Problem-Led Innovation
Define the system problem first, then build the technologies required to solve it
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Time to result
- ~months to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 96%
Problem-Led Innovation starts by defining a meaningful system outcome, such as connecting phones to the internet or making wireless connectivity reliable enough for critical uses. Teams then identify the technical barriers to that outcome and follow the chain of new requirements produced by each capability. Mobile broadband, for example, also required phones to become capable computers, which created a processor challenge alongside the network challenge. Engineering and business perspectives jointly determine which problems matter, while research creates the fundamental technologies needed to solve them as an integrated system. Success is measured against the original outcome rather than the novelty of individual inventions, reducing the risk of producing impressive technology without a useful application.
Origin
Extracted from Masters in Business through Cristiano Amon's comparison of the problems Qualcomm addressed across 3G, 4G, and 5G.
Core principles
- 01Innovation begins with a consequential problem
- 02A new capability can create additional problems that must also be solved
- 03System-level outcomes may require multiple coordinated inventions
- 04Business understanding and engineering both shape the problem definition
- 05Fundamental technology should follow from required outcomes
How to run it
- 1
Define the Outcome
Express the human, customer, or system result that must become possible without prescribing a technology prematurely.
Pro tip Use a concrete capability such as reliable cloud access rather than a broad goal like better connectivity.
Watch out A solution-shaped problem statement can exclude better approaches.
- 2
Identify Blocking Problems
List the technical and commercial constraints that prevent the desired outcome today.
Pro tip Include infrastructure, device, economics, and user-behavior constraints where relevant.
Watch out Optimizing only one component can leave the system unusable.
- 3
Trace Consequential Requirements
Ask what additional capabilities become necessary if the first problem is solved.
Pro tip Model the full usage chain from infrastructure through device to user experience.
Watch out A breakthrough may create a bottleneck elsewhere in the system.
- 4
Build Coordinated Technologies
Develop or combine the fundamental technologies required to resolve the interdependent constraints.
Pro tip Give teams shared system metrics in addition to component metrics.
Watch out Independent component success does not guarantee a viable platform.
- 5
Validate the Original Outcome
Test whether the integrated system reliably produces the result that framed the innovation effort.
Pro tip Validate under realistic scale, reliability, and cost conditions.
Watch out Do not declare success solely because the underlying technology works in isolation.
In the wild
A team seeking to deliver broadband to mobile devices realizes that network speed alone is insufficient. Devices also need enough processing power to handle rich applications within battery constraints, so the program coordinates network technology with a new class of mobile processors.
→ Users receive a practical mobile-computing experience rather than an isolated increase in network speed.
Common mistakes
Starting With an Interesting Invention
A team develops novel technology before confirming which important system problem it will solve.
Ignoring the Next Bottleneck
The first constraint is removed, but an unexamined secondary requirement prevents users from receiving the intended benefit.
Validating Components Instead of Outcomes
Individual technologies meet specifications while the integrated system still fails the original use case.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for deep-technology organizations solving platform-level challenges with interdependent components.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for minor feature improvements whose requirements and implementation are already obvious.
From the transcript
“We want to solve one problem, which is we need to connect phones to the internet.”
“From that, Qualcom creates fundamental technology. That's how innovation gets done.”
From the episode
Cristiano Amon Discusses the Promise of 5G
Cristiano Amon