The biggest mistake you can make as an innovator is to build a solution looking for a problem.
RnD often skews too far towards research, and isn’t a product or project development lab.
By watching the weather we focus on one of the most overlooked questions in strategy - ‘how did we get here?’
Gap analysis (present state - ideal future) works well in complicated environments but not in complex ones.
Recognize the path dependencies and the major recent events and ‘slow’ trends. Look at demographics 10s of years, geo/politics 4 years, as much as you look at quarterly reports and the ‘closest alligator to the boat’. - but remember we don’t get where we want to go by just fixing deficits, we have to find meaning and have a coherent framework to create value with what IS NOW. In order to find the space to do the next right thing, we need to understand if we are contributing to wider trends or subjected to them.
There is a certain amount of ego that is required (and/or imposter syndrome) to be an innovator. I dont believe in the ‘great man’ theory of history, nor in a great man theory of innovation. I believe in being deliberate and putting in the work.
‘Decide what to be and go be it.’ -Avett Brothers
Day one; done! NATO cohort 1 has taken off into their jumpstart to the Project Mercury Innovators Forum course.
During the day we had an inspiring lecture by prof. Dr. Jeff DeGraff, after which dr. W. Ethan Eagle🔴🟡 guided the teams through three first exercises: exploring a problem space and watching the weather.
Our 30 NATO innovators brought great energy, and we and the coaches are ready to push them further during the next days of jumpstart!
