Innovation anti-patterns: bonkers beans and magic numbers

The innovation fizzle, the fauxnnovation, the maximal viable product. Holly’s seen them all. In a world where there’s always too much to do and too little time, how can organisations make time to innovate? (Spoiler: siloes probably aren’t the answer.) A presentation on practical innovation strategy, exploring how to design an MVP, how to get something for nothing, and psychological safety.

Transcript

1. Craft Conf
   
   
   Holly Cummins
   
   
   Senior Principal Software Engineer
   
   
   Red Hat
   
   
   @holly_cummins
   innovation anti-patterns
   
   
   bonkers beans and magic numbers
   

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2. @holly_cummins
   #RedHat
   now
   senior principal software engineer
   
   
   helping to build Quarkus
   

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3. @holly_cummins
   #RedHat
   consultant in IBM Garage
   
   
   worked with businesses to help them innovate
   
   
   huge enterprises + teeny startups
   before
   

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4. @holly_cummins
   #RedHat
   the best ideas are on the edge
   of ‘impossible’ and ‘stupid’
   

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5. @holly_cummins
   #RedHat
   the best ideas are on the edge
   of ‘impossible’ and ‘stupid’
   … but now seem kind of normal
   

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6. @holly_cummins
   #RedHat
   “everybody knows”
   

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7. @holly_cummins
   #RedHat
   15 years ago
   everybody
   knows programs
   go fastest if you
   compile them
   ahead of time
   

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8. @holly_cummins
   #RedHat
   15 years ago
   uhh … not
   actually true – JIT
   and GC can enable
   surprising speed-
   ups
   everybody
   knows programs
   go fastest if you
   compile them
   ahead of time
   

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9. @holly_cummins
   #RedHat
   now
   everybody
   knows programs go
   fastest if you let the
   runtime optimisers
   do their thing
   

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10. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    now
    uhh …
    not actually true –
    moving more to
    build-time enables
    surprising speed-
    ups
    everybody
    knows programs go
    fastest if you let the
    runtime optimisers
    do their thing
    

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11. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    ideas that seemed stupid
    … that were not
    

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12. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    “People don't want to lug a computer with them to the
    beach or on a train to while away hours they would rather
    spend reading the newspaper. Somehow, the
    microcomputer industry has assumed that everyone would
    love to have a keyboard grafted on as an extension of their
    fingers. It just is not so.”
    New York Times, 1985
    laptops
    

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13. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    “the popularity of the
    wheel is doomed.”
    Washington Post, 1906
    bicycles
    

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14. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    “the combination of beef
    with cheese may seem
    bizarre.”
    New York Times, 1947
    putting cheese on burgers
    

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15. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    ideas that seemed stupid
    … that actually were
    

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16. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    george washington carver
    

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17. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    george washington carver
    

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18. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    george washington carver
    

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19. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    george washington carver
    1894: first African American to earn a BSc
    

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20. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    george washington carver
    1894: first African American to earn a BSc
    1943: first non-President to receive a national monument
    

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21. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    george washington carver
    1894: first African American to earn a BSc
    1943: first non-President to receive a national monument
    1943: ship named after him
    

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22. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    george washington carver
    1894: first African American to earn a BSc
    1943: first non-President to receive a national monument
    1943: ship named after him
    1990: inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame
    

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23. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    george washington carver
    1894: first African American to earn a BSc
    1943: first non-President to receive a national monument
    1943: ship named after him
    1990: inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame
    

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25. peanut bread
    

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26. peanut bread
    

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27. peanut bread
    peanut sausage
    

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28. peanut bread
    peanut sausage
    

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29. peanut bread
    peanut sausage
    peanut coffee
    

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30. peanut bread
    peanut sausage
    peanut coffee
    

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31. peanut bread
    peanut sausage
    peanut coffee
    peanut paint
    

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32. peanut bread
    peanut sausage
    peanut coffee
    peanut paint
    

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33. peanut bread
    peanut sausage
    peanut coffee
    peanut paint
    peanut nitroglycerine
    

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34. peanut bread
    peanut sausage
    peanut coffee
    peanut paint
    peanut nitroglycerine
    

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35. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    how do we tell the difference between ‘almost impossible
    and stupid’ and ‘actually impossible and stupid’?
    

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36. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    mvp
    how do we tell the difference between ‘almost impossible
    and stupid’ and ‘actually impossible and stupid’?
    

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37. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    minimum viable product
    

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38. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    maximal viable product
    

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39. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    minimum viable prototype
    

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40. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    modestly visionary product
    

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41. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    

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42. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    mvp mvp
    mvp
    

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43. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    are we communicating?
    mvp mvp
    mvp
    

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44. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    are we communicating?
    (no)
    mvp mvp
    mvp
    

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45. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    minimally valuable phrase
    

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46. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    

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47. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    our MVP has been
    through five architecture
    review boards, so we will
    start coding soon
    

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48. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    our MVP has been
    through five architecture
    review boards, so we will
    start coding soon
    can you make it
    bigger? I want a £12M
    MVP
    

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49. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    mvp mvp
    mvp
    

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50. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    first release
    first
    release but
    quality is so
    boring
    experiment
    be explicit about what we
    are trying to accomplish
    

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51. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    innovations in
    improving soil quality
    

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52. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    george washington carver
    “Everything looked
    hungry: the land, the
    cotton, the cattle, and
    the people.”
    

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53. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    we may not truly understand the problem we
    are trying to solve until after our first attempt
    

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54. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    doing an MVP ‘right’: mueller
    

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55. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    doing an MVP ‘right’: mueller
    visual
    designs
    

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56. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    doing an MVP ‘right’: mueller
    visual
    designs
    user
    research
    

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57. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    doing an MVP ‘right’: mueller
    visual
    designs
    user
    research
    devops
    

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58. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    doing an MVP ‘right’: mueller
    visual
    designs
    user
    research
    responsive
    web app
    devops
    

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59. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    doing an MVP ‘right’: mueller
    visual
    designs
    user
    research
    responsive
    web app
    TDD
    devops
    

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60. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    doing an MVP ‘right’: mueller
    visual
    designs
    user
    research
    responsive
    web app
    TDD
    devops
    deployed to
    prod
    

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61. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    doing an MVP ‘right’: mueller
    visual
    designs
    user
    research
    responsive
    web app
    TDD
    devops
    deployed to
    prod
    order
    processing
    system
    

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62. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    doing an MVP ‘right’: mueller
    visual
    designs
    user
    research
    responsive
    web app
    TDD
    devops
    deployed to
    prod
    order
    processing
    system
    

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63. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    wizard of Oz mvp
    

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64. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    high uncertainty moderate uncertainty
    

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65. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    high uncertainty moderate uncertainty
    experiment
    

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66. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    high uncertainty moderate uncertainty
    experiment
    hypothesis
    

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67. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    high uncertainty moderate uncertainty
    experiment
    hypothesis
    able to fail
    

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68. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    high uncertainty moderate uncertainty
    experiment
    hypothesis
    designed to fail
    

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69. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    high uncertainty moderate uncertainty
    experiment
    hypothesis
    designed to fail
    strong metrics
    

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70. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    high uncertainty moderate uncertainty
    experiment
    hypothesis
    designed to fail
    strong metrics
    learning
    

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71. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    high uncertainty moderate uncertainty
    experiment
    hypothesis
    designed to fail
    follow-on
    experiment
    strong metrics
    learning
    

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72. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    high uncertainty moderate uncertainty
    experiment
    hypothesis
    designed to fail
    follow-on
    experiment
    radical
    
    
    descoping
    strong metrics
    learning
    

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73. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    high uncertainty moderate uncertainty
    experiment
    hypothesis
    designed to fail
    follow-on
    experiment
    radical
    
    
    descoping
    really hope
    to succeed
    strong metrics
    learning
    

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74. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    high uncertainty moderate uncertainty
    experiment
    hypothesis
    designed to fail
    follow-on
    experiment
    radical
    
    
    descoping
    really hope
    to succeed
    strong metrics
    learning
    user value
    

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75. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    high uncertainty moderate uncertainty
    experiment
    hypothesis
    designed to fail
    follow-on
    experiment
    radical
    
    
    descoping
    really hope
    to succeed
    iterative
    continuous
    expansion of
    scope
    strong metrics
    learning
    user value
    

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76. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    high uncertainty moderate uncertainty
    experiment
    hypothesis
    designed to fail
    follow-on
    experiment
    radical
    
    
    descoping
    really hope
    to succeed
    iterative
    continuous
    expansion of
    scope
    strong metrics
    learning
    user value
    

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77. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    

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78. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    we have data! and
    no matter what the
    numbers, it shows we are
    doing a good job!
    

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79. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    vanity metrics
    “magic numbers”
    we have data! but the
    numbers can’t tell us what
    actions to take
    

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80. learning is only possible with
    psychological safety
    

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81. failed experiments are only possible
    with psychological safety
    

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82. is the org supportive of this?
    

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83. is the org supportive of this?
    

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84. is the org supportive of this?
    it means they are asking
    questions they didn’t
    already know the answer to
    

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85. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    innovation funnels
    

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86. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    

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87. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    prune out the bad ideas early
    

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88. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    

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89. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    innovation funnel
    

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90. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    idea innovation funnel
    

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91. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    production
    idea innovation funnel
    

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92. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    production
    idea innovation funnel
    innovation railroad
    

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93. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    production
    idea innovation funnel
    organisational
    incentive to
    plough on;
    failure is
    punished
    innovation railroad
    

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94. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    production
    idea innovation funnel
    organisational
    incentive to
    plough on;
    failure is
    punished
    innovation railroad
    

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95. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    production
    idea innovation funnel innovation fizzle
    organisational
    incentive to
    plough on;
    failure is
    punished
    innovation railroad
    

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96. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    production
    idea innovation funnel innovation fizzle
    most projects the same length
    
    
    few get to production
    
    
    incentive for ‘innovation activity’
    organisational
    incentive to
    plough on;
    failure is
    punished
    innovation railroad
    

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97. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    production
    idea innovation funnel innovation fizzle
    most projects the same length
    
    
    few get to production
    
    
    incentive for ‘innovation activity’
    organisational
    incentive to
    plough on;
    failure is
    punished
    innovation railroad
    filtering for ‘sure thing’
    
    
    focus on risk reduction
    
    
    bureaucracy
    
    
    paperwork
    

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98. @holly_cummins
    #RedHat
    production
    idea innovation funnel innovation fizzle
    most projects the same length
    
    
    few get to production
    
    
    incentive for ‘innovation activity’
    organisational
    incentive to
    plough on;
    failure is
    punished
    innovation railroad
    filtering for ‘sure thing’
    
    
    focus on risk reduction
    
    
    bureaucracy
    
    
    paperwork
    lack of psychological safety
    innovation teams
    

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99. @holly_cummins
    #IBM
    dedicated innovation team
    

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100. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     george washington carver
     

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101. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     why peanuts?
     

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102. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     

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103. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     peas
     
     
     soy beans
     
     
     peanuts
     
     
     (a peanut is a bean, not a nut)
     

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104. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     

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105. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     cotton exhausts soil
     

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106. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     cotton exhausts soil
     beans restore it
     

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107. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     cotton peanuts
     

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108. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     cotton
     peanuts
     

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109. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     cotton peanuts
     

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110. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     but there was a
     problem
     

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111. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     but there was a
     problem
     

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112. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     but there was a
     problem
     • idea! peanut butter
     

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113. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     but there was a
     problem
     • idea! peanut butter
     • idea! salted peanuts
     

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114. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     but there was a
     problem
     • idea! peanut butter
     • idea! salted peanuts
     • idea! chocolate covered
     peanuts
     

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115. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     but there was a
     problem
     • idea! peanut butter
     • idea! salted peanuts
     • idea! chocolate covered
     peanuts
     • …
     

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116. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     1 + 1 = 3
     double win
     

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117. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     this works for people, too
     

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118. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     innovation teams are
     innovation monocultures
     

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119. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     peas
     cotton
     

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120. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     year 1
     peas
     cotton
     

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121. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     year 2
     peas
     cotton
     

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122. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     year 3
     peas
     cotton
     

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123. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     year 4
     peas
     cotton
     

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124. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     innovation
     team
     rest of team
     

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125. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     year 1
     innovation
     team
     rest of team
     

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126. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     year 2
     innovation
     team
     rest of team
     

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127. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     year 3
     innovation
     team
     rest of team
     

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128. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     year 4
     innovation
     team
     rest of team
     

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129. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     “innovation needs time, and we
     wouldn’t want to give that time
     to everyone in our company”
     

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130. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     a change is as good as a rest
     

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131. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     since you’ve
     been working your
     socks off on this release,
     we will give you time off! …
     you still come to work, but
     you can work on
     anything you like
     rotations, or …
     

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132. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     advantage: everyone is ‘off’ at
     the same time
     

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133. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     we will reward innovation
     from all teams, not just the
     innovation team
     rotations, or …
     

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134. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     we will reward learning &
     accept risk from all teams,
     not just the innovation
     team
     rotations, or …
     

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135. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     the fauxnovation
     

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136. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     “innovation needs time, and we
     wouldn’t want to give that time
     to everyone in our company”
     remember this?
     

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137. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     “we don’t have slack in the system
     for normal improvement, but we do
     have an innovation budget.”
     corollary
     

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138. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     “we need a chatbot.”
     

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139. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     “we need a chatbot.”
     “we need a chatbot…”
     

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140. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     “we need a chatbot.”
     “we need a chatbot…”
     “… because our internal search is really bad.”
     

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141. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     “we need blockchain.”
     

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142. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     “we need blockchain.”
     “we need blockchain…”
     

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143. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     “we need blockchain.”
     “we need blockchain…”
     “… because our processes need to be digitised.”
     

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144. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     ‘normal’
     improvement
     smuggled in with
     disruptive innovation
     

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145. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     ‘normal’
     improvement
     smuggled in with
     disruptive innovation
     ‘normal’
     improvement
     enabled by
     disruptive technology
     (actually, this is kind of ok?)
     

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146. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     (actually, this is fine)
     

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147. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     (actually, this is fine)
     (actually, this is kind of ok?)
     

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148. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     sometimes, disguises have value
     

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149. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     sometimes, disguises have value
     (actually, this is kind of ok?)
     

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150. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     … but think about why they are needed?
     
     
     are you measuring the right things?
     
     
     

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151. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     

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152. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     so …
     

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153. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     so …
     • don’t say MVP – say what you mean
     

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154. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     so …
     • don’t say MVP – say what you mean
     • experiment and measure to act
     

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155. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     so …
     • don’t say MVP – say what you mean
     • experiment and measure to act
     • beware the innovation silos
     

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156. @holly_cummins
     #RedHat
     so …
     • don’t say MVP – say what you mean
     • experiment and measure to act
     • beware the innovation silos
     • are you sneaking in fauxnovation?
     

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157. thank you
     
     
     @holly_cummins
     slides
     

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