Years ago, Oliver Wendell Holmes observed, “I would not give a fig for the simplicity this side of complexity, but I would give my life for the simplicity on the other side of complexity.” In his latest book, The Innovation Maze: Four Routes to a Successful New Business Case, Gijs (pronounced “Guys”) van Wulfen offers this definition: “An innovation is a feasible relevant offering such as product, service e, process or experience with a viable business model that is perceived as new and is adopted by customers.” (Page 23)
He introduces and thoroughly explains (with text and illustrations) four “routes” to innovation, each of which can lead to peak performance “on the other side of complexity”:
o The Idea Route: You are starting with what you think is a new idea.
o The Technology Route: You have discovered what you think is a new technology.
o The Customer Issue Route: You have discovered what you think is an unsolved customer pain point.
o The Business Challenge Route: You know that your organization must innovate and you don’t know how. Where to begin, for example.
“The Innovation Maze simplifies innovation; delivering a coherent approach to the creation of new business cases. I have written it for startups, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs, managers, consultants, and others who are also looking for real-life advice to successfully navigate the innovation maze.”
In this volume, Wulfen again frames much of the material within the FORTH Innovation Method, a 20-week expedition previously introduced and explained in Creating Innovative Products and Services, another of van Wulfen’s books that I also highly recommend. Here is my take on the essence of this method:
o Full steam ahead (Five Weeks): Begin the process with passion and determination…and meticulous preparation
o Observe & Learn (Six Weeks): Assume nothing, be curious about and alert to everything
o Raise/Generate) ideas (Two Weeks): Consider all possibilities without pre-judgment, scrutinize with progressive rigor
o Test/Refine/Validate) ideas (Three Weeks): Obtain candid feedback from as many relevant constituencies as possible
o Homecoming (Four Weeks): Complete the expedition process and introduce/share the results of efforts
These are among the dozens of passages of greatest interest and value to me, also listed to suggest the scope of van Wulfen’s coverage:
o Raw ideas (Page 34)
o Maze (48-51)
o The Idea Route (64-75)
o Airbnb (70-73)
o The Technology Route (76-85)
o Google Glass (78-81 and 82-85)
o The Customer Issue Route (86-93)
o Terese Alstin (88-91)
o The Business Challenge Route (94-103)
o LEGO (96-99 and 100-103)
o Discover (144-161)
o Professor David Robertson (101-103)
o Ideate (104-117)
o Create business conditions (132-143)
o Voice-of-the-customer (150-155)
o Create new business model (162-173)
o Select technology (174-183)
o Check freedom to operate (184-189)
o Experiment (190-197)
o Create new business case (198-207)
o Death Valley (214-215)
o Innovation checklist (222-225)
o Ideation techniques (222-237)
Obviously, no brief commentary such as mine can possibly do full justice to the quality and value of the material that is provided. I hope I have at least indicated, however, why I think so highly of him and his work. Why is innovation made complex by so many people? Gijs van Wulfen loves to make it simple again, and inspire as many business leaders as possible with his lectures and workshops so they and their management teams can a achieve breakthrough innovation “on the other side of complexity.”
That is his mission and that is his joy, helping all manner of organizations to survive and then thrive in a global marketplace that has become more volatile, more uncertain, more complex, and more ambiguous than at any prior time that he can remember. His latest book is a brilliant achievement. Bravo!
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Top reviews from other countries
AarniH
An essential addition to your innovation book library
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 4, 2016B. N. Smith
I found thsi more useful than the innovation expedition book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 9, 2016Finn Kollerup
A great innovation aperitif
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 28, 2016