The Heart of Innovation

A Field Guide for Navigating to Authentic Demand

By: Matt Chanoff, Merrick Furst, Daniel Sabbah, Mark Wegman, Arvind Krishna - foreword

Narrated by: Alex Knox

Length: 4 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

Four innovation experts from the startup world, large enterprises, nonprofits, and academia come together to reveal the secret of uncovering authentic demand to build successful innovations.

Books on innovation mostly focus on how to nurture innovative cultures and brainstorm ideas. The Heart of Innovation is the first popular book to concretely delve into what innovations really are and how to create them. Many attempts at innovation fail because customers turn out to be indifferent. The key to success is to uncover unmet authentic demand; what customers cannot be indifferent to. Through fresh case studies, ranging from how SoulCycle revolutionized the fitness industry, to how IBM built an $8 billion business on the Web, to a single mother ending abuse in a slum in Africa, The Heart of Innovation explores how authentic demand is often hidden or taken for granted.

The first half of the book explores cases where people accidentally found their way to meeting an unmet authentic demand—or failed to. The second half of the book provides a field guide to methodically identifying and building products, services, and businesses around authentic demand.

©2023 Matt Chanoff, Merrick Furst, Daniel Sabbah, Mark Wegman (P)2023 Ascent Audio

Diagram Dynamos: Mastering the Playbook of Startup Success

Hey there, future boss! Ever had a super cool idea and wondered if it would be the next big thing? I’ve been there too! This book is your secret map to finding out. It’s all about these cool things called Situational Diagrams. I used them to spot the hidden gaps in my own startup, and they were like best buddies for my idea, helping me see if it was really as awesome as I thought!

Chapter 1: What’s a Situational Diagram?
Picture this: you’re a detective, and your idea is a curious case waiting to be solved. Situational Diagrams are your trusty magnifying glass. When I used them, they helped me spot every tiny clue about my idea – like who would love it and what other smart people were cooking up something similar. They’re super at shining a light on the things you might not have noticed at first!

But hold your horses, there’s a curveball! These diagrams are like scoring a touchdown, but the book doesn’t hand you the playbook for the victory dance. It’s like needing a slam dunk strategy, a coach with a game-winning grin, and some all-star team drills to make these diagrams as regular as your pre-game warm-up.

Kicking off a new system can feel like you’re in the big leagues without a helmet – quite the challenge to tackle! In short I wish there was a group or resources where there is a training, community, or consultants for further assistance.

Got an idea? You cannot afford to NOT read this book!

I’ve been a student and user of various popular frameworks for early entrepreneurship. After an under performing venture I too came to many of the same conclusions and assertions the authors make about widespread methods like LEAN startup, and business model canvassing. My personal notes based on my experience expressed their idea of authentic demand in a not so elegant way. The popular frameworks have their place, but if you are seeking true formative innovations, then I would suggest reading this book ASAP!