we will see in this video how we can
identify the different types of
innovation and how we can adapt our
methods and tools to make these
different types of innovations being
successful. So, can we solve between the
different types of innovation? Of course,
it's a difficult game because there are so
many variations, that it's always
difficult to set a limit between this
innovation, and that innovation, and to
define that there are different. However,
trying to identify the main types of
innovation will help us to define which
tools and method we should better use. So,
with these restrictions in mind, let's try
to identify actually roughly three types
of innovation. For the three types of
innovations, and as I said before, of
course, in real life, things are always
more subtle, first, we can identify that
you have a solution, but you don't know
which problem you should apply it to. Or
maybe, you have already a commercial
solution with the market and this
solution needs improvement, or last
option, you have a problem, there's a
problem somewhere, there are customers,
users, who wish there could be a solution
to this problem,
and nobody has been able to provide the
solution to this problem yet. So, you have
a problem, and you look for solution. So,
let's look at the first option: you have
a solution, but you don't know which
problem you should apply it to. This
happens when you've developed the new
system, you have found a new concept, you
have discovered something... This first
example: you have a solution but you
don't know which program you should
apply it to. So, this is the method you
could, or you should follow. First, you
must identify who could need your
solution. It means that you have to be
very, very careful because your first
move will be to find so many different
domains, markets, potential users, that
could virtually use your solution, and
what you have to do is actually to see
who could be your first user, who would
be what we defined in other
presentations, your "customer avatar". Then,
you must find if, or how, you can develop or
adapt your current system, your current
solution, to these customers' actual needs.
So, be careful: it's never the customers
that must adapt to your solution, it's
always your solution that must adapt to
the customer! Then, you must be sure that
what you've done is actually the correct
solution that the users, the customers,
are looking for, and the best way to know
that is to ask potential users how they
feel about your system, how you could
improve your system, what would make them
buying your system if you were able to
bring more options, change the size,
change the price, deliver different
functions,
and find another way to deliver it.
And you will adapt your system according
to the users feedback, and you go back to
item #4, that means then you go back to
the users and you still ask them: Okay!
this is the new version, this is version
2 of a system, what you feel about it? is
better? is it's closer toward what you
expec?t are you ready to buy it? or do
you think it's still not adapted to your
need, or it's still too expensive, or it's
not the right color whatever... So, this is
how you can really, when you've a solution,
try to bring this solution to meet the
users' expectation. Now, we have a
commercial solution, and this commercial
tradition needs improvement. So, you need to
improve a current system in order to make
it better. The reason is because it
doesn't solve certain problems, it has to
adapt to other markets, or, more
generally, must compete against other
solutions. The first option is: you
improve it because you want to keep the
leadership in this market. So, in that
case, you must run what I call the
"functional analysis" of your system, and
this functional analysis is described in
another presentation. Then, you identify
which functions, that means, efficiency,
cost, portability... the current or
future users would like to see added or
improved. Remember! it's always about the
customers, it's always about the users!
You don't try to improve the function
and your system if people are not
looking for it. Then, you search how you
can modify this function. This is where
you do R&D, why where you
go back to the lab, and you try to find
a best way to actually provide or improve
function. The second option is when you
develop a new solution, and you need
improvement in order to beat competition.
It means you are not the first player in
the game; you want to come with something that
will create some differences with the
current competition. We can take as an
example Apple™ when they developed for
the first time the iPhone™: they were not
the first manufacturer of cell phones.
Facebook™ was not the first social media.
The iPod™ was not the first music player...
So, what would be important here will be
that you must first analyze what the
other competitors are providing, and you
will compare your system, your project
with competition. Then, you will identify
which functions are better achieved by
whom, or if there is no major difference.
If there's no major difference, the only way
you can compete with others, will be
probably the price. But, if they are
better with some functions, or you are
better with some functions, or you bring
new functions, this is where you must push
for, this is where you must display
yourself as someone who is different. And
if you see that you're not different
enough, that the functions or the level
of functions are quite similar, this is
where you will decide that you need to
create a develop new innovation in order
to be able to add this new
differentiating function. Or you have to
move to the next brand new innovation,
come with the new system that will
deliver the same function but with
totally different approach. For instance,
when you compare Facebook™ with Snapchat™,
Snapchat™ is also a social media but
Snapchat™ is delivering some functions
that Facebook™ initially what
not. The last option is the worst option:
you have a commercial solution but your
innovation is now obsolete. So, in order
to create a new leverage for your
product, you have first to go back to
what users are expecting from your
solution, and why they are not taking
your current products, and are buying
from others, or are looking for something new.
So, you identify what the current
users are expecting, and also you ask them
what they think about your system, which
probably will not be good news. And you
explore which problem your users wish
you could solve, what is the problem that
they expect to be solved in your solution,
and finally, you don't focus on your
product but on the concept: what would
be the system? what would be the ideal
solution that would please your users?
There's a saying that says that "you don't
discover the light bulb by improving
the candle".  You have to apply this saying
when your product is totally "has-been",
and you really want to come with something
new. And it means that you have really to
redesign in your mind, in your conception,
what would be a brand new innovation in
this given market. So, when you focus on
the concept, and you come with a new system,
you'll see how a different system will
be able to solve the users' problem.
Last option: you have a problem, you have
identified a problem,
and you look for a solution... This means
that you have identified the problem
worth being solved, because you believe
that they would be users eager to use a
solution if this solution exists. When you
have a problem and you are looking for
solutions, the first step is to identify
which functions your system, your
innovation, should deliver to solve the
problem. In any innovation, the starting
point is always a problem that must be
solved: what in marketing is called the
fixing of "customer's pain". In that case,
it's very important because you have no
idea initially what could be the
solution to this problem. So, you identify
what your solution should deliver, then
you run what we can call a "reverse
functional analysis". The reverse
functional analysis is a mind process
when you start from the function the
system should deliver, back to the
property that the components of the
system should possess to deliver this
function, and so, if the solution is at
the technology level, you must identify
which components can deliver these
functions, and finally you will try to
find out how you can combine these
components in a single system. We can
summarize the three type of innovations
we described previously. If you have a
solution, and the question is what's the
problem, then first identify your
"customer avatar", identify people eager to
buy your solution
at the first place, then find out how to
adapt your solution to the customer
expectations. Remember: it's never the
customer that must adapt to your
innovation it always your innovation that
must adapt to the customers. If you have
a commercial solution, but this
commercial solution needs improvements,
identify the function in your system
that could be improved to make a
difference with competition, or functions
that should be added for the same goal:
make difference with competition. Or, if
your system i's totally obsolete, move
to a brand new concept that will bring
the new generation, the new solution to
the market. If you have identified a
problem but you have no solution, you
analyze the problem and identify which
functions, that means, combination of
functions, would be required to deliver
the solution to this problem. Then, you
will define the components able to
deliver the function that you listed, and
you see how, or if, they can be combined.
To conclude: innovation is when a
solution finds the users, or when users
find the solution. On the innovation path,
the users' expectations must always be
examined, and depending on the type of
innovation that we list,  you will
follow different paths. Don't forget that
innovation is based on method but also
on creativity. This is how you will find
the solution that nobody had thought
about before. So, don't sacrifice
creativity to method! And finally, you
always must remember that innovation is
about opportunities, ideas, hidden
challenges, and of course, road bumps.
So, even a method helps to organize the
path, don't stick to the plan if new
opportunity happened. New opportunity
could be a new person in the team with
new expertise, could be a new material
that did not exist, could be a
new investor or potential customer who
wants you to develop this innovation, not
for the initial market, but for a new
market. So, you have to be ready to change
and adapt almost every day to follow
actually the flow of news and
discoveries and problems that will come
as you try to develop this innovation.
 
