The Innovation Blog

Product launches are complex.  That was the main takeaway of the PDMA 2010 Lab E – Launch for Commercial Success which I had the privilege of attending today.  The session kicked off with an apt and literal example: a NASA shuttle launch.  When NASA launched the Saturn V rocket, its engineers were depending on the successful integration of 2 million distinct systems.  2 million!  And, as Richard Koppel pointed out, NASA operates in a space (get it?) where getting it right the first time is “mission critical” – if something goes wrong, not only are millions of dollars wasted, but people die.  Fortunately, product launches are not as high stakes as shuttle launches, but you still want to ensure your innovation is brought to market as seamlessly as possible.  So how do you launch successfully given all of the variables, risks and uncertainties inherent in the process?  Here are the top 7 themes of the day which will help you make sure all systems are go when you blastoff.

Last night on Monday Night Football, the much-hyped Jets got thumped by the Ravens.  This came after an offseason in which the team acquired several marquee players, were in the news for all the wrong reasons, allowed HBO's Hard Knocks cameras into their training camp, and entered the season among the favorites to win the Super Bowl. Much of the attention surrounding the Jets stemmed from the swagger and confidence they exuded as they publicly announced their goal was to win the Super Bowl.  What can their Monday night let down teach us about innovation? I am going to indulge in a little Tuesday Morning Quarterbacking and explore 5 lessons the Jets experience can teach us about setting a strategic roadmap for an innovation team.