May 2023
Perhaps you're familiar with the pivotal moment when Steve Jobs witnessed the point-and-click user interface of the Alto computer at Xerox. This experience led to the user interface on the Macintosh, which radically changed the personal computing experience. However, the story may leave us wondering: how can we make those light-bulb moments repeatable? The following describes principles for R&D that can lead to a path of consistent innovation.
The first principle is to separate R&D from the hustle of business operations. R&D requires an extended period of time to cultivate research and thought. The nature of R&D makes it unsuitable for the Agile methodology, but it does draw from some of Agile's principles like standups, Scrum boards, and retrospectives.
Lockheed Martin Skunk Works Kelly's 14 Rules [2] provides useful guidelines for R&D. The rules emphasize the importance of keeping the team small, giving them autonomy, and providing them with a sense of urgency. Additionally, R&D must not be required to find market fit or justify a business case before starting research and development, lest novel ideas get snuffed out prematurely.
Following these principles for R&D can help your team achieve sustainable innovation. The key to consistent innovation lies in separating R&D from the hustle of business operations to build Proofs of Concept, setting timeframes, promoting accountability, and providing incentives. Additionally, holding a Design Thinking workshop can yield fresh insights and lead to innovative ideas. By implementing these principles, companies can create a culture of innovation and remain competitive in the marketplace.