Rakuten’s Post

"If you're doing something that's never been done, the customer doesn't even know how to ask for it" - Marianne McPeak-Johnson, CPO Cox Automotive That's why true innovation is so challenging. 📺 Netflix didn't come from customers asking to stream movies 📱 iPhone wasn't created because people asked for a touchscreen computer in their pocket 🛏️ Airbnb didn't emerge because travelers demanded to sleep in strangers' homes When building something truly new, traditional customer feedback won't get you there. Because customers can only imagine improvements to what they already know: - Faster horses, not cars - Better DVD delivery, not streaming - More reliable taxi dispatch, not ride-sharing So, how do you innovate when customers can't tell you what they want? You need to: - Deeply understand their current struggles - Identify the core problem they're trying to solve - Look for friction points they've accepted as "normal" - Imagine solutions beyond the current standard - Test and iterate with real users The most transformative innovations often seem obvious in hindsight, but they were unimaginable beforehand. Makes me wonder ... what's a product or service you use regularly today that you never knew you needed until it existed?

Steve Jobs' radical rules for "insane innovation" have been leaked by an insider at Apple. Here's a glimpse into his philosophy: 1. Question Everything - Challenge assumptions and avoid following the herd. - Continuously seek the truth by asking "Why?" and disrupt the status quo proactively. 2. Never Stop Reinventing Yourself - Keep evolving and never coast on past successes. - Disrupt your own products, driving change rather than waiting for it. 3. Pour Your Heart Into It - View money as a byproduct, focusing on creating exceptional products with passion. - Prioritize quality over short-term gains, emphasizing the value of your work. 4. Sweat the Details - Design elegantly simple products and obsess over every detail. - Strive for perfection and prioritize user experience without cutting corners. 5. Forge Your Own Path - Ignore industry norms, innovate aligned with your vision, and create new product categories. - Challenge conventions by paving new ways forward. 6. Embrace Creative Minds - Surround yourself with risk-takers, fostering a culture of bold ideas. - Cultivate an environment that nurtures radical thinking and encourages innovation. 7. Stay Hungry and Foolish - Never settle for past achievements, maintaining a beginner's mindset. - Approach each day with hunger and curiosity to shape the future. In the words of Steve Jobs, "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.

Darr Ke Aage Jeet Hai: Embracing Change in the Age of Innovation We all remember brands like Blockbuster, Kodak, and Nokia—once giants in their industries, now relics of the past. The reason? They didn’t adapt to change. While these companies were stuck in their comfort zones, the world around them evolved. Netflix, for example, went from mailing DVDs to leading the streaming revolution. This is a perfect example of “Darr ke aage jeet hai”—victory lies beyond fear. The fear of change holds many back, but in today’s world, it's essential to face it head-on. We are entering the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where AI, automation, and technology are transforming industries faster than ever before. - Uber is the world’s largest taxi service, yet it owns no cars. - Airbnb is the biggest hotel company, without owning a single property. - Tesla is driving the auto industry toward an electric, autonomous future. The future belongs to those who embrace change. Jobs, industries, and entire business models are being reshaped by AI and technology. While this may seem daunting, it also presents a tremendous opportunity for growth and innovation. Those willing to learn, adapt, and face the fear of the unknown will be the ones who succeed. Darr ke aage jeet hai isn’t just a slogan—it’s a mindset. The real victory lies in stepping outside of your comfort zone, embracing change, and being bold enough to lead through uncertainty. The future is waiting for those who are ready to move forward, not for those standing still. So, what will you choose: fear or victory? #DarrKeAageJeetHai #EmbraceChange #FutureOfWork #AIRevolution #Innovation #Adaptability #GrowthMindset #Leadership

Don’t fall in love with your ideas. Your first concept is often not your best. Clinging too tightly can blind you to necessary improvements. Instead, sharing your ideas invites critical feedback. Allowing you to iterate and truly innovate. Embrace iteration; it’s the real path to innovation. What do you think?

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet and hear Raza Haider, Bose Corporation's Chief Product and Supply Chain Officer, speak at an event organized by the Northeastern University Entrepreneurs Club. He shared his inspiring journey to becoming CPO, offering valuable insights for aspiring professionals. One of the key highlights was Bose's emphasis on a consumer-centric approach, prioritizing user needs over direct competition. Key takeaways from the session: 1. Building a strong, cross-functional team is crucial for creating successful products. 2. Attend events and meet new people—you increase your "surface area" for lucky opportunities. 3. Every small opportunity can teach you something valuable for the future. 4. Empathy is essential for understanding consumer needs and driving innovation. 5. Focus on solving one core problem exceptionally well, especially in early-stage startups. 6. Curiosity, teamwork, and grit are key traits for building successful products. 7. Always maintain a sense of urgency—whether in a startup or a large company. 8. Empowering teams to make decisions fosters innovation and motivation. 9. AI is transforming industries—stay ahead by learning how to leverage it effectively. 10. With evolving supply chains and China-based restrictions, regional alternatives are becoming critical players. Thank you Raza Haider, Northeastern University and Entrepreneurship Club for organizing such an insightful session.🚀 #Bose #ConsumerCentricApproach #ProductDevlopment #SupplyChain #AI #RazaHaider #Challeneges #Opportunities #EntrepreneurshipLearnings #NortheasternUniversity #Boston

In the ever-evolving landscape of global business, Singapore's business scene constantly re-invents itself, and today stands out as a beacon of innovation and sustainability. Our latest blog highlights the trailblazing companies and visionary leaders shaping the future of Singapore Inc. Discover how these dynamic enterprises are: 💡 Pioneering smart solutions 🌱 Driving sustainable practices 🤝 Embodying the unique spirit of Singapore From groundbreaking technological advancements to eco-friendly consumer goods, these businesses are not only transforming their industries but also making a significant impact on our community and environment. Read more about the new wave of Singaporean excellence and get inspired by their stories of resilience, creativity, and forward-thinking leadership. VETRESKA | Hegen | Sunday Staples | SOJAO | BuzzAR(博跃) Maurice Bay | Yvon Bock | Janice Tan | Priscilla Tan | Bell Beh | Ken Lim | Donald Kng | Nico Li | Kelvin Lee | Khai Lin Sng | Benjamin Twoon | Willie Chang | Yifei Li | Lee Lian Foo | Muzahir Degani | Jamie Yee | Edrea Tan | Terence Chew | John Robwin | Adrian Koh | Riya Aris | Alona Dolyna | I. Radith Soeriadinata | AX Lim #PrivateCapitalMarkets #AlternativeAssets #singapore #technology #capitalmarkets #investments #fintech

AI will redefine product teams by 2025. Are you ready for the change? 🤖 In my journey from early-stage startups to global corporates, one thing is clear: product organizations must evolve or risk falling behind. Here's what I see happening: → Discovery, validation, design, and more will blend into a seamless GTM approach. 🚀 → Dynamic reteaming will become essential. Teams must adapt and pivot quickly to stay relevant. But how do we enable this evolution? Here's my take: 1. Embrace adaptability - Encourage teams to pivot without fear. - Support dynamic shifts in roles. 2. Foster cross-functional collaboration - Break down silos. - Encourage diverse perspectives. 3. Leverage AI for efficiency - Automate mundane tasks. - Focus human effort on creativity and strategy. These steps will be crucial in narrowing the gap between today's practices and tomorrow's demands. As a founder and Fractional CPO, I’m committed to guiding teams through this transformation. What’s your vision for product teams in 2025? 💡 Let's lead the way in innovation, together.

Here’s an interesting, interactive 3D map of global innovation hubs. Also note that the two top R&D spenders are Amazon and Alphabet.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣? 𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙨 𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙧𝙪𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣? I recently read a brilliant article by Doug Sundheim where he masterfully points out that to innovate efficiently, we need to pay attention to the drivers behind innovation. His piece made me reflect on the importance of identifying if our innovation is customer-focused or disruption-driven, and how that can impact the success of what we are doing. These perspectives are especially crucial when discussing how to work with and implement AI 🤖. In the carousel below, you’ll find a summary of the two different approaches, along with a user case comparison inspired by the amazing work that the brilliant Anna Rivetti is doing with her team at Klarna, which I had the pleasure to hear about at Product Tank Stockholm. For a deeper dive into my thoughts, check out the link in the first comment. 👇🏻 #ProductInsights #Innovation #ProductDevelopment

Just returned from an incredible week in Tokyo & Kyoto where I had the opportunity to speak at CCI France – Japan conference on "𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐈 – 𝐀𝐑 & 𝐕𝐑 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬." It was an absolute pleasure engaging with both novice and highly experienced professionals in this field. Japan is still a vibrant hub for innovation, and it's clear that there’s a strong eagerness to learn more about how these technologies can reshape industries. I was particularly impressed by the young entrepreneurs, many coming from abroad, who are bringing fresh ideas and developing their businesses in Japan. Key takeaways: ✅ #AI, #AR, and #VR are evolving faster than ever – no industry can afford to wait. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭. ✅ Japan continues to be a 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚. ✅ The energy and excitement from the audience confirmed that 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 for training, onboarding, remote collaboration, design reviews, remote assistance, planification and optimisation. I shared a specific use-case on #AI with the example of #𝐍𝐮𝐤𝐤𝐀𝐈, 𝐚 6-𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐧 2022 (after IBM did it for the game of chess in 1996 and then Goggle for the game of GO in 2016) and who is now using its knowhow, experience, products and solutions to help companies plan and optimize their operations and resources more efficiently in various fields such as aeronautic, field transportation, planification of tasks… It is now possible to 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐊𝐏𝐈 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 ( #crewpairing #crewrostering ). Feeling inspired by the discussions and can't wait to see how these techs evolve and mainly are being implemented and used in the coming years. 🚀 Special Thanks to Marie OZAKI for her support #symbolicAI #AI #AR #VR #Leadership #Innovation #Technology #Japan #Entrepreneurship #NukkAI #Artasi #chess #gameofgo #bridge