1. !nnovation flow
the Science of flowing ideas and
Inventions into Innovation
Shankar MV
27 August, Pune

2. 8/29/2009Shankar, 27 Aug'09 !nnovation flow at NCL, Pune 2

3. Hi, I’m Shankar
• Physicist turned Materials Scientist
• Now Principal Scientist at Dow
R&D, Pune
• Earlier, GE R&D – 8 Yrs, Materials
Innovation
• Patented Inventions, New
Products
• Innovation Facilitator - TRIZ
Shankar, 27 Aug'09 !nnovation flow at NCL, Pune 3

4. The Biggest Challenge !
Spotting an Innovative Idea early is not easy
Shankar, 27 Aug'09 !nnovation flow at NCL, Pune 4

5. Traditional Idea Screening
effectively kills most early-stage Ideas
Shankar, 27 Aug'09 !nnovation flow at NCL, Pune 5

6. An Inclusive Approach :
INNOVATION
IDEA
Focus on leveraging Ideas
Shankar, 27 Aug'09 !nnovation flow at NCL, Pune 6

7. The Ideal Situation:
Every Idea becomes an Innovation
Shankar, 27 Aug'09 !nnovation flow at NCL, Pune 7

8. How to get from here to there ?
Grow the Innovative Potential of Ideas
Shankar, 27 Aug'09 !nnovation flow at NCL, Pune 8

9. The First Step - Think Creatively
Challenging our view of what’s familiar
can stretch our Imagination
Cycle Handlebar Bull’s Head
& Seat Picasso (1943)
… but to think what nobody
has yet thought,
about that which everybody sees.
Erwin Schrodinger

10. Innovation
structured
directed
Creative Ideas ≠ Innovation
defined
Ideas

11. How to Grow the Innovative Potential of Ideas ?
Innovative product
that wows the User
Strategic IP
Portfolio
Scale-up
Prototype Alignment
Manufacturing with
Innovation
Opportunity
The Idea
Shankar, 27 Aug'09 !nnovation flow at NCL, Pune 11

12. The six faces of an Innovator
CROSS-POLLINATOR ENTREPRENEUR
Generate New Ideas Align the Idea with
creatively Business goals
STRATEGIST SOOTHSAYER
Create strategic Forecast
Patent Potfolio technology
evolution
trends
ALCHEMIST
MAGICIAN
Convert the
Reduce cost
technology 10X
down to that
into user
magical
experience 10X
tipping point
Innovators Vs Inventors Shankar.M.V 12

13. INNOVATION IS
BRINGING AN INSIGHTFUL IDEA
SUCCESSFULLY TO THE MARKET

14. The Innovator sees many Barriers
Shankar, 27 Aug'09 !nnovation flow at NCL, Pune 14

15. The Path of Innovation has many Pitfalls
Shankar, 27 Aug'09 !nnovation flow at NCL, Pune 15

16. !nnovation flow
Flow – The Psychology of Optimal Experience
Challenges Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
High Anxiety
w One cannot
F lo enjoy doing
A4 A3 the same
thing at the
same level for
long
A1 A2 Boredom
Low
Skills
Low High
Shankar, 27 Aug'09 !nnovation flow at NCL, Pune 16

17. !nnovation flow
Flow is the mental state of operation
in which the person is fully immersed
in what he or she is doing
by a feeling of energized focus,
full involvement, and
success in the process of the activity.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)
Shankar, 27 Aug'09 !nnovation flow at NCL, Pune 17

18. Shankar, 27 Aug'09 !nnovation flow at NCL, Pune 18

19. Puzzle # 1 - Tree Vs Forest
!nnovation flow
Shankar, 27 Aug'09 !nnovation flow at NCL, Pune 19

20. Puzzle # 2 - Knowledge Vs Imagination
!nnovation flow
Shankar, 27 Aug'09 !nnovation flow at NCL, Pune 20

21. Puzzle # 3
!nnovation flow Present Vs Next-gen Technology
Shankar, 27 Aug'09 !nnovation flow at NCL, Pune 21

22. How to focus How to
How to move
on the escape from
to the next
opportunity ? psychological
S-Curve ?
inertia ?
Shankar, 27 Aug'09 !nnovation flow at NCL, Pune 22

23. Ten Steps to an Innovative Solution
#1 Focus Phase
What is the Present State (A) ?
What is the Ideal Final State (B) ?
B
A
What do we need for the Journey
from A to B?
Shankar, 27 Aug'09 !nnovation flow at NCL, Pune 23

24. Ten Steps to an Innovative Solution
# 2 Escape & Align Phase
What prevents me from reaching B?
What are the Contradictions to be
resolved ?
Where else similar contradictions
exist ?
What are the key Ideas used by
other Inventors to resolve such a
contradiction elsewhere ?
Shankar, 27 Aug'09 !nnovation flow at NCL, Pune 24

25. Ten Steps to an Innovative Solution
# 3 Move Phase
How to relate those Ideas to my Situation ?
How will the Problem / Idea evolve with Time ?
How to Jump to the next-gen Idea ?
Shankar, 27 Aug'09 !nnovation flow at NCL, Pune 25

26. Mantra for !nnovation flow
Focus Escape Move
&
Align
Shankar, 27 Aug'09 !nnovation flow at NCL, Pune 26