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Irrelevant innovation
Why change isn't always a good thing.... We spend so much of our time thinking about important innovation but maybe we should spare a...

John Bessant
Apr 27, 20241 min read


It's not (Only)what you know....
Innovation is a multi-player game. The image of the lone hero innovator is a myth. Even celebrated soloists like Thomas Edison or James...

John Bessant
Apr 2, 20242 min read


Beating the innovation scaling blues...
Another innovation song.... Last week I was helping run a series of workshops supporting social innovators from across the United Nations...

John Bessant
Mar 14, 20242 min read


Innovation lessons from a skateboard...
What have ollies, decks, trucks, popsicles, cruisers and kicktails got in common? If you’d asked me that back in December I would have...

John Bessant
Feb 15, 20242 min read


Innovation is rubbish!
One of our family traditions at this time of year is the big clear-up. There’s a time limit on our tolerance for the accumulated junk,...

John Bessant
Jan 15, 20241 min read


Pathways to scale
Why planning your innovation expedition helps avoid a lot of windswept trouble on the journey… Taking an innovation from a small-sized...

John Bessant
Nov 25, 20231 min read


Grow up fast!
We talk a lot about learning by doing in the agile innovation process, especially in the context of start-ups. But it’s hard to capture...

John Bessant
Nov 20, 20231 min read


Tell 'em a story
Innovation is all about trying to convince others — people to help develop your idea, sponsors to back you, markets to buy in to your...

John Bessant
Oct 31, 20232 min read


Prove it to me!
Why evidence is so important for scaling innovation A good idea will sell itself, right? Unfortunately not – Emerson was spectacularly...

John Bessant
Oct 16, 20231 min read


The entrepreneur's journey - the musical!
I'm running a course on entrepreneurship and was looking for a way to help students remember some key milestones on the journey - value ...

John Bessant
Oct 4, 20231 min read


Working out at the creativity gym
Imagine: · An artist sitting in front of her easel, mind focused as she faces a blank canvas and thinks hard and long about where and how...

John Bessant
Sep 7, 20232 min read


The power of position innovation
How creating experiences for underserved markets can be a key innovation strategy It’s summertime, at least here in the northern...

John Bessant
Aug 22, 20232 min read


Crystallising the spirit of innovation
An interview with Hannes Erler, Strategic Director for Innovation Ecosystems, Swarovski You can listen to it here as a podcast Or watch...

John Bessant
Aug 14, 20231 min read


Scaling innovation through value networks
There comes a time in innovation when you realise you might have taken on something a bit too big. No matter how hard you throw yourself...

John Bessant
Jul 14, 20231 min read


Cracking the innovation code
An interview with Robyn Bolton It's hard to disagree with the idea that innovation-led growth is of paramount importance, but how often...

John Bessant
Jun 28, 202316 min read


It's about time
Why keeping an eye on the clock matters in the world of innovation On 29th September 1707 a fleet of 21 ships under the command of...

John Bessant
Jun 13, 20232 min read


Cooking up some innovation magic
How to manage innovation spaces for impact Once upon a time there was a Brazilian entrepreneur, Antonio Jacob Renner. Who in 1912 founded...

John Bessant
May 20, 20232 min read


Underground innovation
We know today that smart companies who care about innovation invest in the capacity for innovation — R&D and market research, future ...

John Bessant
Apr 25, 20231 min read


Making an IMPACT
Building values-based innovation cultures for sustainable business impact Sustainability matters - of course. You'd have to be living in...

John Bessant
Apr 12, 20238 min read


A flop is not a failure
Why innovation thrives on being able to reframe Mexico City, Olympic Games, 1968. The stadium is packed, the wider world looks on via TV...

John Bessant
Mar 22, 20232 min read
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