A Reflective Writing
The primary message of this article is that the authors want to teach people how to cheaply innovate without beginning from scratch. The authors gave an example of Rain Bird business. This business is similar to so many other businesses. It is involved in the making of sprinklers and other irrigation systems. The message of the article informs readers that in order for a business to continue growing, it must introduce fresh offerings in the market, which appeal to the diverse needs of the clients (Lance, & Scott, 2011). It is thus good for any company to look for ways in which it can spend less on innovation. Readers also learn that innovative investments can be painful. Their success rates can be low and even their returns may not be assured. Moreover, innovative investments, which are successful, do not give out their returns after a short while. It is thus good to launch any new products after innovation in order to ensure that they reach the target clients. The authors have educated the readers about the six types of innovation, which need to be understood in order to enhance cheap innovation. These types of innovation are failure to launch, a head of their time, limited vision, all bundled up, unrelated family and overdesigned for the masses (Lance, & Scott, 2011). This shows that the primary message of this article is to teach people about cheap innovative investments.
Lance A. and Scott A. are the authors of this article. Lance serves as a strategy adviser with Strategyn. Strategyn is an innovation management consultancy firm based in Boynton Beach. He has also authored a book on innovation. Scott on the other hand is the CEO of Gardman USA and the former national retail sales manager for the Rain Bird (Lance, & Scott, 2011). The primary audience for this article is business people. The message of this article is being sent to the audience in order to educate them on cheap innovation investments. It is also aimed at teaching them about the various types of innovation, which enables them to have a better understanding of innovation. By reading this article, the audience understands that innovation does not have to be new. It can involve previous discoveries, which have been overlooked. It is good to innovate on the assets already owned by the company because this will easily help to leverage the company.
The authors have provided evidence to the audience concerning innovating on the cheap. They have mentioned the benefits of innovating on ideas of the company, which had previously been overlooked. For example, they have given the example of Rain Bird, which made an innovative investment on Drip Line using an idea that was not new (Lance, & Scott, 2011). To their surprise, the company realized quick returns on this investment even though the innovation was not new. As a result, business managers are advised not to think that an innovation has to be completely new. In addition, the article also teaches the audience that it is easy to launch products of innovative ideas, which are not new because the ideas are already well understood. The authors thus have enough evidence to show business people how to innovate cheaply.
The authors have concluded that companies have two main functions, which are marketing and innovation. To get many customers are remain ahead of the competitors, innovation is critical for any company. However, companies need to be very careful when searching for the most viable innovative investments in order to remain competitive in the market (Lance, & Scott, 2011). As a result, they should not overlook the innovative offerings, which are already available to them because such offerings can be brought to the market faster and more cheaply and at a lower risk than the new innovative ideas.
The authors of this article have successfully conveyed their message to the audience. They clearly show the advantages of cheap innovation. First, they tell the readers on the different types of innovation. They also enlighten the readers on what it means by innovating on the cheap. It can be achieved by using the available innovative ideas which had been overlooked and which have less risks for the business. Such ideas are easy to get into the market and realize fast benefits. Therefore, the message of this article is clear to the readers.
Reference:
Lance, A. & Scott, A. (2011). Innovating on the Cheap. Harvard Business Review, June 2011
