The Blog is a collection of experiences, told in narrative form.
They’re a little long so feel free to check out the 'TLDR’ version if you’re not sure whether to commit to a read or not.
TLDR, or ‘Too long, didn’t read’ is a summary for those looking for one (click here for a history of the expression).
The opportunity canvas
Opportunity Canvases have replaced traditional business cases in environments where investors have realised that their portfolio is wracked with uncertainty that results in claimed benefits not being realised years after an investment decision has been made to deliver a monolithic project. This article explores the origin of the opportunity canvas and what you should consider as you try out this tool as a facilitator for transformation of a portfolio of opportunities.
That time you almost electrocuted yourself
In 2013, I was on a journey to building my own electric car for fun, or at least a bike-path based prototype before scaling to road-scale. In February 2014, I made my first weld as I assembled the steel spine of the 3-wheeled recumbent trike frame. This was something I felt relatively capable of doing as a mechanical engineer and I had even sifted through the ‘Australian Design Rules’ to determine the requirements of the street-legal version. What I didn’t anticipate was that the mechanical and structural side would be the least of my problems.
Closing down an online innovation platform
I wrote a post, some communications to the business some months ago announcing the closure of an innovation platform I helped to birth. It was a baby that had a challenging persona in it’s teens and was often neglected by it’s relatives but it was my baby and I loved it all the same. Like any loving parent, it was sad, after plenty of trips to the hospital, to go see the doctor and to choose for it to be put to sleep for the last time. I’m thankful I had the opportunity at the end to voluntarily pull the plug on it’s life support in the recognition that it was best for all involved, acknowledging the good times, the learnings and in the knowledge that there would be another time, later on, where the business would benefit from it’s investment if those learnings were retained.