5 key hacks for breakthrough innovation

Amy Jo Kim, Ph.D.

5 Key Hacks for Breakthrough Innovation

@thuelmadsen #KISSwebinar

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Amy Jo Kim - Shufflebrian - @amyjokim Amy Jo Kim is a world-renowned social game designer and community architect specializing in early-stage innovation. Her design credits include Rock Bank, eBay, The Sims, Cover Fashion, indiegogo, nytimes.com, Netflix, Ultima Online, Happify, and others. In 2007, She pioneered the idea that game mechanics can make Web design more engaging and sticky – and she’s now doing the same for collaborative game design. Amy Jo Kim co-developed the social game design curriculum at USC School of Cinematic Arts. She’s currently developing and running MVP Design Hacks – an Online program for startups and innovative teams who want to do customer discovery with game design smarts.

@amyjokim#KISSwebinar

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1 Introduction

What we will cover today

1 Introduction

2 5 Key Hacks for Breakthrough Innovation


Think Like a Scientist

Laser-focus on Early Adopters

Harvest customer insights early

Build & test your Core Loop

Co-create a path to mastery

1 Introduction

2 5 Key Hacks for Breakthrough Innovation

3 Ge!ing Started – 3 Smart Shortcuts


Think Like a Scientist

Laser-focus on Early Adopters


Build & test your Core Loop


Clarify your strategy & assumptions with our MVP Canvas

Harvest early-adopter insights with Speed Interviews

Turn customer insights into product decisions with Habit Stories

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section one

Introduction Introduction Section One

A hunch is creativity trying to tell

you something.

Frank Capra Filmmaker

You’ve got a great product idea

Section Two How I discovered these shifts How do you know if it’s the RIGHT ONE?

co-founder, Shufflebrain shufflebrain.com Creator, MVP Design Hacks mvpdesignhacks.com

we partner with great companies to make

smart games for a connected world

what can we learn from

breakthrough innovations?

Rock Band

The Sims

Covet Fashion

eBay

5 Shifts for Successful Innovation

Section Two How I discovered these shifts Can we generate & validate innovative product ideas

Better, Smarter, Faster?

that lead to breakthrough innovations

5 Key Shifts

Section Two

SHIFT 1: Think like a scientist

SHIFT 1: think like a scientist

To increase your chances of

success, minimize time through

the Build-Measure-Learn cycle

Eric Ries Author, The Lean Startup

you are here

Ask the hard, important questions upfront

Rock Band

The Sims

Covet Fashion

eBay

what do people want to do in a virtual dollhouse simulation?

Think Like a Scientist: The Sims

What social systems do we need to build trust online in a marketplace?

Think Like a Scientist: eBay

Can non-musicians play plastic instruments together and feel like a band?

Think Like a Scientist: Rock Band

Will fashion-loving young women pay to play dress-up with real designer clothes?

Think Like a Scientist: Covet Fashion

SHIFT 1: Think like a scientist

SHIFT 2: laser-focus on early adopters

Why focus on the early market? Ever heard of Crossing the Chasm?

Geoffrey Moore, 1992

Why focus on the early market? Successful innovations delight a small early market FIRST

Innovation Diffusion Theory Everett Rogers, 1961

Early adopters will put

up with cost and ridicule

for innovations that

meet real needs. Erika Hall

author, Just Enough Research

you are here

Find & delight your early adopters

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Gather ideas from early users for key systems

Laser-Focus on Early Adopters: eBay

Cultivate relationships with enthusiasts who like creating content

Laser-Focus on Early Adopters: The Sims

Leverage relationships with avid social gamers

Laser-Focus on Early Adopters: Rock Band

SHIFT 3: harvest customer insights early

SHIFT 3: gather customer insights early

you are here

Create a culture of iterative play-testing

There is nothing quite so

useless as doing with great

efficiency something that

should not be done at all. Peter Drucker

Conduct onsite interviews with social gamers

Gather Customer Insights Early: Rock Band

Setup weekly interviews & play-tests with fashion gamers

female team + fashion research ! crossover appeal to non-gamers

Gather Customer Insights Early: Covet Fashion

Hold weekly playtests with team, friends, enthusiasts Female-driven team ! strong appeal to female audience

Gather Customer Insights Early: The Sims

SHIFT 3: harvest customer insights early

SHIFT 4: build & test your Core Loop

What is – and isn’t - a core loop?

you are here

In a loop, you’re learning a skill and updating your mental model. That’s what leads to player delight.

Dan Cook Co-founder, Spry Fox Games

DESIGN& BUILD

Fake Landing Page? AKA Discovery

XFake Landing Page?

AKA Discovery

Operant Conditioning Loop? AKA Skinner Box

Operant Conditioning Loop? AKA Skinner Box

X

skill-building = making customers more awesome

Skill-building habit loop?

Engaging activity + internal urge fuels the loop

Feedback & progress support learning & mastery

Investment & triggers pull people back

Focus on prototyping, testing & tuning the basics

Build & test your Core Loop: Rock Band

Create a daily skill-building reason to return

Browse your Style Feed

Browse New Content

Show off your outfit

Raid your friend’s closet

Browse your Style Feed Accept an Invitation

Dress for the Event

See New Invitations

Build & test your Core Loop: Covet Fashion

SHIFT 5: Create a path to mastery

SHIFT 5: co-create a path to mastery

you are here

DESIGN& BUILD

Every artist was first an amateur.

Ralph Waldo Emerson Author, Essays on Self-Reliance

Engage customers with progressive skill-building

Empower enthusiasts & early adopters with tools, access & special powers

Harvest mastery ideas from early adopters

Co-create a path to mastery: eBay

Release tools early to your fan community then harvest feedback & ideas for advanced features

Co-create a path to mastery: The Sims

Build mastery systems around early adopter & non-musician aspirations

Co-create a path to mastery: Rock Band

Create rating systems that bubble up experts

Co-create a path to mastery: Covet Fashion

Think like a scientist

Recap: 5 Key Shifts


Laser-focus on early adopters

Recap: 5 Key Shifts




Recap: 5 Key Shifts




Build & test your core loop

Recap: 5 Key Shifts






Recap: 5 Key Shifts


3 Smart Shortcuts Section Three

to turbo-charge your Customer Discovery

CASE STUDY

Section Two 1. MVP Canvas Shortcut #1: the MVP Canvas






Shortcut #1: the MVP Canvas

Section Two


1. MVP Canvas Clarify your product strategy

Section Two


1. MVP Canvas Identify strengths, values & success metrics

Section Two


1. MVP Canvas Prioritize your highest-risk assumptions

Section Two 1. MVP Canvas Shortcut #2: Speed Interviews






Shortcut #2: Speed Interviews

Interview 10-15 (potential) early adopters

5-10 min. per interview

Ask just a few revealing questions

Needs & Desires Daily Habits Beliefs & Ideas

Section Two


1. MVP Canvas

I’m in the background, taking

notes and categorizing patterns

I’m answering questions

I’m asking questions

Interviewer Subject Note-taker

Interviewer + Note-Taker Pairs = Better, Faster Pattern Recognition

Section Two 1. MVP Canvas Identify 5-7 Enthusiastic Early Adopters

Early Adopters

Identify Early Adopters + Collect Insights Customer

Insights

Section Two 1. MVP Canvas

When trigger I want a activity + goal so I can outcome

Shortcut #3: Habit Stories






Shortcut #3: Habit Stories

habits, ideas, unmet needs Habit Story = existing habit + unmet need ! Job Story

When _________ I want to _____________ so I can __________

trigger

activity + goal

outcome

+

habits, ideas, unmet needs Piggyback your Core Loop onto an existing habit

+

CASE STUDY

MVP Canvas

CASE STUDY

MVP Canvas Speed Interviews

CASE STUDY

MVP Canvas Speed Interviews Habit Stories

+

Covet Fashion BEFORE

Young women 18-30 who play mobile fashion games

Aspirational dress-up in designer fashions PLUS advice from a celebrity stylist




F2P co-op game with real-world fashion content & hot trends

Vogue alternative - stay up-to-date on fashion by playing – not just looking






like/dislike metrics via interviews with hard-core fashion gamers

F2P game experience

Existing, addressable audience for fashion games







F2P game experience


Young women want a mobile game based on real-world fashion PLUS access to a celebrity stylist

activity + goal outcome trigger

Speed Interviews

WHO we spoke with •  15 young women 18-40 who play mobile fashion games

•  Recruited from existing player base & craigslist ads


Speed Interviews



WHAT we asked them to do •  Spend 5-10 minutes answering 3-5 questions

The best interview subjects became paid testers


Speed Interviews



WHAT we asked them to do •  Spend 5-10 minutes answering 3-5 questions

The best interview subjects became paid testers

WHEN & WHERE we ran these tests

•  Via phone & Skype, over a period of 2 weeks


Research Results: 3 Key Patterns Fashion Browsers want to immerse themselves in a beautiful aspirational world that keeps them up to date on fashion trends

Co-creators want to “do fashion” with a buddy – a friend or relative they can dress with, shop with, and borrow from.

Armchair Stylists love telling other people how to dress – they want role-play a celebrity stylist, and get credit for their fashion sense

When I’m tired after a long day, I want to flop on the couch & get the escapist, immersive experience of flipping through Vogue – but in a game.

The Fashion Browser

When I

Login to the game

I want to

see gorgeous, creative outfits –

made from the latest designer

fashions

so I can

stay on top of fashion trends in a

fun and relaxing way

When I’m tired after a long day, I want to flop on the couch & get the escapist, immersive experience of flipping through Vogue – but in a game.

The Fashion Browser HABIT STORY

Patti told me to put these shoes and belt together with this outfit – I would never think of that, but it TOTALLY works. I need her advice all the time!

The Co-Creator

When I

Need to dress up for an important

event

I want to

raid my friend’s closet and get her

feedback on my outfit online

so I can

have her accessorize my look and

help me feel confident - just like in

real life :-)

Patti told me to put these shoes and belt together with this outfit – I would never think of that, but it TOTALLY works. I need her advice all the time!

The Co-Creator HABIT STORY

I LOVE the idea a game that lets me rate my friends’ outfits & tell them how to dress better – like I do before every party "

The Armchair Stylist

When I

Login to the game

I want to

see gorgeous, creative outfits –

made from the latest designer

fashions

so I can

stay on top of fashion trends in a

fun and relaxing way

I LOVE the idea a game that lets me rate my friends’ outfits & tell them how to dress better – like I do before every party "

The Armchair Stylist HABIT STORY

Covet Fashion AFTER

Young women 18-30 who play mobile fashion games Skews older – women 18-45 like the game & older women spend more $$

Aspirational dress-up in designer fashions PLUS advice from aspiring player-stylists




F2P game experience



Covet Fashion AFTER

Young women 18-30 who play mobile fashion games Skews older - women 18-45 like the game & older women spend more $$





F2P game experience

addressable audience for fashion games


Covet Fashion AFTER

Young women 18-30 who play mobile fashion games Skews older - women 18-45 like the game & older women spend more $$





F2P game experience

addressable audience for fashion games

Young women want a mobile game based on real-world fashion and will spend $$ on a game based on real-world fashion Young women want access to a celebrity stylist – AND to up-and-coming stylists

iterative play-testing ! hit game

Try out these techniques for yourself

click this slide or go directly to http://mvpdesignhacks.com/shortcuts

Is this you?

My team is creating an innovative project

Is this you?


We’re in an entrepreneurial organization startup, incubator, accelerator, enlightened co.

Is this you?


We’re in an entrepreneurial organization startup, incubator, accelerator, enlightened co. We want to validate ideas faster & smarter

Is this you?


We’re in an entrepreneurial organization startup, incubator, accelerator, enlightened co. We want to validate ideas faster & smarter

We have the bandwidth to focus for 4 weeks

validate your product idea with game design smarts

TEAM program LEADER program Custom Packages

MVP Design Hacks

Testimonials from startup founders

This program gave

me a framework

for turning my

startup ideas into

concrete reality.

Megan Berwick Founder, Stealth Startup

Testimonials


This program gave

me a framework

for turning my

startup ideas into

concrete reality.


MVP Design Hacks

gave me the skills

and confidence to

quickly validate

my ideas & build a

product that our

customers love

and need.

Amanda Pouchot Founder, Stealth Startup

Testimonials


This program gave

me a framework

for turning my

startup ideas into

concrete reality.


MVP Design Hacks

gave me the skills

and confidence to

quickly validate

my ideas & build a

product that our

customers love

and need.


Fantastic

methodology –

the ROI you’ll

see is a no-

brainer.

Ofer Leidner President, Happify

Testimonials


This program gave

me a framework

for turning my

startup ideas into

concrete reality.


MVP Design Hacks

gave me the skills

and confidence to

quickly validate

my ideas & build a

product that our

customers love

and need.


Fantastic

methodology –

the ROI you’ll

see is a no-

brainer.


This program

was invaluable

in helping us

connect ideas &

prototypes to

the needs of a

real audience.

Ori Ratner Co-founder, Pedago

Testimonials


This program gave

me a framework

for turning my

startup ideas into

concrete reality.


MVP Design Hacks

gave me the skills

and confidence to

quickly validate

my ideas & build a

product that our

customers love

and need.


Fantastic

methodology –

the ROI you’ll

see is a no-

brainer.


This program

was invaluable

in helping us

connect ideas &

prototypes to

the needs of a

real audience.

Ori Ratner Co-founder, Pedago

We created and

tested our MVP

in record time.

An invaluable

investment

that’s still paying

off.

Ranan Lachman

CEO, Pley

Testimonials

Take the Next Step schedule your complimentary

15-minute coaching session

Click here or go directly to http://amyjokim.com/schedule

Questions?

Amy Jo Kim Co-founder and Phd.D.

Shufflebrain @amyjokim

Thue Madsen Marketing Operations Specialist

KISSmetrics @thuelmadsen

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