Innovation exam
Steve Job's took from the Beatles that: How?
"Great things in business are never done by one person, they're done by a team of people" He derived this from the Beatles because they had one another to balance the negatives of each other.. Just like what you need in a business.
Explain in Steve Job's words: Bob Dylan's words: "If you're not busy being born, you're busy dying"
"It's about trying to in the only way that most of us know how.. We try to use the talents we have to express our deep feelings."
What was Apple's design mantra?
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication"
What useful insights and wisdom does Marty offer?
"Surprise is the ignorance between the information you have and the information that was given" Being ready is more important than being prepared because being ready is to be focused and being prepared is to be comfortable Surround yourself amongst people that think differently
Explain the importance of mindset: Fixed v. Growth Closed v. Open
"We have a choice: We can approach any challenge or opportunity we face with a belief that we, and the people we know best, have the requisite knowledge and skills to address it.. Or we can approach any challenge and opportunity we face with a belief that we don't have all the answers and, although we may be able to figure out the right solution, there may be other folks we don't currently know who hold the secret to a more effective or remarkable result." Fixed v. Growth mindsets (Brought up by author Carol Dweck) ... Fixed mindset is people that believe they are how they are, they cannot change... Growth mindset is based on the idea that talent, value, skills are all based on GROWTH, no one is born as a master.. They work hard to acquire the skills to become a master! Closed mindset: We know best, there is a best way to do things, immediate results are valuable, having the right expertise is key, internal brainstorming is the best way to come up with ideas, we should protect knowledge, people we know are important Open mindset: We may not know best, there are many ways to do things, discovering possibilities is valuable, having an open mind is essential, engaging the world around us is the best way to come up with ideas, we should share knowledge, strangers are important
Explain the role of empathy in the innovation and/or innovation process
"the intellectual identification with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another" emotional empathy = (knowing/feeling another's emotions) cognitive empathy = (perspective-taking) It allows you to fully understand the problem that someone is facing in a way that you get the full unbiased picture
How did Apple improve upon the technologies the company got from XeroxPARC?
1) Allowed users to drag windows and files around and dropped them into folders 2) Allowed users to directly touch, manipulate, drag and relocate things with the mouse and not the use of the command button 3) Changed the background from black to white so what you saw was what you got when you printed 4) Devised an interface in which you could stack windows and shuffle them around like pieces of paper
The main conclusions of the Start Up Of you are ________________.
1) Build a network based on mutual offering and w/ intimacy - don't be picking up everyone's card 2) The people that will land you the most opportunities to breakout will be the acquaintances and weak ties 3) Do what you have a competitive advantage in 4) Take intelligent risks
What is Kelley's "Deep dive" process?
1) Discovery 2) Interpretation 3) Ideation 4) Experimentation 5) Evolution
What two factors were the undoing of the traditional career?
1) Globalization 2) Technology
What are the 2 different groups of networking?
1) Professional allies 2) Weak ties + Acquaintances
What 4 things are used to instill culture in an organization?
1) Rites and rituals 2) Symbols 3) Heroes 4) Stories
How did his time at Atari influence Jobs?
1) The first time he could really display his creativity when tweaking the designs for games 2) He also grew an appreciation for simplicity, thanks to the simple nature of Atari video games
What are the main implications the Start Up Of You__________. (What consequences are likely to follow if you take the author's line of reasoning seriously?) If you fail to take this line of reasoning seriously, the implications are _____________. (What consequences are likely to follow if people ignore the author's reasoning?)
1) There are intelligent risks 2) Our network matters and we can use it to our benefit 3) There is a right way of creating a network and a wrong way 4) Our competitive advantage and agility allows for breakout opportunities --- You won't have breakout opportunities, you will be left hopelessly floundering for a job, maybe stay stuck without a promotion a long while until your job just turns obsolete
What do Elon Musk and Steve Jobs have in common?
1) They leap-frog technology 2) They disrupt markets based on design 3) They know the market realities - what products the customers will want in the future
According to Marty, how do innovators think?
1) They predict the future based on patterns 2) "Be in the business of putting yourself out of business... or the other guy will do it for you" 3) Gauge the right thing that creates the best experience
What causes or hinders innovation? - Unrelenting Innovation
1) Unwillingness to cannibalize products 2) Unwillingness to take risks 3) Focused on the present rather than future
What are the 3 pieces that comprise your competitive advantage in the market place?
1) Your aspirations 2) Your assets 3) Market realities
What are the three things that clearly define Steve jobs, according to the author?
Abandoned: Abandoned by his birth parents, caused Steve pain; He later abandoned his own first born biological child Chosen: Chosen by his adopted parents Special: His parents constantly reminded him that he was special
Yannick Spierkel discussed the multiple challenges that Cirque encounters: new city every 8 weeks; temporary employees; high turnover at all levels; and adapting to audience needs. Despite these significant challenges, Cirque is successful. Using the insights shared by Yannick and your personal experience at the show, explain how Cirque maintains long-term success.
Always changing, adapting to the market. For example, only keeping shows up for a certain amount of time. So if shows are not successful, drop them sooner than later, but if they are successful, tour them fully. In this way they are also constantly challenging themselves to come up with new and original ideas
What key points did Yannick Spierkel (Company Manager for Cirque du Soleil Kurios. Kurios) make regarding how to encourage a creative work environment?
Always start brainstorming with "anything is possible" leads to limitless thinking and thus the most incredible ideas. Bring people of different backgrounds together to offer unique and dynamic perspectives.
Why do incumbent firms, especially market leaders, fail to innovate unrelentingly? Provide an example from the book (chapter 2) of a company that lost its maintain dominance.
Because they are afraid that they will lose the profit that they are currently making Ex. Kodak - They were selling film and making tons of profit off of it, so it didn't market or sell the digital technology because they didn't want to cannibalize their film products. This caused them to lose complete market dominance
What was the first product that Jobs and Wozniak created and tried to sell? Why was this experience so important?
Blue box that allowed users to make long-distance phone calls for free, using a certain frequency to trick the phone into thinking it was paid Since it worked at they were getting a would be paid thing for free, Jobs suggested that they sell them The experience was important because it showed them that they can create stuff to sell - that their ideas could be novel enough to make money from. It also showed that they're a great team - Jobs being the visionary, motivator and marketer and Wozniak being the creator
Identify the two characteristics that makes innovators question, observe, network, associate and experiment more than typical executives. Note: Look at the model closely and you will see answer)
Challenging the status quo and taking risks
Apply the BO framework (4 action framework: eliminate, reduce, create raise) to __________ Company and explain why you believe it is a BO.
Chipotle Eliminate: 1) Plastic sit-down atmosphere 2) Pre-selected meals 3) American cuisine 4) POS system Reduce: 1) How long it takes after you get through the line 2) fun vibe Raise: 1) Price 2) Average length of line 3) Quality of the food Create: 1) Cultured atmosphere, dark colors, serious tone 2) A way where the customer can fully customize their order to them
The conviction that Jobs and Musk demonstrated was powered by a combination of ___________ and _____________.
Clarity and desire
A useful starting point to understand creativity is to review the work of Teresa Amabile who outlines the interrelationships among three things included: _____, ____, and ____. A more innovative environment is likely when _____, _____, and _____ are present:
Creative thinking skills, motivation and expertise. play, passion and purpose are present.
Identify an industry where Apple created a blue ocean and apply the 4 action framework (eliminate, reduce, create raise) to explain why the Apple product was a blue ocean:
Eliminate: Inconvenience of hard copy music Protection from illegal downloads Reduce: Difficulty accessing music Prices for purchasing legal music Raise: Quality Variety and choices Convenient Technology Easy to use program Create: Individual song purchase Music preview Cloud services for easy pairing and backup
Apply the Blue Ocean Strategy framework to Cirque:
Eliminate: Star performers Animal shows Aisles concessions sales Multiple show arenas Reduce: Fun and humor Thrill and danger Raise: Unique venue Create: Theme Refined environment Multiple productions Artistic music and dance
Apply the observable culture framework to ______ (Nike, IDEO, Facebook). Include the examples from the video clips.
Facebook: Rites and rituals: Bookcamp and hackatons Story telling: Successes that explain why you do what you do
Many large organizations (Kodak, Sony, Microsoft, etc) who were the leaders in their industry failed to adjust to the changing business environment resulting in new companies such as Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Apple to emerge as the industry leaders. What is the most important factor in driving innovation success and what practices can company put in place to encourage innovation? When addressing the question you need to demonstrate knowledge of the lecture material as well as the reading material including the company cases used.
Factors driving innovation success: 1) Willingness to cannibalize 2) Embrace risk 3) Focus on the future (leapfrog technology) Practices: 1) Incentives for enterprise Example: Google's 20% innovation time and Bezo's "Just Do It" program 2) Fostering internal markets Example: How Jobs had the different departments competing against one another on the development of the different computers or how HP had different departments of printers competing w/ one another 3) Appointing innovation champions Example: Steve Jobs hired certain people that were under appreciated in other jobs in order to do what they wanted for him
What technologies at Xerox PARC amazed Jobs and his associates?
Graphic user interphase which allows users to see graphics as well as text on their computer screens
Linkage between the growth mindset and creative potential:
Growth mindset is a seated belief that your true potential is still unknown. That you are not limited to only what you have been able to do before. This allows you to unblock the fears that keep you from your highest creative potential
David Kelley uses a methodology to cure phobias called:
Guided Mastery
How did Jobs' calligraphy class influence him?
He found calligraphy amazing because he realized that such a subtle change makes for different experiences - so he associated the calligraphy into the type of the macintosh and used it
Who is Jonathan Ive? What has he contributed to Apple?
He is the chief design officer at Apple. The design of Apple has really been impacted by his thought-leadership. He became very impactful since Jobs came back to Apple when he went on a firing spree and found I've very passionate and thoughtful
When Jobs recruited people to work on the Macintosh, what was his number one concern? In other words, what was he looking for in a person?
He was looking to see if they are truly passionate about the product, also if they have expertise.
Why did Jobs go to India? What does the trip enhance his creative potential?
He went there for spiritual enlightenment - "who I was and how I fit into things". He wanted to understand parts of himself that he felt were hidden from his current view
In 'Innovator's DNA', the key question posed is: And the most important part of this article is: The main inferences/conclusions in this article is:
How to become an innovator Anyone can become an innovator by following the 5 step framework Innovative entrepreneurship is not a genetic predisposition, it's an active endeavor
What are the guiding principles for building an open mindset?
Humility — the belief that we don't know everything and that we can always be better at the things that matter most. Curiosity —our innate gift for being open to new ideas, new people, and new possibilities. Respect —the belief that everyone matters and that we learn and grow by engaging other people on their own terms. Purpose —our reason for being that guides our efforts to learn and grow.
What were the main points that Fareed Zakaria was making in his Time magazine article, "Innovate Better," and what were the conclusions in his CNN special, "Restoring the American Dream: How to Innovate?"
In order to get America's economy back on track we need to rebuild American education, revive high-end manufacturing, reform our training system, focus on our growth industries, and rebuild our infrastructure
Drawing parallels between Elon Musk and Steve Jobs is irresistible, but how do big thinkers like them come up with their innovative ideas and how can we reframe our thinking to do the same? Make sure you use the course readings, videos and lectures in addressing the question.
Innovator's framework 1) They have exercised the usage of the innovators framework wether they realize it or not - they question, observe, network, experiment, and associate in order to come up with the brightest ideas. Blue ocean framework 2) They use the blue ocean framework, they see what is currently being offered, break it down with, and create a product that offers different and better things that are more aligned to the customer needs, is designed better, and completely crushed the product beforehand Full on passionate, they have drive and conviction
Why did Jobs care about how the inside of the Macintosh computer looked?
It it a principle his father instilled in him. His father would ensure that everything is designed perfectly - even the things that people are not intended to see.
What did Steve learn from his father in regards to design? How were Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak similar? How were they different?
Jobs and Wozniak both enjoyed pulling pranks and loved electronics. They both learned a lot from their fathers, however Jobs' father was a dropout while Wozniak's was a graduate of Cal Tech and a rocket scientist. Jobs' was a bit older for his age, while Wozniak was a bit younger. Jobs' was more of a go getter and a salesman while Wozniak was more of a creator.
Explain the significance of the fish story from Necessity of Strangers:
Nissan based it's innovative anti-collision mechanism off of inspiration that came from fish.. Fish changed the way that they saw things, it gave them inspiration that a certain thing was possible, and it showed them how it was.. "Fish do not collide, therefore, we can make it so that our cars do not collide" <- Without the fish, they wouldn't know about anti-collision, there wouldn't be such a reality Looking into other worlds shows you realities that you may not have realized - other worlds show you different mentalities and possibilities that you can take into your world and innovate with.
What makes up the group known as professional allies?
People that are generally #1, your consult with them on a regular basis, you share info, you know their interest
What makes up the group known as weak-ties and acquaintances?
People who you've spent low amounts of time w/ - old classmates, old co-workers..
Steve Job's main focus is:
People, product, and strategy
To illustrate the innovation framework (people, processes, and philosophies) the case study focused on IDEO, the widely admired and award-winning design and development firm. Apply the 3P framework to IDEO using the class discussion material (lecture/shopping cart video clip) and the Innovators DNA readings.
People: Kelley Philosophies: 'Do it and then ask for apology after' - 'no one is given a permanent position higher than another person' Processes: Deep dive process - Discovery, Interpretation, Ideation, Experimentation, Evolution
How is the Z plan different from the A & B Plan?
Plan Z is a safety net in case everything goes wrong w/ your plan A and B Plan A is about the moment, what opportunity you are taking right now and why Plan B is stretching from Plan A into the near-future
Based on your reading of Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs and the Innovator's DNA, identify specific examples where Jobs demonstrated the five skills. Identify three examples for each skill.
Questioning: 1) If Sony was offering the best experience possible w/ their MP3 players 2) Other people's mentality on what could and couldn't be accomplished - getting people to question themselves and push themselves farther than before 3) Observing: 1) Xerox - Went into the lab and saw what they had 2) Other people's tactics to get things done and adapting them to his -> The guy that he met after sleeping with his girlfriend, he learned the distortion field from Networking: 1) IDEO for the mouse 2) The glass for the iPhone's touchscreen Experimenting: 1) Apple store fronts 2) The design of the iPhone - having touchscreen 3) The wheel design of the old iPods Associating: 1) Calligraphy class -> computer typeface 2) The rounded squares the he implemented into many of the designs
How does Cirque define/describe a creative individual?
Questions ideas or existing processes and methods to improve or simplify them Identifies problems at his/her level and offers solutions to eliminate them Exchanges views with others and is open to new ideas or ways of doing things Does not hesitate to propose creative/imaginative/practical solutions to improve his/her or the teams work Participates in the evaluation of application an in assessment of the impacts and risks, for her/his work and the team, that come with implementing new solutions
What is the significance to the South Pole story in Necessity of Strangers?
Scott vs. Amundsen Scott enjoyed praise and admiration Amundsen was viewed as a genius, he relied on planning, practicality, and learning from others. Both were captains of two different ships that were to voyage to the south pole and back. Scott did not do any due diligence beforehand, he believed that he knew everything that they was needed.. On the other hand, Amundsen did a ton of research before, spoke with tons of people from those conditions. He learned what he needed to know for the survival of his men and a safe trip. On the other hand, Scott looked at people from the north pole as 'primitive' people. Scott died and Amundsen didn't. The crucial difference was that Amundsen was open and understanding that he did not know everything, he committed much of his time to planning and realizing the gap between what he knew and what he needed to find out, then he would learn from those who knew and be successful.
Individuals with _________________ are likely to set their sights higher, try harder, preserve longer and show more resilience , according to Dr. Bandura.
Self efficacy
Explain the concept of self-efficacy and guided mastery. How are these terms relevant to creativity?
Self-efficacy: The extent of one's belief in their ability Guided mastery: Accomplishing things in stages, progressively making things more difficult These terms are relevant to creativity because most people are vastly more creative than they think they are, so guiding them through a series of small successes allows them to fully embrace their creativity instead of being fearful of it - Creative confidence expanding upon Albert Bandura's terms self efficacy and guided mastery
Why do some incumbents maintain their dominance while others fail? Provide an example from the book (chapter 3) of a company that was able to maintain its dominance.
Some maintain their dominance because they are willing to take risks, see into the future, and cannibalize on their current profit making products. Ex. Gilette - continuously innovating on it's products, spending tons of money on R&D to find a product that will cannibalize on previous ones
What are the essential characteristics to be a good Cirque team member?
Team player: Builds and maintains a relationship of trust and cooperation with co-workers Responsibility: Assumes accountability for results and his impact on other people Commitment: Shows, through his methods and relationships with others, his engagement toward and respect for cirques culture and values Passion: Shows, through his passion and actions a desire to contribute to Cirque's success and create a climate where people are encouraged to surpass themselves Creative: Aims at excellence by proposing and taking actions allowing Cirque to become more creative, flexible and efficient
What was the purpose of the "power of ten things" exercise?
Ten things that would begin to build a bond. Ten things that would make others a lot more like us than we ever imagined. Ten reasons why we would be more inclined to collaborate with them than not. Ten things that would make almost all of our stereotypes about them and the role they play drift away. Ten things that could spark new ideas and perspectives, based on our shared interests outside of work, that could be brought to bear in our work lives and efforts to make our companies and organizations more remarkable. This is the power of ten things.
Using the material in chapter 42, what does Walter Isaacson see as the legacy of Steve Jobs?
The Apple II, which took Wozniak's circuit board and turned it into the first personal computer that was not just for hobbyists. • The Macintosh, which begat the home computer revolution and popularized graphical user interfaces. • Toy Story and other Pixar blockbusters, which opened up the miracle of digital imagination. • Apple stores, which reinvented the role of a store in defining a brand. • The iPod, which changed the way we consume music. • The iTunes Store, which saved the music industry. • The iPhone, which turned mobile phones into music, photography, video, email, and web devices. • The App Store, which spawned a new content-creation industry. • The iPad, which launched tablet computing and offered a platform for digital newspapers, magazines, books, and videos. iCloud, which demoted the computer from its central role in managing our content and let all of our devices sync seamlessly. • And Apple itself, which Jobs considered his greatest creation, a place where imagination was nurtured, applied, and executed in ways so creative that it became the most valuable company on earth.
Define creative confidence and explain why it is important:
The ability to come up with new ideas and the courage to try them out - a way of experiencing the world that generates new approaches and solutions. This is incredibly important because creativity is within all of us, but it will stay dormant unless we learn how to courageously embrace it
How is the definition of entrepreneurship offered by Hoffman & Casnocha different from the traditional definition?
The definition they offered was based on an innovative entrepreneur - an entrepreneur that seeks continually for breakout opportunities. Traditional entrepreneurship speaks mainly on the creating for one specific vision
Explain the significance of the helicopter story from Necessity of Strangers:
The model of the helicopter was pursued by countless people and in countless alternatives before it truly became something that was a viable model for use. - This was used to show that people build off of one another to innovate - rarely does someone have an idea that comes solely from their mind - most usually (99% of time) ideas come from a previous idea that inspired that next idea - this illustrates the power of stranger, to work upon others work Strangers and the intellect of their minds can be used as great resources for our development (the innovation of us and the innovation of our pursuits) they give us things to work off of - things to connect to our things
What is the new paradigm that Gregerman outlines in Chapter 1?
We should be open to exploring the world around us, connecting with the right people and ideas, turning those connections and ideas into conversations and then innovations that lead to growth. Business and personal success = What I already know + My knowledge or understanding gap + a stranger (or strangers) who knows how to fill
Explain necessity of strangers, "Explore, connect, innovate & grow"
We should be open to exploring the world around us, connecting with the right people and ideas, turning those connections and ideas into conversations and then innovations that lead to growth. We should be using the unknown around us as a valuable resource to gain new reference points from.. To learn more points of views - to gain mentors, to learn with peers and from their experiences, to see different products/services or ideas that invoke your own ideas.. Cross pollinate all of these things to create something that benefits your business or even turns into one!
Out of professional allies v. Weak-ties and acquaintances, which offers the most break-out opportunities?
Weak-ties and acquaintances - These people are outside of your normal world, they offer passageway into worlds that you are not currently a part of.. people in your professional allies are already in your world
Do you consider Steve Jobs a Blue Ocean Strategist?
Yes. Mostly everything that he created in apple worked from the blue ocean framework
What insights do Hoffman & Casnocha offer regarding pursuing your passion and how are their insights different from conventional advice regarding following your passion?
You should pursue what your passionate about but in order to have a competitive advantage you need to also have the right assets (soft and hard) and you need the right market reality (is there a need for your offering)
The main purpose of the article, "The Innovator's DNA," is
to illustrate that innovation is a skill that one can learn how to do through the innovation framework - Questioning, Observing, Networking, Association, Experimenting The author was trying to explain the anyone can learn innovation. - also that the most successful businesses have innovators
Why is innovation so critical to America's future?
• Innovation causes new goals to be achieved, those goals require jobs, jobs = better economy • We are getting more and more efficient with how we do the jobs we currently have, to the point that there are less jobs required - and technology is gaining traction which is taking over even more jobs
