The Best Way to Crowdsource Ideas
Innovation expert Roberto Verganti gives us an interesting way to think about idea generation when working with collaborators. Is it better to have lots of ideas to choose from, or a few ideas of higher quality? The answer will help you decide whether you approach hundreds of idea-generators using a crowdsourcing agency such as Innocentive, or bring together a few brilliant minds.
Quantity and quality serve different purposes, Verganti writes. Quantity gives a better chance to receive great ideas. But high-quality collaboration is useful when trying to assess all these opportunities. "Highly skillful collaborators can help you to better interpret this wealth of insights, to recognize the value of ideas that is not often visible at first, especially when it comes to radical change, and to identify a novel strategic direction."
In short, "If quantity is good for creating ideas, quality is good for setting a vision."
That's a useful standard to explore the next time you are tasked to develop a great new product. Cast a wide net for ideas from customers, your marketing team, your R&D team, and even competitors. With that list in hand, convene a trusted team of collaborators who can envision the best strategic direction these ideas present for growth.
For more great ideas, read Verganti's post Quantity vs. Quality in Collaborations.
Where do you turn to when digging up great ideas?
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