Lightning in a Bottle: The Proven System to Create New Ideas and Products That Work

by David Minter

"Once you have caught Lightning in a Bottle, you will never look at `new ideas' the same way again. David Minter and Mike Reid have developed a model with the potential to create immediate value for your company or organization."
--H. Wayne Huizenga, founder and former chairman and CEO, Blockbuster Inc; owner, Miami Dolphins David Minter and Michael Reid know innovation. For more than 25 years, they have contributed to the growth of such companies as Dole, Viacom, Sony and Einstein Bagels. Recently, they helped develop Blockbuster's groundbreaking "No Late Fees" campaign. Lightning in a Bottle presents Minter and Reid's simple seven-step system for creating ideas that work-one that improves new-product success rates from the standard one in 10 to one in two or better. Lightning in a Bottle also explains the top 10 reasons ideas fail, plus the dirty secrets of the research world, such Why focus groups don't work for new products
How market segmentation is often a sham
Why brainstorming in not effective in creating great new products In the tradition of Execution and Good to Great, Lightning in a Bottle is the new must-have guide for business leaders.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Dub · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay synopsis of how to go about idea generation in business, in short bites. The first 60% of the book really only discusses pitfalls and mistakes and spends very little time on what works with proper examples. It would be much better to discuss the ideas then continuously reinforce them to show what does work, THEN examples of what doesn't. That would separate the good from the bad.

This book could easily have been 100 pages and gotten the same points across.

[Mark Wieczorek · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very basic

The author is accomplished, but the book is basic. It is ok for taking a product all the way to market, but when it comes to developing new ideas it is useless. Not really lightning in a bottle at all. Much better is innovate inject and prosper.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good read about creating new ideas. It talks about Idea-Engineering:

"Idea Engineering is a system that works better than brain-storming, focus groups, or any of the other ways ideas come to be. It is a simple, seven-step system:

1. Learn.
2. Develop Working Theories.
3. Develop ideas (concepts) from the Working Theories.
4. Do financial Due Diligence.
5. Talk to consumers-- but not in focus groups.
6. Iterate the concepts by listening to consumers.
7. Take the best concepts coming out of the interviews and monetize them = predict their real world revenue."

"Top Ten Reasons Ideas Fail"
1. Trying to sell things people don't want to buy.
2. The ideas don't make financial sense.
3. Giving up too soon on good ideas.
4. Pushing bad ideas too long.
5. No separation of good ideas from bad.
6. Thinking small.
7. Delegating idea development to junior people.
8. No specialized talent for developing ideas.
9. No process, or a poor process to develop ideas.
10. No real, important difference versus competition.

"Our experience is that it is better to have one big idea that appeals to your mass market than ten small ideas that each appeal to a small sliver of customers."

"The #1 fallacy in the idea business is that you need a lot of ideas in order to end up with a success."

Less Ideas. Less People. Less Words. This will triple your success rate in achieving new ideas that work.

Talk to consumers but not in groups. One person at a time for one hour. 30 people in total. 30 hours.

Avoid falling in love with your own ideas to quickly.

[Gi-Gi Downs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This rapid read (perfect for short commuters and laundry doers) taught me how to recognize the pitfalls of where great ideas go horribly wrong, or worse, never take flight at all.

Having worked on five major product launches (either as a consultant or FTE), in as many years, there were things in this book that made me laugh out loud. Seriously... see items on "brainstorming sessions" and coming up with great ideas without bothering to think through whether or not there's a revenue model in place.

[Bonar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buku tentang sebuah gagasan dalam menciptakan sebuah produk/ide. Disini diberikan beberapa study kasus mengenai penciptaan ide-ide, bagaimana alur menciptakan sebuah gagasan/ide, mengeksekusi/memproduksi gagasan tersebut dan respon pasar terhadap gagasan tersebut.

Untuk study kasusnya, buku ini memberikan penjelasan yg cukup lengkap mengenai kegagalan/kesuksesan sebuah gagasan. Terangkum runut dan jelas dalam setiap bab. Jadi silakan membaca yg ingin mengetahui tentang menciptakan gagasan untuk sebuah produk atau apapun itu.

[Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the way this book was layer out. Although it does get a little repetitive I thought the insights were very helpful. They talk a lot about focus groups and brainstorming, both of which are over used in corporate America. Very good business read.

[Santika Garnita · Rating 2 out of 5]

good!

[Lori Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

A should-read book on startups for knowledge workers and aspiring entrepreneurs.