creates innovations and new business ideas that are closely oriented towards the user and their needs. Agility in six iterative steps – understand – observe – define – find ideas – prototype – test. The aim is not to create everything detail, but to experiment and collect new insights – in order to place the user and his needs at the center.
EMPATHY Innovations are not only made by people, they are also wanted by people. That’s why empathy is a super important factor for the success of innovations and new technologies.
FACE 2 FACE INTERACTION: Whether with users, partners or employees. Face2Face interaction generates very valuable qualitative feedback. This makes it possible to understand needs – and to integrate them into the design of innovations and new business opportunities at an early stage. This ensures customer and market relevance right from the start.
GREAT BUSINESS MODELS CANVAS: A very helpful tool to make the cornerstones of the business model tangible at an early stage. It allows you to illuminate different perspectives of your business / innovation idea. From target groups, key performance indicators to value proposition, WOW-factors and much more…
HYBRIDE PROJECT MANAGEMENT Have you ever heard of Scrumban? Agile innovation tools also include to agilely combine them. Whether with elements from the “classic project management” or “agile + agile”. It is important to use these methods and tools that are most appropriate for the individual team and the the individual project.
INSPIRATION & IMPULSES are the starting point for agile innovations. Thus, a cross-market and cross-industry view + plenty of room for creativity and “thinking outside the box” is needed. Leave comfort zones and start to creatively “recombine” ideas and impulses. For example; spin the Cross Industry Jackpot, take a look at what people are currently working on or be inspired by cross-market scouting impulses.
JAM SESSION Innovations need creativity and openness for new ideas. For this purpose, workshops in different formats and interdisciplinary teams are very valuable. “Innovation Jam Sessions” bring together a wide range of actors to develop creative solutions for specific questions.
KANBAN Knowing what activities are coming up this week, today or ad hoc or what progress is done so far is super valuable, especially when working in teams. Transparency and open communication are advantages that the KANBAN offers – whether with Post Its or with the help of cool tools for digital kanban boards.
LEAN STARTUP is one of the most known agile innovation tools. It is a continuous, iterative feedback loop in the sense of “build-measure-learn“. Here, business opportunities and innovation ideas are designed (build) so that feedback can be quickly collected (measure) and evaluated (learn). In this way, innovations are implemented quickly and in-line with the market without high cost and time expenditures – but with the voice of the customer.
MINIMUM VIABLE PRODUCT / SOLUTION: The nuts and bolts in our dynamic age: speed and agility. Therefore: quickly design a “functional product / service” instead of creating all functions and features down to the smallest detail. Then generate feedback and develop products / services iteratively and close to the market. And thus maximize the chances of success.
NEW HORIZON Our New Horizon Program combines a wide range of agile tools. Thus, we are able to design market-relevant concepts very quickly – to proactively expand success in the digital age: from worldwide innovation & technology scouting, to use cases, business models and innovation business cases to the agile realization of Test & Learn pilots.
ORGANIZATION No tool but very important: organization and culture. Only those who anchor agility in the, not only live it, but anticipate it, will be successful in the long-run. The best tools are useless if an agile mindset is missing…
PERSONA “Tim Test” or “Pia Pilot AG” are not real people. But very helpful deputies. What are the attitudes, values and goals of the target group? What are interests, abilities and characteristics? Where or how is the product / service been used? The needs, requirements and wishes of the user personas are continuously incorporated into the features and functions of new products / services.
QUICK-WIN Agility also describes the ability to adapt existing solutions + not always wanting to reinvent the wheel. That is why it is important to work with strong partners, existing solutions, and field-proven services, rather than reinventing everything in long development loops.
RETROSPECTIVE as a joint review strengthens teaming and creates common ground. What worked well? What did not worked well? What can we try to do it better? And how (measures)?
STOP THINKING START DOING The high innovation dynamics of the digital age requires that we no longer spend time with long strategy and innovation processes, but look proactively forward: The proof of the pudding is in the eating
TEAM There are many cool tools and methods to drive innovation agilely. However, these are unsuccessful without the most important factor: people. Agile innovating requires smart, creative minds and different perspectives – a strong team that shapes the future together.
USER STORIES describe requirements for a product / service from the user’s point of view. It is primarily about describing a users expectations without designing the “HOW”. This is super helpful to slip into the shoes of the users when creating new solutions.
VALUE PROPOSITION DESIGN The Value Proposition is a short, clear description of the value of a product / service to the user – from the user’s point of view. Which Pain Point is solved and how? What is the added value?
WIREFRAMING makes it possible to make digital services touchable in a very simple way. The main goal is to define information hierarchies, to structure content and thus, to outline the layout of a digital service. This enables to understand how users interact with the service – a great starting point for first prototypes and MVP’s.
XPERIENCE The best product, the most innovative service, the coolest technology are unsuccessful without outstanding user experiences. Customers’ expectations are high – and are getting higher and higher. That is why it is essential to design things from the customer point of view + in the customers interests – because pricing ist no more the “number one decision criterion”.
YOGA, DAILY STAND UPS OR LUNCH are “agile innovation tools” that help to promote creativity, openness and team spirit. “Keep focus on agile inovation tools” but also “keep focus on peoples’ happiness”. This is the only way to motivate and successfully create and realize innovations that rock.
ZERO STRESS Innovations and new business ideas do not fall out of the sky – it is an iterative process. Take time for creativity and new ideas – reflect them and build measure learn instead of pushing innovation ideas from zero to 100. Thereby create innovations with an open mind and do not expect too much too quickly.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST NEVER FORGET TO:
Catch the Future…!
Innovation Hub
How to successfully discover innovation opportunities and partners
Innovation Hub: keep a finger on the pulse of time
Innovation Hubs are on everyone’s lips. Companies strive for new innovation playing fields, cooperation and out-of-the-box thinking. With a strong need for agility, and to keep a finger on the pulse of time. How can innovation hubs discover attractive innovation opportunities? How can they support business success? Here are some fresh answers from our innovation consulting and supporting corporate innovation hubs.
EB Insight: What does „innovation hub“ mean to you?
Alexander: A hub is always a central point within a broader space. An innovation hub can be seen as a further innovation pillar in which varied ideas, players and technologies come together – to be combined in synergy. The most popular innovation hub is a geographical: The Silicon Valley. Here, startups, established companies and academics live and work collaboratively in the tightest of space. Hubs from companies are platforms by which new technologies, innovation opportunities and collaboration partners are captured, evaluated and utilized.
EB Insight: What types of innovation hubs are out there?
Alexander: We see innovation hubs within companies, public institutions, associations and sciences. Even the European Union is engaged and networks via innovation hubs. Concerning corporate innovation hubs, there are many different types: from single innovation hub events for creative networking through to long-time strategic corporate innovation hub initiatives with worldwide locations. Some German examples: Lufthansa Innovation Hub, InsureTechHub. It is all about ambition, priority and willingness to invest.
EB Insight: Why do more and more companies and associations build innovation hubs or get involved in existing ones?
Alexander: Our age is full of innovations and new ideas – with high-speed hyper-competition. Thus, new valuable innovation playing fields cannot be created with old school techniques like planning in minute detail, wargaming, portfolio-strategies or stage-gate-processes. Without a continuous inflow of external innovation and technology impulses including cross-industry and cross-market perspectives + without an open, creative network, companies won’t have a successful future today.
EB Insight: Why is the early identification of innovation and technology developments, startups and tech partners important?
Alexander: An innovation hub needs continuous input. For collaboration and innovation. That requires a continuous inflow of fresh impulses. The hub needs to keep its finger on the pulse of time. What innovation and technology developments emerge in adjacent categories and markets? Which startups and tech companies are potential creative and technology network partners? Out-of-the-box fuel of new impulses related to own hot-topics are needed. Google + startup databases are not enough today. Some corporations still assume that startups and tech partners will approach to them. Or it might be enough that employees attend startup conferences and networking events. That is a great starting point. But to create successful partnerships and innovations much more is needed.
EB Insight: How can innovation and technology impulses be incorporated in innovation hubs?
Alexander: A powerful Scouting that focuses individual and continuously changing topics as well as cross-market and cross-industry impulses is needed. Databases and network events are static. Complexity of information and innovation speed is high. Thus, an innovation hub should enable to see the forest for the trees. To discover new plants and exciting animals. In doing so, creative exchange is needed. To filter most important developments for your business. It is all about involving employees and innovation partners with their ideas and topics of interest. Also into the scouting. It is essential to exchange experiences and network from day 1.
EB Insight: How can innovation and technology collaboration partners be attracted and embedded by the hub?
Alexander: An innovation hub is a separate ecosystem. It evolves naturally. Step by step due to innovation and networking activities. To keep a filter in mind but at the same time let creativity and networking flow, is very helpful for that. For example: a wide partner screening with virtual speed dating events to co-creation workshops to partnerships that create success from Design Sprint to pilot implementation. In doing so: slip into the shoes of your customers. Involve market and customer perspectives prematurely and continuously. Integrate employees, executives and chairmen. Whether the innovation hub is a program idea or a long-term initiative – this is how engagement, motivation and identification arise.
EB Insight: What is your experience a hub can do to succeed in collaboration?
Alexander: In our innovation consulting, we support innovation hubs especially with tailored innovation and technology scouting and the creation of a strong partner ecosystem. For the hub in general and for particular innovation activities. From many projects we know: you are successful, when collaborating together in interdisciplinary teams. When startups and tech partners are on the same level. That means: not David & Goliath but more Bonny & Clyde. And SPRAY & PRAY.
Catch the Future…!
Innovation Hub
How to successfully discover innovation opportunities and partners
Innovation Hub: keep a finger on the pulse of time
Innovation Hubs are on everyone’s lips. Companies strive for new innovation playing fields, cooperation and out-of-the-box thinking. With a strong need for agility, and to keep a finger on the pulse of time. How can innovation hubs discover attractive innovation opportunities? How can they support business success? Here are some fresh answers from our innovation consulting and supporting corporate innovation hubs.
EB Insight: What does „innovation hub“ mean to you?
Alexander: A hub is always a central point within a broader space. An innovation hub can be seen as a further innovation pillar in which varied ideas, players and technologies come together – to be combined in synergy. The most popular innovation hub is a geographical: The Silicon Valley. Here, startups, established companies and academics live and work collaboratively in the tightest of space. Hubs from companies are platforms by which new technologies, innovation opportunities and collaboration partners are captured, evaluated and utilized.
EB Insight: What types of innovation hubs are out there?
Alexander: We see innovation hubs within companies, public institutions, associations and sciences. Even the European Union is engaged and networks via innovation hubs. Concerning corporate innovation hubs, there are many different types: from single innovation hub events for creative networking through to long-time strategic corporate innovation hub initiatives with worldwide locations. Some German examples: Lufthansa Innovation Hub, InsureTechHub. It is all about ambition, priority and willingness to invest.
EB Insight: Why do more and more companies and associations build innovation hubs or get involved in existing ones?
Alexander: Our age is full of innovations and new ideas – with high-speed hyper-competition. Thus, new valuable innovation playing fields cannot be created with old school techniques like planning in minute detail, wargaming, portfolio-strategies or stage-gate-processes. Without a continuous inflow of external innovation and technology impulses including cross-industry and cross-market perspectives + without an open, creative network, companies won’t have a successful future today.
EB Insight: Why is the early identification of innovation and technology developments, startups and tech partners important?
Alexander: An innovation hub needs continuous input. For collaboration and innovation. That requires a continuous inflow of fresh impulses. The hub needs to keep its finger on the pulse of time. What innovation and technology developments emerge in adjacent categories and markets? Which startups and tech companies are potential creative and technology network partners? Out-of-the-box fuel of new impulses related to own hot-topics are needed. Google + startup databases are not enough today. Some corporations still assume that startups and tech partners will approach to them. Or it might be enough that employees attend startup conferences and networking events. That is a great starting point. But to create successful partnerships and innovations much more is needed.
EB Insight: How can innovation and technology impulses be incorporated in innovation hubs?
Alexander: A powerful Scouting that focuses individual and continuously changing topics as well as cross-market and cross-industry impulses is needed. Databases and network events are static. Complexity of information and innovation speed is high. Thus, an innovation hub should enable to see the forest for the trees. To discover new plants and exciting animals. In doing so, creative exchange is needed. To filter most important developments for your business. It is all about involving employees and innovation partners with their ideas and topics of interest. Also into the scouting. It is essential to exchange experiences and network from day 1.
EB Insight: How can innovation and technology collaboration partners be attracted and embedded by the hub?
Alexander: An innovation hub is a separate ecosystem. It evolves naturally. Step by step due to innovation and networking activities. To keep a filter in mind but at the same time let creativity and networking flow, is very helpful for that. For example: a wide partner screening with virtual speed dating events to co-creation workshops to partnerships that create success from Design Sprint to pilot implementation. In doing so: slip into the shoes of your customers. Involve market and customer perspectives prematurely and continuously. Integrate employees, executives and chairmen. Whether the innovation hub is a program idea or a long-term initiative – this is how engagement, motivation and identification arise.
EB Insight: What is your experience a hub can do to succeed in collaboration?
Alexander: In our innovation consulting, we support innovation hubs especially with tailored innovation and technology scouting and the creation of a strong partner ecosystem. For the hub in general and for particular innovation activities. From many projects we know: you are successful, when collaborating together in interdisciplinary teams. When startups and tech partners are on the same level. That means: not David & Goliath but more Bonny & Clyde. And Spray & Pray.
Catch the Future…!
What is a prototype?
PROTOTYPES: THE AGILE GUINEA PIGS
Whether paperboards, 3D-models or click-dummies: prototypes support successful realization
In a nutshell: prototypes are the first creative execution of an idea. The initial realization of a new product or service in a very simple way. It is not a “perfect version”. But a rude one, that makes the values of a new idea visually and physically come to live. How do users experience functions and features? Does the idea and its functionalities meet user requirements and demands? Is added value created?
Main focus is to make ideas experienceable for users – quickly and agilely. That means: visualize main functions. Create and shape basic features commonly with users. Express services and unique features. Quickly conduct tests in relevant markets + continuously, iteratively improve prototypes.
Without huge planning efforts or high costs. By prototypes, innovations are based on user demands from the beginning. From idea to realization stages of a new product or service. Thus, prospects of success are maximized. Because: opinions of relevant target groups are implied from day one. Questions and inconsistencies are clarified directly. Requirements are further developed continuously – step by step. Problems and errors are eliminated before huge costs arise. Thus, prototyping is also positive for trust and team spirit of all stakeholders. Transparency and direct honest feedback from scratch. A picture is worth a thousand words – a prototype is worth a 1.000 pictures…
How does a prototype of an idea come to live? Whenever an idea and it’s basic features are created, you can start to develop a prototype. First, it is useful to bring essentials to paper – simple sketches, brainstorming’s + external impulses. To bring sketches to live, there are many different prototyping methods and tools. It does not matter whether you use pen & paper, cardboards, Lego, 3D-printing or one of the many prototyping tools like Balsamiq or Invision. What matter is a good idea. Creativity. Courage. Functionality. Clearness. And a good preparation.
Our experience from EARLY BRANDS: the most promising prototype is not the one with the straightest lines or the most perfect design. A perfect and detailed design is not the alpha and omega. Functionality is much more important. Thus: the most promising prototype is the one that enables to answer questions. That visualizes and illustrates ideas simply and comprehensively. A prototype, that challenges, optimizes and aligns ideas to the user. And thus bring ideas to the next level. Tests are made with real user + a build-measure-learn attitude.
To make a long story short: prototypes are experiments. Fast, agile and creative tests. Whether cardboards, styrofoam or virtual click dummies: costs are kept low. Ideas are developed iteratively, in line with the market and put into implementation stages quickly and agilely. Thus, success is ensured from the beginning.
Catch the Future…!
How does value proposition design work?
CUSTOMER VALUE PROPOSITIONS FOR SUCCESS
Value proposition: Why WOW!-factors are so important today
Short and sweet: value propositions are the promise of value to be delivered to your target groups by new products or services. Functions, features and arguments that create value. And ideally generate uniqueness. Make things better. And thus, leads to buying decisions. Value propositions enable to stand out from the high noise level of the fast-moving digital age. And thereby, convince customers in a trustworthy way – for repurchase and loyalty.
A value propositions is not a kind of a slogan or claim. But a strategic and unique promise of value, developed and tested with real users. Thus, it’s helpful to ask yourself the following questions: How does my offers improve customers’ live? How do customers feel when using my products or services? How does the unique, specific benefit look like? Why are customers willing to use my products or service – although they might have thousands of options?
These are key questions a good value proposition must answer – in a short, simple and specific way. For your company, your products and services.
Starting points are specific problems of your customers and target groups. The needs and demands + benefits your product or service can offer to solve problems. Thus: generate insights. Analyze customer needs. Identify specific problems to be solved. And then: Find solutions. Also, important: a specific and transparent communication. Thereby, use customer language – explain value propositions with focus on your customer.
To create your value proposition there are many different tools and methods. There is no formula for success or the “one and only tool”. We from EARLY BRANDS know: value proposition design is always specific and individual – depending on companies as well as customers. What really matters: people + empathy. Thus: slip into your customers shoes. Make use of persona, who will use your product or service. Generate insights. Detect WOW!-factors.
Maybe it is a unique, customer-orientated online service. Maybe an exclusive product design. Perhaps you can convince your customers with an extraordinary quality or an unbeatable price. Maybe your product or services gives customers superpowers. Or solves the unsolvable. A value proposition can literally be anything. What matters is customer relevance + values. Features like one-day-deliveries, free shipping or 2-for-1 offers are great arguments BUT: definitely not unique. Thus, you won’t be more successful as your competitors only having these arguments in your pocket.
So: take time for value proposition design. An unambiguous, specific and differentiating statement, which communicates the values of your offers easily and as plain as can be, is a critical success factor today. It will become more and more important for business success as number of innovative products and services continuously increase.
To keep a long story short: focus on your customers. A value proposition developed with and for your target groups, is a value proposition that secures market relevance + enthusiasm of different stakeholders. From customer, employees to partners.
Catch the Future…!
Innovation from A to Z
Our ABC for successful innovation in the digital age
Innovation from A gility to Z ickzaggery
A GILE and customer-centric. Be always one step ahead – be flexibly responsive to markets and customer needs. Anticipate changes quickly and innovatively. That is most important in the dynamics of our digital age.
B UILD-MEASURE-LEARN and do not waste your time to dot the i’s and cross the t’s. Quickly test and step-by-step explore innovation ideas together with your customers and partners.
C ULTURE eats strategy for breakfast. Innovation and creativity need a culture characterized by openness and sense of cohesiveness – live innovations instead of only talking about them.
D ISRUPTION is all around you. Thus: identify and utilize innovation and technology opportunities as early as possible.
E COSYSTEM and partners enable speed and multiply innovation success. Create innovations collectively rather than always focusing competition.
F INANCES and resources: times of steel and concrete is over. Our creative age needs a shift of resources towards creativity and innovation.
G UARANTEE is non-existent.
H ORIZONS must be big and bold. Leave your comfort zone. Think above your core business and proactively, creatively shape innovation in different categories: from service, to product through to completely new business models.
I NTERACTION is king. Whether employee, partner or customer: innovation success is created and accelerated by people.
J OINTLY create. Innovation do not need single-players. Do not only think in internal innovations but also consider cooperation, partnerships and strategic investments.
K EEP FOCUS and do not postpone innovation to next year.
L EAN STARTUP test ideas for innovation quickly – with least capital expenditures + valuable customer feedback. Further develop your idea in markets step-by-step.
M ARKET RELEVANCE and customer enthusiasm – that’s what it’s all about!
N OISE LEVEL is high. Our markets are characterized by high volatility, uncertainty, and complexity. Be prepared for the challenges of tomorrow and proactively raise awareness for innovation.
O UT-Of-THE-BOX thinking and acting! Wake up: there are so many innovation and technology opportunities around you!
P ROTOTYPE whether paper, dough or 3D-printed: build prototypes for your idea as early as possible. Make it vivid and descriptive for you and your customers!
Q UANTIFY and estimate business potentials of your innovation idea. Build innovation business cases and explore potentials for multiplication and scalability.
R ECOMBINE the best of existing solutions and creatively shape new path of success. Thus, often 1+1 is 3.
S OURCES whether intern or extern. Whether fair, online desk research or professional innovation and technology scouting. Whether tech partner, customer or supplier: valuable market information snooze all around you.
T RANSFORMATION is ubiquitous. Markets of tomorrow already challenge solutions of today and give rise to new innovations day by day.
U SE CASES are useful to see innovation ideas from a customer perspective. Get into your customers shoes and evaluate value propositions, WOW-factors and features.
V ALUES are varied. New income streams? Customer loyalty? Efficiency and productivity gains? Cost savings? Sustainability? …
W ORKSHOPS are more than just creative meetings. Whether ideation, conception or design sprints – you commonly develop valuable insights and outcomes in a short period of time while creating a common understanding, engagement and motivation for innovation.
X PERIENCE matters. Even in our digital age the customer is the king. Thus, focus on customer added-values and services that create enthusiasm and differentiation.
Y ES we can! Passion, enthusiasm and joy should be constant companions for successful innovation in the dynamics of our digital age.
Z ICKZAGGERY … successful innovation do not follow a straight course. Thus, agilely test your ideas with real customers today rather than wasting time with innovation processes regulated down to the last detail.
Catch the Future…!
Things we can learn from Startups
Open and agile into the future
5 things startups do differently
Startups create new markets. They find answers for questions that no one else asks. They have the potential to turn industries upside down and reorganize them completely. Flexible, quick and highly motivated. What can we learn and adapt?
OPTIMISM & COURAGE : Open-minded, positive and adaptable in approaching an idea. Focus on opportunities and putting risks on ice. This “nothing is impossible mentality” creates a common spirit, courage and openness – for quick success.
SPEED : Because of this openness + Startups often have short decision-making paths, decisions and changes are much faster than in large companies. Long loops and “what-if-or-what-not” do not happen. Speed and agility are the result – a clear advantage in the dynamics of our age.
TRIAL & ERROR : Young companies often lack the financials to plan, design and execute everything down to the smallest detail. This leads in the need for a fast working product / service instead of the 10th design loop. This results in quickly introducing the product / services and receiving user feedback very fast. That has a big advantage, because only products / services that are designed in line with customer needs are successful.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP & TEAM SPIRIT : Achieve goals jointly. No “silo thinking”, because organizational units are very small or not there yet. Management levels do not play a role. There is no ivory tower and everyone stands for the same thing. Pushing business in the same direction to make an idea a success. As one team, with creative people and above all: with the customers.
ADAPTABILITY : Speed and the constant uncertainty of how markets react to an idea, lead to extraordinary high adaptability and agility of Startups. There is constant reflection and reaction. Standing still is not an option.
At EARLY BRANDS, we live day by day in this positive “Startup Spirit”, in our office in Bremen. Whether internal, with partners or with users. This is how innovative business models and services are created fast, agile and always with its finger on the pulse of the time. High benefits and economic attractiveness are exactly what makes us and our clients successful. To face the dynamics of our world with courage and openness, to anticipate the new and quickly implement innovations.
Catch the Future…!
What is a no-code MVP?
MINIMUM VIABLE PRODUCTS WITHOUT ANY CODE
Maximum success with minimum effort – no-code MVP
Times where we spend our energy with drawn-out strategy and innovation processes, where we created new business opportunities in the “quiet chamber” are definitely over: momentum of innovation and new technologies, volatility of markets and constantly changing customer needs require new ways of thinking:
Be quick. Test early. Review. Move on. “Build-Measure-Learn”. And that only is possible, if we create new business opportunities with real customers, on real markets from day one. Thus, keep focus on a minimum viable product (MVP) instead of breaking down your business idea to the last detail.
Rule of thumb: you do not need a “techie” and a complicated code. It also works without mature programming knowledge. We can also use “no-code MVPs” to test ideas with real customers. We can also go live without complete technical solutions. We need a functional, but not a finished version of the product/service.
The great thing about this: we do not have to “reinvent the wheel”. We do not have to do all the complicated programming and coding ourselves. We can use a great variety of tools and build on existing MVP solutions. Connect them. And so quickly and easily design MVPs that generate valuable feedback – right from the start. This is exactly what “no-code MVP” is all about…
Why “no-code MVP”?
Agility and relevance. MVPs are developed with real customers in real markets from the very start. This enables, to continuously adapt market needs and changes. Create products and services flexibly and agilely – not from the drawing board, but from the customer. Business opportunities are iteratively developed, challenged or even discarded. Likes and dislikes are always transparent. Success features can be evaluated more easily.
Time and costs. With no-code MVPs business opportunities are tested at a very early development stage. Pioneering advantages can be used while costs and efforts for programming are kept low. If the MVP is successful, further developments can be initiated quickly. On the other hand, if the MVP does not lead to success, no high investments have been made at all. Thus, costs and resources are reduced to a minimum. Expensive, complex programming efforts are avoided.
How to build a „no-code MVP“?
Starting point is the business opportunity + key points of the business model. In the first step, it is all about the core functions and features. What are the pain points of the product/service target groups? What are functions and features that solve these pain points? Which functions and features are “nice-to-have”? It is essential to reduce business ideas to the “important core” to successfully create no-code MVPs. What do you want to generate feedback in the first step? What will be a second step? Sketches or a paper prototype are great starting points finding the core of your no-code MVP …
Once the core functions for the MVP have been identified, it is time for implementation. Therefore, many different “tools” and “instruments” to generate customer feedback digitally without programming knowledge are already available today. This makes it easy: build on existing, established solutions. Whether Google Sheets, Zapier, WordPress or fancy tools like Invision – there is a wide range of intuitively usable tools to make an MVP experienceable without complex coding. Just as important as a tool: scenario and workflow or even the “what, how, why“. What should be achieved by an MVP? What should exactly be tested? How can it be tested?
„No-code MVP“ what’s next?
If the no-code MVP is “ready to rock“, it is time to collect valuable customer and user feedback. Measure. Review and analyze results – learn from them. Quickly and iteratively rock forward. Create business opportunities in the shoes of customers and users – and thus achieve market-oriented success. Keep on doing. And then of course, seek for technical/coding support and implementation – to code features and functions that matter to customers and markets.
We create new business opportunities concerning innovation and new technologies day by day. Together with our expedition partners. In our office in Bremen, agility, customer needs and a “test & learn mentality” are the basis for joint success. In this way, we successfully support leading partners in achieving maximum success with minimum cost and resource expenditures. We also use “no-code MVP’s” very versatile in our projects: from first “click dummies” to “no-code landing pages” – we are always close to users, customers and employees. Because we know: great people are more important than great codes…
Catch the Future…!
Innovation Ecosystem: All together now!
Reasons to be more successful with partners…
Success accelerator innovation ecosystem
How can success of innovations and new business models be maximized? How to minimize lead times and investments?
To make new innovation ideas and technologies succeed faster and easier, it’s best not to rock your expeditions alone. Find strong partners and accelerate your success – with an Innovation Ecosystem. Captain Future already knew that. Ask yourself: Which partners such as start-ups, tech companies, suppliers, customers or even competitors will increase your success? We are in the transition to a knowledge society. Knowhow and expertise are becoming fundamental capital. In this sense: Two know more than one and three are even smarter…
Innovation Ecosystem: WHY it is valuable
An innovation ecosystem is very important for innovation success and added value in our digital age. As knowledge, innovative technologies and services of different partners are combined, success is realized much faster. Ecosystems enable us to create values that are much greater than we would reach alone. No one can co-create alone. There are many companies that have a strong focus on internal innovation development. Thus, they cut themselves off from competition but at the same time they are their own worst enemy. Innovation partners and common power is needed to survive in today’s cross-market and cross-industry hyper-innovation-contest…
Innovation ecosystems are more than a cooperation. In the sense of a nature ecosystem, partners profit from each other and combine their specific strength. Thus, they benefit from collaboration. Concerning dynamics of the digital age, innovation ecosystems gain a key competitive advantage: speed. Together we are strong but first and foremost we are fast. Involve innovation partners into early innovation stages to reach higher variety and inspiration. For more business opportunities. Technology partners bring forward their ideas to increase market and customer values with new technologies. Also, they make proposals how to differentiate from competition – from new business models through to new digital technologies and services.
Our experience: especially partners from far out markets and sectors offer valuable impulses for innovation success. Moreover, the involvement of existing suppliers and customers is very valuable to develop and conceptualize innovation ideas. In our digital age, only companies thinking outside the box, will reach success in the long-run. For both: new business opportunities as well as anticipation of new competitors. We do not have many alternatives within today’s hyper-competition: companies and brands disappear from the screen and get disrupted by new technologies day by day…
IN PRACTICE: INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON
Why was Elon Musk’ Space X with reusable rockets like Falcon realized much faster and more productive than NASA? That’s clear as daylight: processes and technologies from other markets and sectors are continuously being combined and varied with Space X’ team ideas. Best from anywhere. Today, also NASA relies on Space X. Another example: Solaris Bank. Being a white label bank, Solaris enables e-commerce companies to offer bank facilities like financing or hire-purchases without the need of having own bank licenses. Also, amazon is consisting out of a huge ecosystem: while their customers participate from a huge sales platform, amazon profits from their sales but also from many other services like logistics, fulfillment, cloud-services … By integrating early stage startups and their innovative products, amazon not only benefits from offering always the latest products but also innovative new services that inspire and retain customers…
IDENTIFY INNOVATION PARTNERS FOR SUCCESS
Our innovation consulting supports you specifically in designing your innovation ecosystem and leading it to success: Identifying and integrating the right ecosystem partners. With a view to the entire company – or also for innovation projects and new business models. Thanks to our global Innovation & Technology Scouting and expert network, we are also a valuable ecosystem partner for you.
We identify valuable start-ups, tech companies or marketing partners quickly and productively. And integrate them for your mutual benefit. Accelerate success. With a clear focus on market and customer needs – and a positive future for next generations.
Alone you are strong – but together we are stronger!
Catch the Future…!