By Heather Sarkissian

1. H E A T H E R S A R K I S S I A N
D A P - N E W P R O D U C T I N N O V A T I O N

2. OVERVIEW
Background on Product Innovation at DAP
Two Approaches for the Lean Start Up
§ Develop End User Research Capabilities
§ Leverage Open Innovation
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4. ROLE OF A NEW PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGER
Role created a year or so ago to help DAP focus on breakthrough
product innovation.
Experience at lean organizations has been key.
Year 1 – Building a Foundation for Innovation
Year 2 – Taking Risks
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5. WHAT IS PRODUCT INNOVATION
Definitions vary.
At DAP product innovation means
§ Making jobs cheaper, faster, easier to do;
§ Providing a solution to a previously unmet need or developing a
significantly better solution than what is currently available; and
§ It’s not just a better mousetrap.
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6. DAP’S PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES
3 Phase Discovery Process
§ Ideation
§ Opportunity Definition
§ Concept Development
Stage Gate Process
§ 5 gates
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8. END USER RESEARCH
Primarily qualitative research methods aimed at:
§ Understanding and being able to empathize with a specific group of end
users doing a certain type of activity
§ EX) General Contractors and Remodelers using cartridge construction
adhesives
§ Developing a clear understand of how they prepare, carry out, and
complete a certain types of activity – task analysis
§ Developing an understanding of the different types of end users that carry
out this activity – personas
§ Identifying opportunities to better satisfy these end users
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9. AN EXAMPLE OF END USER RESEARCH
General Contractors and Remodelers using cartridge
construction adhesives
§ Research Method
§ Task analysis
§ Personas
§ Opportunities to better satisfy these end users
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10. FREE RESOURCES ON HOW TO DO END USER
RESEARCH
Google Ventures Startup Lab workshop: User Research, Quick 'n' Dirty
§ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpzmOH0hrEM
§ This is an excellent primer, and an easy way to get started.
d.school Bootcamp Bootleg on Design Thinking
§ http://dschool.stanford.edu/use-our-methods/
§ A variety of methods explained
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11. FREE RESOURCES ON HOW TO DO END USER
RESEARCH
How to interview and carry out ethnographies
§ http://vimeo.com/1269848
§ Illinois Institute of Technology's Institute of Design, ID offers a great how to video on
gleaning quality insights
Human Centered Design Toolkit (IDEO)
§ http://www.ideo.com/work/human-centered-design-toolkit/
§ designed for NGOs, but tools translate well for developing products for businesses.
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12. IN SUMMARY
§ End User Research is a significant competitive advantage.
§ Why leave your product’s success up to luck or personal intuition,
when your target end-users can tell you what they will buy.
§ End User Research is not as hard as it seems, there are lots of
great free resources out there.
§ End User Research gets easier the more you do it.
§ If you do not have the right fit personality, time or patience, End
User Research is a great way for someone to earn sweat equity.
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14. WHAT IS OPEN INNOVATION?
First coined by Henry Chesbrough (UCAL Berkley)
“Open innovation is a paradigm that assumes that firms can and
should use external ideas as well as internal ideas, and internal
and external paths to market, as the firms look to advance their
technology”.
P&G’s Growth Strategy - 50% of innovation from and 50% through
their labs
Expecting there are great ideas outside of your organization
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15. HOW OPEN INNOVATION APPLIES TO A LEAN STARTUP
Most anyone can leverage open innovation:
§ No product, no company, want to be an entrepreneur
§ Have a company, looking for new products
§ Have a product, but it could be better with partners
Ways of Leveraging Open Innovation:
§ Checking out local colleges and universities for inventions
§ Seeking out inventors, state level inventor organizations or
inventions firms like Invention Home and Edison Nation
§ Looking for companies that have technologies you could license
and use for example in your software product
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16. HOW DAP IS LEVERAGING OPEN INNOVATION
§ Culture of openness to outside ideas
§ Ability to understand and empathize with inventors and
entrepreneurs
§ Open Innovation Process
§ Method of attracting inventors and entrepreneurs
§ Examples of product successes
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17. HOW OPEN INNOVATION CAN FAIL
§ Not Invented Here Syndrome
§ Dissimilar Goals
§ Communication Challenges
§ Insufficient Resources to Manage Open Innovation
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18. THANK YOU
For more resources of information, just let me know and I can share
them with you.
Twitter: hsarkissian
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