In this article, Robyn Bolton explains why problems with innovation is often a leadership communication problem. Do you sometimes feel like you’re living in an alternate reality? If so, you’re not alone.  Most innovators feel that way at some point. After all, you see things that others don’t. Question things that seem inevitable and true. Make connections where others only see differences. Do things that seem impossible. It’s easy to believe that you’re the crazy one, the Mad Hatter and…

Robyn Bolton shares an article designed to identify the business you’re in. What business are you in?” How do you answer this all-too-common question? Do you name the company you work for? The industry you’re in? The function you perform? Bad news, your business isn’t defined by the company, the industry, and even your function. Good news, the business you’re in is defined by your customers.  And their definition unlocks incredible potential for innovation and growth. The 2:00 am Answer…

Robyn Bolton shares three mind-blowing things she learned in Nebraska. “In the Before Times, we attended conferences to learn, make connections, and promote ourselves and our businesses. Then COVID hit, and conferences became virtual.   Although that made them easier to attend, it also made them easier to skip. Because, if we’re honest, most conferences were more about connecting and promoting than learning. Last week, I went to one of those rare, almost mythical, conferences more focused on learning and…

Sanjay Gandhi shares an article on the risks and benefits of early founder liquidity. ‘If a company has reached a level of success…and you believe the company has potential to break out …then you should let founders take money off the table. It’s that simple. Only then are you truly aligned.’ – Mark Suster Over the last several years we have seen a boom in the number of secondary transactions in the startup community, both one-offs and on platforms. A…

Robyn Bolton shares an insightful article on the importance of developing psychological safety in innovation and how to foster it. “Why doesn’t anyone bring me ideas?” “Why doesn’t anyone ask questions during my meetings?” “How can I get people to challenge my ideas?” If you have asked any of these questions, you are not alone. I hear these questions from managers to C-suite executives in every industry imaginable because they know that sharing ideas, asking questions, and challenging others are…

Robyn Bolton shares an article that explores whether staff resignations help or hinder innovation within the company. The Great Resignation is real. At the start of 2021, 40% of employees thought about quitting. Between April and September, more than 24MM turned those thoughts into action. You don’t want your people to be in either of those stats. You value them and their experience, so you work hard to ensure that the most common causes of attrition — poor wages and…

Robyn Bolton provides sage advice on how to shift your team’s culture.  “We want to build a culture of innovation.” It’s a noble goal.  After all, a culture that values and encourages innovation is an essential component of an innovative company – one that repeatedly and reliably uses innovation to grow revenue. But you don’t need to build a culture of innovation.  You already have one. You need to unleash the aspects of your existing culture that fuel innovation. It’s…

Robyn Bolton tackles common resource allocation mistakes and explains how to avoid them. You know that to deliver today’s business and achieve tomorrow’s goals, you need a portfolio of projects that improve your existing operations and a portfolio of innovation projects. You also know that to max out your odds of hitting tomorrow’s goals, you need a portfolio of different types of innovation projects. You are also keenly aware that with limited resources, you can’t possibly fund every project. So…

Sanjay Gandhi shares a company post that explains secondary sales.  We frequently field questions from startup executives who are considering selling Common Shares in Secondary Transactions. Exchanges do exist to trade equity securities in private companies are traded, but the most common Secondary Sales of Common Stock we review come in the following forms: Direct sale of Common stock to new investors Direct sale of Common stock held by founders or employees to existing investors Common stock transactions tied to…

Robyn Bolton explains the nuances of Jobs to be Done. Before we go any further, I need to be clear that I absolutely, totally, and completely believe in Jobs to be Done.  In fact, more than once, I have uttered the words, “Jobs to be Done is a hill I will die on.” Which means that I died a little inside when a client recently said to me, “Jobs to be Done is amazing.  ‘Jobs to be Done’ sucks.” He’s…

In this article, Robyn Bolton guides the pursuit of innovation through various storms. Everyone knows about brainstorms but did you know there are three other types of storms that can blow you to your innovation destination? Questionstorms First introduced in The Innovator’s DNA, these storms happen at the start of an innovation effort and seek to surface all the assumptions, expectations, concerns, and actual questions currently locked in individuals’ brains.  The value of this session is that it makes the…

Robyn Bolton shares a post on where innovation happens and why. “Innovation happens in the gaps.” It’s a statement so simple yet so profound that as soon as my client said it, I wrote it down.*  It’s not sexy to innovate in the gaps.  Most people and companies believe that innovation must be something entirely new for the world.  That innovation is all about filling a white space, thinking blue sky, or swimming in a blue ocean.  That innovation must…