Innovation anti-patterns: bonkers beans and magic numbers
summary
Explains that “MVP” is ambiguous and recommends naming intent (experiment, first release, throwaway prototype); shows a real wizard of oz MVP where a web front end emails sellers until demand justifies automation; warns against magic numbers (vanity metrics) and describes metrics that must enable decisions; identifies anti-patterns named innovation railroad and innovation fizzle; argues for psychological safety, rotating people into innovation, cheap early experiments, and using shiny projects as trojan horses for needed infrastructure.
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chapters (18)
- 0:00Introduction
- 0:40Innovation ideas seem absurd
- 3:53Tech context changes innovation
- 7:23Carver's inventions success/failure
- 9:52Problem with MVP term
- 13:44Mueller's Oz MVP story
- 16:12High vs low uncertainty innovation
- 17:36Magic numbers and vanity metrics
- 19:44Carver's soil fertility mission
- 22:10Innovation railroad anti-patterns
- 24:58Peanut innovation solved two problems
- 27:27Risks of siloed innovation teams
- 29:12Rotating teams for innovation
- 30:57Phone ovation anti-pattern
- 33:48Key takeaways
- 34:53Q&A: Reducing MVP quality
- 39:50Q&A: Innovation vs productivity
- 40:31Q&A: Vanity metrics
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