Every large company has a system for new product growth. And yet, it’s often pushed aside, not understood, and taken for granted.  Some view it as too technical. Some see it as complex. Most don’t recognize the potential energy it could release. What is this critical system? It’s the new product development process.  The heart ... Read More

Let’s see: How about gymnasts… golfers… chess masters… rock climbers. Yep, anyone who seeks the championship focuses intently on first building their capabilities and skills. They know this is the only way to get superior results. But what about many business leaders? Do they fixate more on capabilities or results? It seems many “show up” ... Read More

When you consider B2B vs B2C, which market profession has greater advantages? Business schools offer more B2C courses, consumer research tools abound, and sophisticated marketers at B2C companies like Apple and P&G are held in high esteem. B2B marketers are often engineers or sales reps that were tapped on the shoulder and told to “do ... Read More

If we bring a prototype to a customer, this is “concept testing.” Something different from  voice of the customer research.  But when definitions are  not understood, these become conflated and  we fool ourselves into believing that we’re more customer-centric than we really are. This confusion results from how innovation and new product processes have evolved. ... Read More

For over 30 years, companies have used the Vitality Index. But this metric has shortcomings addressed by two new metrics from The AIM Institute: 1) The Growth Driver Index (GDI) measures how you are building your growth capabilities. 2) The Commercial Confidence Index (CCI) assesses your commercial risk on new product development. ... Read More

It’s always a good idea to reinforce the basics. The best of the best, in every craft, maintain a focus on fundamentals. Consider that the great Tiger Woods continues to perfect his golf swing, even as he approaches the end of his career. For innovation, few concepts are as fundamental as market segmentation. In this ... Read More

Product managers are critical along the journey to become customer-centric. To that end, few investments are more important than product manager training. Before diving too deep into the product manager training strategy, let’s discuss this title, “product manager.” Since titles don’t always mean the same thing from company to company, let’s be precise in our ... Read More