This document outlines 5 habits of breakthrough innovators and provides shortcuts for validating new product ideas. The 5 habits are: think like a scientist by asking important questions upfront; laser-focus on early adopters to gather feedback; gather customer insights early through playtesting; build and test the core product loop; and co-create a path to mastery. It then describes 3 shortcuts - the MVP canvas to clarify strategy and assumptions, speed interviews of early adopters, and habit stories to design based on customer needs. The document provides a case study of a fashion game startup that used these techniques to identify key customer patterns and iterate their MVP canvas.

1. 5 Habits
of Breakthrough Innovators
Amy Jo Kim, Ph.D.

2. What we’ll cover
1 Introduction

3. What we’ll cover
1 Introduction
2 5 Habits of Breakthrough Innovators
3

4. What we’ll cover
1 Introduction
2 5 Habits of Breakthrough Innovators
3 Getting Started: 3 Smart Shortcuts

5. Introduction
Section One

6. A hunch is creativity trying to tell
you something.
Frank Capra
Filmmaker

7. You’ve got a great product idea

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

9. co-founder & Creative Director,
Shufflebrain Partners shufflebrain.com
Creator & Head Coach,
MVP Design Hacks mvpdesignhacks.com

10. we partner with great companies to make
smart games for a connected world

11. What can we learn from
breakthrough innovations?
Rock Band
The Sims
Covet Fashion
eBay

12. Can we generate and validate our product ideas
better, smarter, faster?

13. 5 Habits
of Breakthrough Innovators
Section Two

14. Habit 1: think like a scientist

15. To increase your chances of
success, minimize time through
the Build-Measure-Learn cycle
Eric Ries
Author, The Lean Startup
you are here

16. Ask the hard, important questions upfront
Rock Band
The Sims
Covet Fashion
eBay

17. What keeps people engaged in a
virtual dollhouse simulation?

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

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

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

21. Habit 2: laser-focus on early adopters

22. Crossing the Chasm
Geoffrey Moore, 1992

23. Innovation Diffusion Theory
Everett Rogers, 1961

24. Find & delight your early adopters
Early adopters will put up with
cost & ridicule for innovations
that meet real needs.
Erika Hall
author, Just Enough Research
you are here

25. Gather ideas & feedback for key systems

26. Cultivate relationships with content creators

27. Leverage relationships with super-fans

28. Habit 3: gather customer insights early

29. Create a culture of iterative play-testing
you are here
There is nothing quite so
useless as doing with great
efficiency something that
should not be done at all.
Peter Drucker

30. Conduct onsite interviews with early adopters

31. Setup a weekly interview/playtest rhythm

32. Expand playtest audience as product matures

33. Habit 4: build & test your Core Loop

34. What is – and isn’t – a Core Loop?
you are here
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
DESIGN
& BUILD

35. Fake Landing Page?

36. Fake Landing Page?

37. Operant Conditioning Loop AKA Skinner Box?

38. Operant Conditioning Loop AKA Skinner Box?

39. Skill-building = making customers more awesome

40. Skill-building habit loop?

41. Skill-building habit loop?

42. Engaging activity + internal urge fuels the loop

43. Feedback supports learning & mastery

44. Investment & triggers pull people back

45. Focus on prototyping & tuning the basics

46. Create a daily skill-building reason to return

47. Habit 5: co-create a path to Mastery

48. you are here
DESIGN
& BUILD
Every artist was first
an amateur.
Dan Cook
Game Designer, Spry Fox

49. Engage customers with progressive skill-building

50. Empower enthusiasts with tools, access, powers

51. Release tools early to your fan community

52. Build aspirational mastery systems

53. Build aspirational mastery systems

54. Recap: 5 Habits of Breakthrough Innovators

55. Recap: 5 Habits of Breakthrough Innovators
Think like a scientist

56. Recap: 5 Habits of Breakthrough Innovators
Think like a scientist
Laser-focus on early adopters

57. Recap: 5 Habits of Breakthrough Innovators
Think like a scientist
Laser-focus on early adopters
Gather customer insights early

58. Recap: 5 Habits of Breakthrough Innovators
Think like a scientist
Laser-focus on early adopters
Gather customer insights early
Build & test your Core Loop

59. Recap: 5 Habits of Breakthrough Innovators
Think like a scientist
Laser-focus on early adopters
Gather customer insights early
Build & test your Core Loop
Co-create a path to mastery

60. 3 Smart Shortcuts
to turbo-charge your Customer Discovery

61. CASE STUDY

62. Shortcut #1: the MVP Canvas

63. Think like a scientist
Laser-focus on early adopters
Gather customer insights early
Build & test your Core Loop
Shortcut #1: the MVP Canvas

64. Clarify your product strategy

65. Identify strengths, values & success metrics

66. Prioritize your highest-risk assumptions

67. Shortcut #2: Speed Interviews

68. Think like a scientist
Laser-focus on early adopters
Gather customer insights early
Build & test your Core Loop
Shortcut #2: Speed Interviews

69. Interview 10-15 Early Adopters
5-10 min. per interview

70. Ask just a few revealing questions
Unmet NeedsDaily Habits Beliefs & Ideas

71. Pair Interviews  Better, Faster Pattern Recognition

72. Identify 5-7 Enthusiatic, Articulate Early Adopters

73. Shortcut #3: Habit Stories

74. Shortcut #3: Habit Stories

75. Think like a scientist
Laser-focus on early adopters
Gather customer insights early
Build & test your Core Loop
Shortcut #3: Habit Stories

76. Turn customer insights into design-ready stories

77. Habit Story = Existing Habit + Unmet Need

78. Piggyback your Core Loop on an existing Habit

80. MVP Canvas BEFORE

81. MVP Canvas BEFORE

82. MVP Canvas BEFORE

83. MVP Canvas BEFORE

84. Speed Interviews: How we did it
WHO we spoke with
• 15 young women 18-40 who play mobile fashion games
• Recruited from existing player base & craigslist ads

85. Speed Interviews: How we did it
WHO we spoke with
• 15 young women 18-40 who play mobile fashion games
• Recruited from existing player base & craigslist ads
WHAT we asked them to do
• Spend 5-10 minutes answering 3-5 questions
The best interview subjects became paid testers

86. Speed Interviews: How we did it
WHO we spoke with
• 15 young women 18-40 who play mobile fashion games
• Recruited from existing player base & craigslist ads
WHAT we asked them to do
• Spend 5-10 minutes answering 3-5 questions
The best interview subjects became paid testers
WHEN & WHERE we ran these tests
• Via phone & Skype, over a period of 2 weeks

87. Research Results: 3 Key Patterns

88. Fashion Browser

89. Fashion Browser

90. Co-creator

91. Co-creator

92. Armchair Stylist

93. Armchair Stylist

94. MVP Canvas AFTER

95. MVP Canvas AFTER

96. MVP Canvas AFTER

97. iterative play-testing  hit game

98. Try out these techniques on your own

99. MVP Design Hacks
validate your product idea in 30 days
http://mvpdesignhacks.com

100. Thank You
@amyjokim
amyjokim@gmail.com