Innovation Insights
by Stephen Shapiro
Writing and publishing a book can be easy when you know how… What if you could conceive a book, write the book, and have physical copies in your hand in just two weeks? And what if it cost you nothing
The traditional approach to brainstorming is wildly ineffective. Fortunately there is a better way… Brainstorming sessions are often the lifeblood of many corporate innovation efforts. But do they work? Not the way they are typically conducted. Here are five reasons
Instead of always shifting direction, sometimes the best strategy is to go deeper…. Given I have dedicated my business life to innovation, people (rightly) assume I will be innovating my business. The question I am often asked is, “What are
Technology is important to all businesses, but the human element can not be ignored… We all want the latest and greatest technology for our businesses. But there is one important factor that needs to be addressed, as is evidenced by
As the prevalence of a problem decreases, we may find problems that don’t exist… Does it sometimes feel that no matter how hard you work on solving your business problems, you never seem to make enough progress? Does it seem
I am pleased to announce that my next book, INVISIBLE SOLUTIONS, is NOW available on Amazon.com and wherever you buy books. What’s this book about? Solve Any Problem Faster, with Less Risk and Lower Cost Unprecedented access to infinite solutions
The brain loves to be correct, so even when you are wrong, you get a “rush” that can increase innovation failure rates…. In a previous article, I wrote about why “wow this is a great idea” can lead to higher
Your best source of revenue typically does not involve chasing new customers… Over the years I have tried many methods for growing my business. I’ve hired internet marketing firms to implement outbound marketing programs or improve my Search Engine Optimization
We can learn a lot about innovation by studying linguistics… The other day I found some old VHS tapes (for those a bit younger than I am, this was the predecessor to the DVD). On one was a speech I
The key to convincing people that your innovation is great is to sell them on something other than your innovation… “What’s the best way to sell innovation?” This was a question I was recently asked by a client. He’s an
Price drives the perception of value, and unfortunately most customers don’t understand value… Do you know what your customers really value? When I first started my business as a professional speaker, I realized that I didn’t have a clue. In
There are two types of games. One kills creativity and the other is for kids… Business is serious. Right? But what if we could game playing to enhance our businesses? Games can be a useful tool for enhancing creativity. They
Is your organization a cult? Most are, and this high level of commonality can hurt your innovation efforts… The recruiting and retention efforts of most organizations are not designed to attract and retain a diverse group of innovation personalities: analytical,
I first met Paul Golding 10 years ago in the UK when we were both doing innovation work for a mobile phone company. I always admired Paul’s understanding of technology – not just from a bit and bytes perspective, but
Being different is not the same as being differentiated… After years of development and $2.4 billion in investment, the Revel Casino opened its doors to the Atlantic City Boardwalk on April 2, 2012. This beautiful hotel is top-notch, sophisticated, and
I am on the road nearly 200 days a year. With over 30 years of travel under my belt, I’ve discovered many simple and free ways to make your travel more enjoyable. Here are my four favorites. I hope you
Busy entrepreneurs need to step away from the business in order to grow their business… As entrepreneurs, we are all busy. There never seems to be enough time to complete even the basic tasks we need to accomplish. So, when
Your past experience could be creating blind spots that are limiting your ability to see better opportunities… In an earlier article, I wrote about why expertise is the enemy of innovation. Our past experiences blind us to potentially new and
In a post last week, I shared with you my most recent demo video. Over the years, I’ve had several different versions. In this post, I share my four primary demo videos from over the years. Although I’ve had other
I am thrilled to share with you my new demo video. The team at Video Narrative did an incredible job of pulling this together. We had one design principle: Don’t sell; educate. We didn’t want this to be a sales
Although we’ve been told that goals are the key to success, what if goal-setting actually reduces performance? Many years back, I worked with a Formula One racing team. At that time, pit crews consisted of 19 guys who serviced the
When you are on autopilot, you are highly efficient. But when the rules change around you, this can lead to disaster…. I lived in London for several years. Before moving to England, I considered myself to be an excellent driver.
Advances in 3D printing will revolutionize manufacturing and the supply chain… Imagine you are an executive at UPS. What market shifts would keep you up at night? Maybe it’s the fact the Amazon.com announced they want to get into the
Sometimes the best way to learn innovative approaches to innovation is to read something completely different… If you want to be a better innovator, there are hundreds (maybe thousands) of great books on the topic. But as I mentioned in
Bring Stephen's Innovation Insights To Your Next Event!
