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Overview
How did Kevin O’Connor help create DoubleClick, the innovative marketing technology company...two software companies...dozens of products...and now the “disappearing” DVD, a product that will turn the home video market on its head?Sheer brilliance? While O’Connor is very smart indeed, he credits his success to applying Thomas Edison’s famous saying that “genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” In other words, the breakthrough product or service that is the result of sheer genius alone is the exception.
Great ideas that form the basis of new companies or that can make a hero of someone toiling in the corporate world are within reach of us all.
“But wait,” says O’Connor, “ideas are cheap.” Just as important is doing something with them—a process that will turn the best ideas into something that people need. In other words, O’Connor argues convincingly, innovation can be systematically forced.
The Map of Innovation is O’Connor’s step-by-step approach to devising lucrative new products and services and bringing them to market, through a process that has proven itself time and again in many different industries. Too often, people trying to innovate focus on things that don’t matter or waste their time trying to find answers to questions that can’t be answered. O’Connor shows why the map of innovation centers on getting right the five make-or-break fundamentals: creating a large number of viable ideas; picking the right idea to pursue; creating a highly focused strategy to bring the idea to market; getting the money to fund the strategy; and hiring the best people. With Kevin O’Connor, the proof of the value of methodical innovation is in the pudding. He helped start companies that have employed thousands of people and created billions in shareholder value.
Anyone can get lucky once, but for success to strike three times and to include many successful products, there has to be a method and map, and any company, big or small, working on any product or service can benefit from O’Connor’s time-tested tactics.
From the Hardcover edition.
Synopsis
How did Kevin O’Connor help create DoubleClick, the innovative marketing technology company...two software companies...dozens of products...and now the “disappearing” DVD, a product that will turn the home video market on its head? Sheer brilliance? While O’Connor is very smart indeed, he credits his success to applying Thomas Edison’s famous saying that “genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” In other words, the breakthrough product or service that is the result of sheer genius alone is the exception. Great ideas that form the basis of new companies or that can make a hero of someone toiling in the corporate world are within reach of us all. “But wait,” says O’Connor, “ideas are cheap.” Just as important is doing something with them—a process that will turn the best ideas into something that people need. In other words, O’Connor argues convincingly, innovation can be systematically forced. The Map of Innovation is O’Connor’s step-by-step approach to devising lucrative new products and services and bringing them to market, through a process that has proven itself time and again in many different industries. Too often, people trying to innovate focus on things that don’t matter or waste their time trying to find answers to questions that can’t be answered. O’Connor shows why the map of innovation centers on getting right the five make-or-break fundamentals: creating a large number of viable ideas; picking the right idea to pursue; creating a highly focused strategy to bring the idea to market; getting the money to fund the strategy; and hiring the best people. With Kevin O’Connor, the proof of the value of methodical innovation is in the pudding. He helped start companies that have employed thousands of people and created billions in shareholder value. Anyone can get lucky once, but for success to strike three times and to include many successful products, there has to be a method and map, and any company, big or small, working on any product or service can benefit from O’Connor’s time-tested tactics.Editorials
Publishers Weekly
What if innovation could be made routine-if assembly-line procedures could churn out brilliant ideas on command? O'Connor, the founder of online ad wholesaler DoubleClick and an unremitting entrepreneur, relishes innovative ideas-from a youthful scheme to shock a troublesome raccoon to DVD rentals that self-destruct instead of having to be returned-and offers here a "reproducible" process that will "force innovation" and "improve both the numbers and the quality of ideas." He calls it the Brainstorming Prioritization Technique, which turns out to be a lot like garden variety brainstorming, with voting to winnow out the likeliest ideas followed by "research" into the best idea; when BPT is used to pair business opportunities with new technology, O'Connor says, "solutions pop out." The process remains somewhat mysterious-BPT relies on "really smart and innovative people," some of whom should be experts on the issue at hand, and others who should have a "knack for creativity in any area"-and O'Connor concedes that "not everyone who applies these principles will be successful-in fact, few of you will." Indeed, after a while he rather drops the subject of innovation and concentrates on general advice on entrepreneurship and marketing. Here the book comes into its own, with practical and colorful tips on negotiating with venture capitalists, launching new products, sales and telemarketing, hitting up friends and relatives for money and motivating workers with stock options instead of cash. None of this material is wildly innovative, but O'Connor and co-author Brown present it in a breezy, acerbic style that cuts through managerial cant. (Aug. 19) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.Library Journal
O'Connor, one of the innovators behind the very profitable and groundbreaking Internet marketing company DoubleClick, shares his methodology for going from brainstorming to bringing a product or service to the market that wants or needs it. He believes that new ideas can be systematically forced, and his step-by-step approach of "methodical innovation" has been proven over time and in many industries. O'Connor details fundamental concepts for success like creating a large number of viable ideas, picking the right idea to pursue, creating a highly focused strategy to get the idea to market, and, of course, hiring great employees. His important chapters include "Are You Sure You Want to Do This," "BPT: Brainstorming Prioritization Technique," "Getting (and Keeping) the Money," and "The Right People: Hire Smart Athletes." The book's charts, highlighted information boxes, and summaries emphasize especially useful ideas and concepts. An appendix provides DoubleClick's extremely detailed business plan, while an index covers the access points not provided by the table of contents. Entrepreneurs, marketers, and students will learn from O'Connor's methodology. Recommended for all business collections.-Susan C. Awe, Univ. of New Mexico Lib., Albuquerque Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.Book Details
Published
August 12, 2003
Publisher
Crown Publishing Group
Pages
256
ISBN
9781400050543