PRODUCT INNOVATION | How to Create a Revolution vs. Evolution
Bryan Smeltzer discusses the strategies around creating an ongoing Culture of Revolution—building a pipeline of innovations that allow you to draw-down your creations and Evolve.
Bryan Smeltzer's The Visionary Chronicles Podcast on driving your brand, product, and marketing through an innovation driven mindset and disruptive strategies.
Evolution: a gradual, progressive change.
Revolution: a sudden, complete change.
By definition, you should always be looking to Revolutionize your industry, product, or process! While both are important to your brand's longevity, to sustain innovation, you need a Revolution.
The main defining difference between these product commercialization strategies is one is incremental (Evolution), while the other is generational (Revolution). Each has its place, but if you want to build your brand into a thought and product leader within your respective category, you MUST be a Revolutionary.
Being a Revolutionary comes from a leader's Vision of what you want to be when you grow up, and continue to become as you grow older.
The benefits of being a Revolutionary are:
TALENT: You gain the best Talent. Everyone wants to work with a winner!
CULTURE: You build a passionate Culture, your team and community have a shared, consistent Vision to embrace.
PASSION: Being a leader with an authentic Culture built around a committed leadership team creates a passionate and loyal team!
ENVY: others will follow, but they will not lead.
To create a Revolution, you need the following:
- Product Inspiration that comes from a Breakaway design, something others say is impossible.
- Allows for Evolution, nothing Revolutionary comes from an Evolution.
- Creates a Production Innovation pipeline, creating Breakaway designs and ideas to fill the funnel.
- Builds a Passionate Culture, driven by loyalty to your brand.
- Allows for Innovations and Disruptive Ideas to be embraced.
- Removes Imitation as a mode to Create.
- Is a Leader, not a Follower. Never look in your rearview mirror.
- Aspirational designs that motivate your team and followers.
- Control your Future; never let a competitor dictate what to do.
- Drives the company to a long-term future only the Visionary can see.
Evolution is essential, but only if you can create a front-end pipeline of products that sustain this life cycle flow. You will find those who follow are evolutionary creatures, and their strategy is to follow where others have already cleared a path to follow.
Be Revolutionary!
Be Different!