Peter Boatwright

Innovation is not just a popular buzzword, for it is necessary to the health of any business today. Most importantly, it is necessary for the health of YOUR firm. So, how can your firm become innovative, building on your existing strengths, continuing to operate in markets where you are strong, and maintaining your existing employees? In this talk, Professors Peter Boatwright and Jonathan Cagan explain innovation from the point of view of the marketplace. Innovation is not about new technology but about meeting people's desires, about fulfilling their fantasies. Rather than a leap in functional capability, innovation provides a leap in consumer value. In addition to their work at Carnegie Mellon University, Professors Boatwright and Cagan actively consult on product innovation with companies ranging from Fortune 100 to entrepreneurial start-ups. Between their consulting, corporate projects, and innovation courses they have advised over 200 product innovation teams. Building on their research and experience, Professors Boatwright and Cagan explain a formal step-by-step process for innovation, showing how your firm can use tools that not only identify market opportunities but translate customer needs into product specifications. Innovation is not wizardry or luck, but innovation is the flower of diligent work--work that uncovers the potential that a product can achieve for its users, then producing comprehensive solutions that consumers respond to cognitively, emotionally, and economically. With an innovation process in place, your firm will be equipped to repeatedly generate innovative products and services, resulting in an ongoing stream of new revenues.