Something Really New: Three Simple Steps to Creating Truly Innovative Products

by Denis J. Hauptly

Product innovation is the key to business growth. But many books deal with innovation from the business process view alone, or confuse innovation with creativity. Written by an innovation expert whose products generate more than one billion dollars in annual revenue, Something Really New introduces a straightforward but powerful framework for creating exciting new product and service concepts . . . simply by asking three essential questions. From an electronic hotel kiosk that provides return airline boarding passes for guests, to something as mundane as the evolution of the toaster, the book provides entertaining, illuminating examples that show how to determine what customer needs aren’t being met, using simple methods to arrive at revolutionary conclusions. For example, "What is a product really used for?" The question may seem elementary, but the right answer is far from obvious. This and other key questions demonstrate how readers can move beyond mere market research to get to the root of real innovation. Practical and eye-opening, this book shows companies how to take the kind of startling leaps that will leave their competition in the dust.

Genres: Business, Design

242 pages, Hardcover

First published November 7, 2007

Reviews

[Jose Papo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so good that it even hurts :) !!! REally, read it if you are a product manager, business analyst, innovator, product designer, UX Specialist, etc. It gives the three most important questions to make when you want to innovate and also give a 6 step framework to use them. And this is part 1 of the book! Part 2 discuss the context of innovation: people, organization and management issues. I liked part 1 more. If you read part 1 you will see everything around you different, seeking opportunities of improvement and innovation everywhere.

[Paul · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a real dud I am afraid. There is nothing new, the premise of the book boils down to a simplistic 6-step process that ignores prior art, and the presentation is repetitive and confused (refer 6 step process cf "three simple steps" in the book title).

Despite the authors qualifications, here is a book that unfortunately gives all the appearances of being written from a position of inexperience and in ignorance of the wider knowledge in the field.

There was one worthy point that caught my interest: a distinction drawn between innovation and simple mutation. Ultimately, the discussion of this point was disappointing, as the author doesn't go far beyond just highlighting it as something to watch for.

(1 star = don't waste your time, just so you know I voted!)

[Mert Topcu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Concepts are solid (maybe a little too simplistic) but some of the examples are a little outdated.

I liked the second part (talking about people & organizations) more than the product management ideas shared in the first section. I think I found his three pillar framework a little too simplistic.

I would give 3.5 start is possible.

[Adam Wiggins · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are so few books on the topic of product development that this one is a welcome entry.

One key idea is that a repeatable path to product innovation is to (1) understand what your target customers are really trying to do (e.g. "they want to buy a hole in the wall, not a drill") (2) map out the steps in detail and (3) try to remove steps. For example, one way Uber innovated on the taxi ride experience was to eliminate the clumsy payment steps at the end of a ride.

The book is frustratingly vague in places. For example, it stresses the importance of building a culture of innovation in your company, but doesn't provide many concrete actions for how to do that.

[Christine]

Found this in Martin's basement, worth the short time it takes to read it.