Oct 20, 2020Strategy and Innovation Tools for Every ChallengeSince the early 1990s, Bain has conducted a regular survey of thousands of managers to determine what tools and frameworks they are using to manage their businesses. Despite the constant introduction of new innovation tools and frameworks, the number of tools managers use today is less than half of what…Innovation9 min read
Published in New Markets Insights·Sep 23, 2020What I Learned From Building My First 5 AppsI’ve been fortunate to work with some great teams over the years to bring digital solutions to market. From healthcare to education to financial services, I’ve worked with teams to conceptualize and commercialize successful apps, including one of the most popular fitness apps currently on the market. It hasn’t all…Innovation6 min read
Published in New Markets Insights·Sep 8, 2020The Rise of the Gig Economy and Unmet Financial Wellness NeedsIn late August Uber and Lyft nearly halted their operations in California in response to a court’s order to reclassify their drivers as employees rather than independent contractors. But this public showdown between ride-sharing companies and lawmakers is part of a much larger issue. Uber and Lyft drivers are currently…Innovation6 min read
Published in New Markets Insights·Aug 24, 202010 Financial Services Trends to Innovate AroundInnovation is all about delivering value to organizations by finding new ways to help consumers achieve the jobs they are trying to get done. One of the nice things about taking a Jobs to be Done view of innovation is that jobs tend to be stable over time. …Financial Services6 min read
Published in The Startup·Jul 20, 2020Building a Culture of Innovation as Workforces Go RemoteFive years ago I wrote a piece for Forbes highlighting different strategies that big companies were using to build a culture of innovation. While that article proved to be quite popular, much has changed since then. Even before COVID-19 forced many to work remotely, workforces were already becoming highly decentralized…Innovation6 min read
Published in New Markets Insights·Jun 8, 2020Three Stages to Building or Improving an Innovation FunctionA big part of my job is helping companies build or improve their innovation capabilities. Sometimes this means starting with a clean slate; I get to build an incubator or an innovation lab from the ground up. …Innovation9 min read
Published in New Markets Insights·May 12, 2020Five Strategies for Creating a Compelling Digital Customer ExperienceWith much of the world recently locking down in one form or another, individuals have been spending far more time in their homes. Some businesses have basically had to build a digital presence overnight, while others have simply seen their digital channels rise in importance. …Customer Experience5 min read
Published in UX Collective·Apr 22, 2020Three steps to innovating for an unknown futureAs I talk with clients these days, I often hear them ask a recurring question: how do we know which customer behavior changes will endure and which behaviors will revert to normal in the coming months? While there are tools out there for trying to predict the changes that will…Business5 min read
Published in New Markets Insights·Mar 25, 2020Mitigating Risks to Your Business in Times of UncertaintyA few years ago, I developed a framework for finding, testing, and mitigating risks and uncertainties in periods of volatility. The idea came out of a recent survey of U.S. CEOs, which showed that 86% believed that advances in technology would transform their businesses in the next five years. It…Business7 min read
Published in New Markets Insights·Feb 26, 2020Jobs 2.0: Troubleshooting the Adoption of Jobs to be DoneWhen I first started helping companies deploy Jobs to be Done within their organizations, people were largely unfamiliar with the concept. Maybe a few people — likely the project sponsors — had read an article about Jobs or seen the famous milkshake video in which the late Harvard Business School…Jobs To Be Done9 min read
