The Human Side of Innovation
Book

The Human Side of Innovation

The Power of People in Love with People

Mauro Porcini
Berrett-Koehler, 2022

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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Bold
  • Insider's Take
  • Inspiring

Recommendation

The old rules that keep established businesses safe are changing. The barriers to entry to the market are falling away. This puts more and more choice – and power – in the hands of end users. How can business leaders navigate this unstable world? The only effective compass is a love of people. As business success becomes synonymous with the creation of value for customers, businesses have an opportunity to learn important lessons from the discipline of design thinking, which puts innovation in the service of people.

Summary

In the future, only human-centered businesses will survive.

People are living through an era of rapid change like nothing the world has seen before. While this change creates an environment of uncertainty for established businesses and stable jobs, it represents an amazing opportunity for dreamers and innovators.

The creators of the Oculus VR headsets were able to bypass the search for traditional venture capital funding and launch their first product with funds raised on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter. The company raised $2.5 million from end users, who, instead of purchasing a finished product, provided start-up capital so that the innovators could create the product they wanted. Facebook later purchased Oculus for $2 billion, making it one of Kickstarter’s biggest success stories.

Kickstarter, and crowdfunding in general, are examples of one of four fundamental changes occurring within the business realm:

  1. Easier access to capital via crowdfunding and venture funding for start-ups.
  2. High-performance and efficient manufacturing.
  3. Direct-to-consumer sales with e-commerce.
  4. Communication...

About the Author

Mauro Porcini is chief design officer at PepsiCo. He is the host of the podcast In Your Shoes – with Mauro Porcini and a presenter in the television series America by Design.

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