The word “innovation” appears so often in business literature that it’s like a talisman, as if the spirit of invention its own can drive a company to success. In reality, innovation is a powerful force, but like any force, it must be directed properly to make it useful. Competitive intelligence plays an important role there, and the books described here can help:
Crossing the Chasm (Moore). A lot of technology-oriented products appeal to early adopters but never manage to cross the chasm to appeal to a broad base of mainstream buyers. This book lays out techniques for overcoming this dilemma by creating integrated product packages and targeting specific market segments. It also lines those techniques up with competitive strategies and choosing the right distribution channel.
Innovator’s Dilemma (Christensen). Done right, putting the spirit of disruptive innovation to work in a business to drive change is a threatening prospect. That’s why this book will keep anyone in a leadership role awake at night to finish the next chapter, in the best tradition of suspense thrillers. It makes the case that companies must harness disruptive innovation to force evolution, or else go extinct.
By Sean Campbell
By Scott Swigart