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Beyond the Obvious: Killer Questions That Spark Game-Changing Innovation Audiobook
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(3.14) - 28 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The Killer Questions Your Company Should Be Asking
Generating and executing great ideas is the key to staying ahead in a rapidly changing world. It seems so basic. Why is it so hard to actually get right? According to innovation expert Phil McKinney, the real problem is that we're teaching people to ask the wrong questions about their businesses--or none at all. There has to be a better way.
In Beyond the Obvious, McKinney will help you use his proven FIRE (Focus, Ideation, Rank, Execution) Method to dig deeper and get back to asking the right questions--the ones all companies must ask to survive. Full of real-world examples, this book will change the way you operate, innovate, and create, and it all begins with battle-tested questions Phil has gathered on note cards throughout his career. Shared for the first time here, these "Killer Questions" include:
- What are the rules and assumptions my industry operates under? What if the opposite were true?
- What will be the buying criteria used by my customer in 5 years?
- What are my unshakable beliefs about what my customers want?
- Who uses my product in ways I never anticipated?
These questions will reframe the way you see your products, your customers, and the way the two interact. Whether you're a company of thousands or a lean startup, Beyond the Obvious will give you the skills and easy-to-follow plan you need to make both the revolutionary changes and nuanced tweaks required for success.
Praise for Beyond the Obvious
"Human beings are creatures of habit, so getting ourselves and our teams to think beyond the obvious is a challenge we face all the time. Phil McKinney is an innovation expert, and his killer questions and hit-the-spot anecdotes provide a great way to get out in front of opportunities we otherwise won't see." -- Geoffrey Moore, author of Crossing the Chasm and Escape Velocity
"I've always believed that asking the right questions is the essence of design. Phil McKinney proves that point with this wonderful set of killer questions that will jumpstart-or greatly enhance- your innovation efforts." -- B. Joseph Pine II, co-author, The Experience Economy & Infinite Possibility.
"Product Innovation is a prerequisite to building great brands. Phil's questions are a prerequisite to building innovative products." -- Satjiv S. Chahil, former global marketing chief, Apple"
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"From the guru of innovation. Anyone interested in innovation should never ever miss this book."
— Srivathsan (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“A thoughtful yet practical guide to consistently generating innovation…An invaluable guide…Offering concrete advice, McKinney gives organizations the tools they need to generate ideas and know that they’re moving in the right direction.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“[A] bright, informative debut…Offering vivid examples of how his approach has worked at HP and elsewhere, McKinney stresses the need to vigorously question conventional rules and assumptions to generate breakthrough innovations. Valuable and ready for immediate use.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
“I’ve always believed that asking the right questions is the essence of design. Phil McKinney proves that point with this wonderful set of killer questions that will jumpstart—or greatly enhance—your innovation efforts.”
— B. Joseph Pine II, coauthor of The Experience Economy and Infinite Possibility -
“Human beings are creatures of habit, so getting ourselves and our teams to think beyond the obvious is a challenge we face all the time. Phil McKinney is an innovation expert, and his killer questions and hit-the-spot anecdotes provide a great way to get out in front of opportunities we otherwise won’t see.”
— Geoffrey Moore, author of Crossing the Chasm and Escape Velocity -
“Product Innovation is a prerequisite to building great brands. Phil’s questions are a prerequisite to building innovative products.”
— Satjiv S. Chahil, former global marketing chief, Apple -
Human beings are creatures of habit, so getting ourselves and our teams to think beyond the obvious is a challenge we face all the time. Phil McKinney is an innovation expert, and his killer questions and hit-the-spot anecdotes provide a great way to get out in front of opportunities we otherwise won't see.
— Geoffrey Moore, author of Crossing the Chasm and Escape Velocity -
I've always believed that asking the right questions is the essence of design. Phil McKinney proves that point with this wonderful set of killer questions that will jumpstart--or greatly enhance--your innovation efforts.
— B. Joseph Pine II, co-author, The Experience Economy & Infinite Possibility. -
Product Innovation is a prerequisite to building great brands. Phil's questions are a prerequisite to building innovative products.
— Satjiv S. Chahil, former global marketing chief, Apple
Beyond the Obvious Listener Reviews
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" Not bad. Kinda slow, overly conversational and fails to deliver anything seriously interesting in the end. Some good point in there though. "
— Brendan, 9/26/2012 -
" The best book ever written on innovation and how to ask the right questions "
— Arnaud, 4/9/2012
About Phil McKinney
Phil McKinney has held technology and innovation leadership positions in a number of leading companies and has been widely profiled in leading media outlets. His first book, Beyond the Obvious, was released February 2012. Phil recently retired as the vice president and chief technology officer for Hewlett-Packard’s Personal Systems Group. Over the course of his career, he has been profiled or had his work on innovation written about in media outlets ranging from tech press to Vanity Fair, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. McKinney also writes a column for Forbes called the Objective, hosts a popular Killer Innovations podcast, and tweets from his @philmckinney handle. A sought-after keynote speaker, McKinney gives over one hundred talks or workshops a year.
About Ray Porter
Ray Porter has garnered two Audie nominations as well as several Earphones Awards and enthusiastic reviews for his sparkling narration of audiobooks. A fifteen-year veteran of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, he has also appeared in numerous films and television shows.