Newsletter Archive: 2017

Volume 15, #8, November 2017
How Intuit’s practices have helped it outlive competitors
by Sheila Mello and Wayne Mackey

Intuit has been exceptionally successful over the last several decades. But the exceptional thing about Intuit is that it doesn’t have to be exceptional. There’s no reason why your company can’t adopt the customer-related practices that have made Intuit a standout.

Volume 15, #7, October 2017
How informatics-enabled projects can take you out of the me-too product game
by Wayne Mackey and Sheila Mello

Optimizing the way you discover, generate, share, and store information can streamline project management and make your entire organization more competitive.

Volume 15, #6, August 2017
What product developers can learn from major league pitchers
by Sheila Mello and Wayne Mackey

Fall is a glorious time for baseball fans, with the regular season wrapping up in September and a month of post-season play in October. But every season is high-stakes season for product developers, who need to deliver consistently or risk disappointing customers and falling behind competitors. We offer some lessons that the product development world can take from baseball.

Volume 15, #5, July 2017
Take your strategy off the shelf and out into the world
by Wayne Mackey and Sheila Mello

The best strategy in the world won’t move your company forward if you don’t execute it.

Volume 15, #4, June 2017
Focus on four areas to build products with market pull
by Sheila Mello and Wayne Mackey

What if you made a product that customers wanted so desperately they were willing to pay almost anything to get it?

Volume 15, #3, April 2017
Five ways to generate excitement for new initiatives
by Sheila Mello and Wayne Mackey

Whether you’re selling a new video game or a new approach to product development, your challenge is to get the buyers to come to you already wanting the goods.

Volume 15, #2, March 2017
Three Ways to Change Your Conversation Around Innovation
by Sheila Mello and Wayne Mackey

Will your company be transformed right out of business, or will you bust out of the constraints of today and allow your team to envision the crazy ideas that will become the “of course” products of the future?

Volume 15, #1, January 2017
The future of innovation belongs to those who can dream in their customers’ worlds
by Sheila Mello and Wayne Mackey

You can check all the usual boxes—great execution, solid management, well-integrated teams, stellar new product development processes. Yet if you can’t see what’s coming in three, five, or ten years, you not only risk losing market share but also suffering the complete disintegration of your company, your industry, and your business model.