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Radical Innovation

Leading a Venture

 

The Fuzzy Front End

High Degree of Ambiguity at the Early Phase of the Radical Innovation Process

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Vadim
Kotelnikov

  

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The Fuzzy Front End

Early Phase of the Radical Innovation Process

Rather than looking for answers,
try to define the critical questions.

Radical Innovation Radical Project Management Radical Innovation case studies Fuzzy Front End Specific Skills of a Radical Project Leader New-to-the-World Product Development Blue Ocean Strategy Uncertainties and Challenges Technology Innovation Innovation Project Management: 2 Approaches Radical Innovation: Definition Radical Innovation and Radical Project Management

High and Multidimensional Uncertainties
that Must Be Resolved

  1. Technical uncertainties issues related to completeness and correctness of the underlying scientific knowledge and the technical specifications

  2. Market uncertainties issues related to customer needs and wants and readiness  >>>

  3. Organizational uncertainties organization resistance that stems from a fundamental conflict between the mainstream organization and the radical innovation team

  4. Process uncertainties the process is experimental and non-linear; there are many detours, recycling back through activities in response to discontinuities and setbacks  >>>

  5. Resource uncertainties project discontinuities influence the project's funding, staffing, and management requirements. >>>

For radical projects to mature,
uncertainty must be
reduced on all five dimensions.  >>>

Loose-Tight Leadership

Freedom to Fail

Noble Failure

 

References:

1. "Relentless Growth", Christopher Meyer

2. "Radical Innovation", Harvard Business School

3. "Developing Products in Half the Time", D. Reinertson & P. Smith

4. "The Art of Innovation", Tom Kelley

The Fuzzy Front End Defined

The early stage of the radical innovation process is ripe with opportunity, but it is also devoid of many definitive facts. Due to its high degree of ambiguity, this development phase has become known as "the fuzzy front end."3  >>>

 

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In the business world, the rearview mirror is always clearer than the windshield.

Warren Buffet

Berkshire

 

  Jokes about Unexpected Problems

Fuzzy Logic

Fuzzy logic is a system of logic that allows for degrees of uncertainty, rather than depending on absolute truth-values, and that is used to make human thought processes or imprecise information accessible to computers.

While the situations that fuzzy logic addresses are ambiguous, fuzzy logic itself is a very defined methodology. Modern business and technology leaders use the managerial equivalent of fuzzy logic to address the ambiguity of the fuzzy front end.

The core elements of this approach include... More

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is not just a valuable creative tool at the fuzzy front end of projects. It's also "a pervasive cultural influence for making sure that individuals don't waste too much energy spinning their wheels on a tough problem when the collective wisdom of the team can get them "unstuck" in less than an hour."4... More

The Power of Prototyping

"Quick prototyping is about acting before you've got the answers, about taking chances, stumbling a little, but then making it right. When you're creating something new to the world, you can't look over your shoulder to see what your competitor are doing; you have to find another source of inspiration," writes Tom Kelly4 from IDEO. "Once you start drawing or making things, you open up new possibilities of discovery. Doodling, drawing, modeling. Sketch ideas and make things, and you're likely to encourage accidental discoveries. At most fundamental level, what we're talking about is play, about exploring borders."4... More

 

  Learning SWOT Questions 

Business e-Coach Simulation Games "InnoBall" and "InnoChess"

Innovation Football (Innoball) and Innovation Chess (Innochess) are breakthrough business games that help disruptive innopreneurs achieve great success in the real world.  These simulation games develop as a sequence of assumed moves by innovators and their opponents. They help you to:

    

 

 
Vadim Kotelnikov advice quotes

When you create radical innovations, simulation games are by far more useful than business planning. >>>

Vadim Kotelnikov

e-Coach