Focus: the Key to Success

Knowing where to focus is the key to success at innovation.

“Focus…means saying ‘no’ to the hundred other good ideas…You have to pick carefully…Innovation is saying ‘no’ to 1,000 things.” – Steve Jobs

But how do you pick the one best idea among hundreds? What constitutes a “good idea?”

First and foremost, a good idea addresses an important unsatisfied customer need. If an idea does not address an important unsatisfied need, then it is a bad idea. People only buy new products/services that address their important unsatisfied needs.

If you can identify and rank the best opportunities (important unsatisfied needs) in your market and focus only on them, why would you waste time and resources running experiments on dozens or hundreds of bad ideas?

“Jobs theory is not just another framework or marketing approach, but a powerful lens that has driven breakthrough innovation and transformational growth in some of the world’s most successful organizations – in wildly diverse arenas. Jobs theory transforms how you define the business you’re in, the size and shape of the market in which you compete, and who your competitors are. This enables you to see customers where there were none, ideas for solutions where there were only problems, and opportunity where you least expect it.” – Christensen, Hall, Dillon and Duncan. Competing Against Luck. HarperCollins, 2016. p 47.

Contact me if you want to explore how you can get focus now.