It can be applied to all industries and has the ability to radically transform the consumption patterns of all individuals. It is trendy, the media and companies have only it in the mouth. Innovation is ubiquitous today and successful companies and startups are banking on it to boost their growth. How to define innovation and what are the methods to develop it in business? Here are Schoolab’s innovation tips! 

What exactly is innovation?

Definition of innovation

Innovating means succeeding in proposing new answers to a problem through the creation or improvement of a product or service. The goal is to offer users the best solution to their needs.

“Any innovation has its origin in a problem that already exists but whose answers have not yet been found.”

Etienne Gatti, Head of New Business at Schoolab

Indeed, the most effective innovation strategies are those that have put the user at the centre of their innovation process and who have been able to take into account the evolution of society. Airbnb, for example, understood the problem of tourist housing, just as Uber understood the problem of urban mobility and these two companies proposed their solution through innovation.

What are the different types of innovation?

Incremental innovation is opposed to radical innovation because it involves modifying or improving an existing offer and not creating a new one.

“It is important to take a frugal approach to innovation.”

Etienne Gatti, Head of New Business at Schoolab

That is, gradually unlocking budgets according to the degree of certainty during the innovation process. It is often as a result of a disruption that the innovation process will take place. 

Etienne Gatti explains that the two catalysts for disruption that have led to major innovations in our daily lives are the companies that have relied on the platform or niche system. Google or Apple have chosen “platforming”, they are the guarantors of different types of services on the same platform. While other startups have chosen the niche: they have reviewed an entire process to determine a segment to improve and have over-specialized in it such as Netflix in entertaining content.

What methodologies can be used to innovate in business?

To develop your company’s innovation capacity, you can use innovation consulting organizations or innovation strategy consulting firms such as Schoolab. With our expertise in innovation and an ecosystem that brings together high-performing startups and large groups, we offer projects that have the potential to accelerate the transformation of your organizations.

Innovate with alternative methodologies

Whether agilely, with lean startup or design thinking, you can give a new dynamic to reveal the disruptive potential of your teams by adopting methodologies that we will help you put in place. The goal is to change your work organization and your vision to better understand the needs of your customers or users and offer the best offer.

Support intrapreneurship within your company

With the help of our innovation advice, you will be able to develop the entrepreneurial spirit of your employees and internal teams through individual or collective innovation training, reverse mentoring workshops, conferences. or masterclasses, or even learning expeditions in innovation hubs abroad. This will inspire the desire to undertake and will train the best intrapreneurs!

Launch prototypes quickly

Schoolab’s CPi program is the first multi-disciplinary innovation program that enables the launch of an innovative product by bringing together the talents of companies and large schools.

Innovation consulting is dead, move on to studio innovation!

At Schoolab we know that every company is capable of innovating. We think it simply lacks the right methods of innovation, project support and framing and training of your teams. Contact us and start an innovative project with high school students or train your teams at Lean Startup.