The document discusses external influences on the ideation process and developing ideas for market solutions. It covers understanding marketplaces, determining unique ideas, automating processes to reduce costs, improving market performance by addressing slow or expensive problems, and analyzing competitors. The goal is to provide resources and advice to help startups and product developers solve real-world problems.

1. External Influences
on the Ideation Process
Marketplace Solutions for Real World Issues
Presented By
Peter Jones
Of
Blue Oyster Business Growth
For Startups & Product Developers
& For Suppliers to Startup Product Owners
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2. Understanding Market Places
● We need to solve many real world problems
– These are often called “gaps” in our market places
● We are best to solve problems “uniquely”
● How can we re-invent cost components?
– (1) Financial (2) Time (3) Resources
● How can we improve performance?
– (1) Speed (2) Experience & Perception (3) Results
● How can we improve continuity?
● Solutions need to be both real & sustainable
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3. Determining Idea Uniqueness
● Can we produce unique ideas?
– “There's no such thing as an original idea” - unknown
– “Thesis, antithesis, synthesis” - Hegel, 1770-1831
● Some “unique” ideas – Doh!
– The wheel, the car, light bulbs, the internet, mobile phones
– The light bulb “moment”? Took 1,000 experiments!
● Creativity is actually a “slow thought” process
● Bloom's “Knowledge” Taxonomy
– Knowledge, Understanding, Application
Analysis, Evaluation, Synthesis
And … 1,000 !!!
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4. Automation Reduces Costs
Good designers
ensure fun & access
Start Ups
Reliability &
Reach – Easy &
Affordable
“Recent”
OUT - High Cost
“Consultancy”
“Historic”
IN - Low
Cost SaaS
O
P
E
R
A
T
I
O
N
S
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5. Saving Customer Resources
Customer Simulation Workshop
Founder presents, “audience” marks out of ten, then averages
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6. Improving Market Performance
● On a market by market basis:
– What works too slowly?
– What works painfully and laboriously?
– What still works very expensively?
● Are there Apps that deliver comparably?
– Do SaaS Apps work quickly, slickly and cheaply?
– Previously, we asked who might deliver consultancy services?
● If no Apps, what is the pain caused, the “opportunity cost”?
– Would the market pay to alleviate the pain?
– Automate existing gap, or find something brand new?
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7. “Competitors”
Competitor Discussion Workshop (3 + 3 + 3)
Product Competitors Local Eye
Churn
USP Growth
Global Copies None Unique Continuing
Global Copies,
Pinterest,
Instagram etc
Many First, Biggest
Audience
Stagnating
Zoho Market Leader Cheaper Getting
Recommended
Product A / 10 / 10 / 10 / 10
Product B / 10 / 10 / 10 / 10
Product C / 10 / 10 / 10 / 10
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8. “Competitor” Characteristics
What do we like & miss? An example...
“Unique”
Competitor A
Cost Competitive
Cost Feature
Owner A
Team A
Reduction
Feature(s)
Opportunity
eg Competitve
Niche Segment
“Unique”
Competitor B
Niche
Customer
Segment
Niche
Customer
Owner B
Team B
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9. Market Influence on
Execution Operation
Ideation
Development
Launch
Service Delivery
Operation
Thorough
Market Research
Risk
Management
New Entrants
New Products
Other Markets
CEO “Lean Foundation” Responsibility
To Bring Deep Knowledge / High Reputation Resources
Business
Development
Project
Live
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10. Solving Real World Problems
● UK 2014 – Public Sector Cost Cutting
– Health – bureaucratic, disconnected, disjointed
– Education – overwhelmed, undervalued
● There are real tech opportunities here
Commercial Opportunity
Opportunity Value
Opportunity Cost
Issues
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11. Improving UK Startup Performance
Some Key 2014 Opportunities
● Startup market – disjointed
– “Poor ideas” - Hackers Hustlers
– “No tech companies” - Hipsters
– “Venal 10% investors” - Hipsters
● Startup events – for “Busy Fools” ?
– Chaotic random – not improving CEO skill levels
– Focused on doing, not structured, applied learning
● Right product, right place, right words, right time?
– Must CEOs be “lucky” to persuade partners to collaborate?
● Only “10% success” levels – some succeed, many don't
– 30% startups fail within 3 years – Alex Pollizzi, BBC
– But many startups never reach the “measurable” stage
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12. Useful Network Resources
CEO 4 Hire / Troubleshooter
Lending £1m-£20M
Investor Search Selection
Startup Funding
Harnessing the Cloud
Social Marketing
Guerrilla Marketing
Digital Marketing
Social Sales
Team Assessment Motivation
Project Management eg Trello
Lean Collaboration Software
Entrepreneurial Success Cultures
Ideation
Customer Discovery
Prototyping
Tech Solutions
Creative, Innovative Cultures
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13. Peter Jones
Innovator, Opportunity Creator
● 20 year UK corporate career, FTSE blue chip
● Tech dev, process design, project management
● Owns and runs own small business
● 5 years working with small and startup businesses
● 10 years networking with small businesses
● A UK “market opportunist” - strong hunches where the gaps are
● Ideally positioned to advise guide young UK tech startups
● Own 10 step startup process - “The Innovation Toolkit”
– For startups and corporate product managers
● Planning to build own App to support hardworking startups
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