What do you do if your favorite product innovation tool is no longer effective?

1 Sign 1: You're not learning anything new

One of the main purposes of a product innovation tool is to help you learn from your customers, your market, and your experiments. If you're using the same tool over and over, without generating any new insights, feedback, or data, you might be wasting your time and resources. You need a tool that challenges your assumptions, exposes your blind spots, and reveals new opportunities for improvement. A good product innovation tool should help you discover what you don't know, not just confirm what you already know.

3 Sign 3: You're not creating enough value

The ultimate goal of a product innovation tool is to help you create products that deliver value to your customers and your business. If you're using the same tool for every product, without testing and validating your assumptions, your value proposition, and your business model, you might be creating products that nobody wants, needs, or pays for. You need a tool that helps you measure and optimize your value creation, test and iterate your product features and benefits, and validate your product-market fit. A good product innovation tool should help you create products that are desirable, feasible, and viable, not just products that are cool, trendy, or flashy.

4 Tip 1: Explore different types of tools

Are you ready to switch your product innovation tool? There are many types of tools available, each with its own purpose, process, and output. Ideation tools can help you generate and select ideas for new products or features, such as brainstorming techniques, design thinking methods, or creativity exercises. Experimentation tools can help you test and validate your ideas and assumptions, like prototyping tools, customer interviews, or landing pages. Evaluation tools can measure and optimize the value of your products with analytics tools, surveys, or A/B tests. You can use different types of tools for different stages of your product innovation process based on your goals, resources, and constraints. Additionally, you can combine and adapt tools to fit your specific needs and context.

5 Tip 2: Learn from other innovators

One of the best ways to find and adopt a new product innovation tool is to learn from other innovators who have used it successfully. You can look for case studies, examples, or testimonials from other product teams, companies, or industries that have used the tool to create better products. You can also join online communities, forums, or webinars where you can ask questions, share experiences, or get feedback from other product innovators. Learning from other innovators can help you understand the benefits, the challenges, and the best practices of using a new product innovation tool.

6 Tip 3: Experiment and iterate

Finally, the most important tip to switch your product innovation tool is to experiment and iterate. You don't have to commit to one tool forever, or use it exactly as prescribed. You can try different tools, see what works and what doesn't, and make changes as you go. You can also mix and match different tools, or create your own custom tools, to fit your unique situation and goals. The key is to keep learning, keep improving, and keep creating value with your products.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?