The 7 Habits of Breakthrough Innovators

The 7 Habits of Breakthrough Innovators

Amy Jo Kim, Ph.D.

Co-Founder, Shufflebrain #Getting2Alpha

What we’ll cover

Introduction

What we’ll cover

Introduction

7 Habits of Breakthrough Innovators

What we’ll cover

Introduction


3 Smart Shortcuts to get you started

Introduction

A hunch is creativity trying

to tell you something.

Frank Capra

Filmmaker

You’ve got a great product idea

How do you know if it’s the right one?

Amy Jo Kim, Ph.D. Co-Founder & Creative Director Shufflebrain Partners shufflebrain.com Creator & Head Coach Getting to Alpha getting2alpha.com

We partner with great companies to make smart games for a connected world

What can we learn from breakthrough innovations?

Can we learn to validate our product ideas better, smarter, faster?


You can use an eraser on

the drafting table – or a

sledgehammer on the

construction site

Frank Lloyd Wright

Architect

Habit 1 Think like a scientist

Run small, high-learning MVP experiments

To increase your chances of

success, minimize time

through the

Build-Measure-Learn cycle.

Eric Ries

Author, The Lean Startup

Ask the hard, important questions upfront

Ideas

Design &

Build

Product

Measure

Data

Learn

What keeps people engaged in a virtual dollhouse simulation?

What social systems are necessary to build trust in an online marketplace?

Can non-musicians play plastic instruments together and feel like a band making music?

Will fashion-loving, young women pay to play a dress-up game with real designer clothes?

Will people subscribe to a digital service that delivers daily happiness exercises?

Habit 2 Laser-focus on Early Adopters

Find & delight your early adopters FIRST

Early adopters will put up

with cost & ridicule for

innovations that meet

real needs.

Erika Hall

Author, Just Enough Research

Crossing the Chasm

Geoffrey Moore, 1992

Innovation Diffusion Theory

Everett Rogers, 1961

Gather ideas & feedback for key systems

Cultivate relationships with content creators

Leverage relationships with Super Fans

Habit 3 Learn about customers’ needs & habits

Piggyback on existing habits

“The chains of habit are

too weak to be felt until

they are too strong

to be broken.”

Samuel Johnson

Author

Conduct field interviews with Early Adopters

Use speed interviews to surface patterns & insights

Habit 4 Create a culture of iterative testing

Test early, test often

There is nothing quite so

useless as doing with great

efficiency something that

should not be done at all

Peter Drucker

Author

Set up a weekly interview / playtest rhythm

Expand testing audience as product matures

Habit 5 Cultivate a customer feedback community

Listen in as customers talk with each other

To listen fully means to

pay close attention to

what is being said

beneath the words.

Steven Covey

Author

Create a private group for Early Adopters

Offer new channels/groups for later customers

Ideas

Design &

Build

Product

Measure

Data

Learn Habit 6 Test & refine the Core Loop early

What is — and isn’t — a Core Loop?

In a loop, you’re learning a

skill and updating your

mental model. That’s what

leads to player delight.

Dan Cook

Lead Game Designer, Spry Fox

Fake landing page?

Fake landing page? X

Operant Conditioning AKA Skinner Box?

Operant Conditioning AKA Skinner Box? X

Skill-building = Making customers more awesome

Skill-building habit loop

Engaging activity + internal urge fuel the loop

Feedback supports learning & mastery

Investment and triggers pull people back

urge for a fun social

activity

Play a Song Together

Get Score, Accolades, $$

Develop skill, play harder

songs

Core Loop

urge for a quick social

break

Read & Respond to

Updates

Check Notifications

& Stats

Read & Respond to

DMs

Core Loop

Engaging activities fuel the loop

Feedback & progress light the way

Triggers & investment pull customer back

Habit 7 Create a path to Mastery

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ideas

Design &

Build

Product

Measure

Data

Learn “Every artist was

first an amateur.”

Engage customers with progressive skill-building

Empower enthusiasts with tools, access & privileges

Test wireframes / mockups / ideas with Early Adopters

Build aspirational progression systems

Surface & empower high-skill customers

Engage enthusiasts with in-world powers

1. Think like a scientist

2. Laser-focus on Early Adopters

3. Learn about customers’ needs & habits

4. Create a culture of iterative testing

5. Cultivate a customer feedback community

6. Test & refine the Core Loop early

7. Co-create a path to Mastery


3 Smart Shortcuts that turbo-charge your path to product/market fit

You’ve got to jump off cliffs

all the time and build your

wings on the way down.

Ray Bradbury

Author

Shortcut 1 The MVP Canvas

Clarify your product strategy

Identify strengths, values & success metrics

Prioritize your highest-risk assumptions

Shortcut 2 Speed Interviews

Interview 10-15 Early Adopters (5-10 min per interview)

Ask just a few revealing questions

Daily Habits

Beliefs & Ideas

Unmet Needs

Find enthusiastic early (customers + insights)

Shortcut 3 Habit Stories

Turn customer insights into design-ready job stories

When _________

I want to ______________

so I can _____________

trigger

activity + goal

outcome

Habit Story = Existing Habit + Unmet Need

Piggyback your Core Loop on an existing habit

MVP Canvas BEFORE

Young women (18-30) who play mobile fashion games

Aspirational dress-up in designer fashion PLUS celebrity stylist advice

MVP Canvas BEFORE



F2P co-op game with real-world fashion content and hot trends

Vogue alternative – stay up-to-date on fashion by playing – not just looking

MVP Canvas BEFORE





F2P game experience Existing, addressable audience for fashion games

Like/Dislike metrics via interviews with hardcore fashion gamers

MVP Canvas BEFORE







Young women want a mobile game based on real-world fashion PLUS access to a celebrity stylist

Speed Interviews: How we did it

•  15 young women 18-40 who play

mobile fashion games

•  Recruited from existing player

base & Craigslist ads

WHO






WHO

WHAT

•  Spend 5-10 minutes answering

3-5 questions

•  The best interview subjects

became paid testers






WHO

WHAT

WHEN &

WHERE

•  Spend 5-10 minutes answering

3-5 questions

•  The best interview subjects

became paid testers

•  Over a period of 2 weeks

•  Via telephone or Skype

Research Results: 3 Key Patterns

Fashion Browsers Want to immerse themselves in a

beautiful aspirational world that keeps

them up-to-date on fashion trends.

Co-Creators Want to “do fashion” with a buddy –

a friend or relative they can dress with,

shop with, and borrow from.

Armchair Stylists Love telling other people how to dress –

they want to role-play a celebrity stylist,

and get credit for their fashion sense.

Fashion Browser

“When I’m tired after a long day, I want to

flop on the couch and get the escapist,

immersive experience of flipping

through Vogue – but in a game.”

Fashion Browser Habit Story

When I log into the game

I want to

see gorgeous, creative outfits – made

from the latest designer fashions

So I can

stay on top of fashion trends in a fun

and relaxing way

Co-Creator

“Patti told me to put these shoes and belt

together with this outfit – I would never

think of that, but it TOTALLY works.

I need her advice all the time.”

Co-Creator Habit Story

When I need to dress up for an important event

I want to

raid my friend’s closet and get her

feedback on my outfit online

So I can

have her accessorize my look and help

me feel confident – just like in real-life :-)

Armchair Stylist

“I LOVE the idea of a game that lets me

rate my friends’ outfits and tell them how

to dress better – like I do before a party :-)”

Armchair Stylist Habit Story

When I give fashion feedback to others

I want to

Know if my feedback had an effect

So I can

Feel happier, knowing that I’m helping

others be more fashionable

MVP Canvas AFTER







Skews older – women 18-45 like the game and older women spend more $

Aspirational dress-up in designer fashions PLUS advice from aspiring player-stylists

MVP Canvas AFTER




F2P game exp. Addressable audience for fashion games





MVP Canvas AFTER




F2P game exp. Addressable audience for fashion games





And will spend $ on a game based on real-world fashion

And up-and-coming stylists

Iterative lo-fi play-testing à Hit Game

Try these techniques for yourself

getting2alpha.com/shortcuts

Turbo-charge your path to product/market fit getting2alpha.com

Startup Teams

Product Leaders

Innovative Companies

Thank you [email protected]

@amyjokim

#Getting2Alpha

Leadership & Management

The 7 Habits of Breakthrough Innovators