MITx: uINOV8x USER INNOVATION: A Path To Entrepreneurship
“We’ll let you in on a secret. Innovation isn’t confined inside the walls of research labs swarming with PhDs. More often than not, innovation is about ordinary people solving problems that matter to them personally. This could be you.
First, think about what you need. Next, find out whether others want the same thing. If they do, you can start a venture – for profit or non-profit – to supply others with the novel product or service you first developed for yourself.
The examples of user innovation are infinite. A surfer created the GoPro to take “selfies” while surfing. A student came up with Dropbox after forgetting his flash drive. Two broke entrepreneurs rented out their living room to help pay rent, and Airbnb was born. They’ll share their paths to startup success.
Taught by Eric von Hippel, the founding scholar of user innovation, this course will help you think about what problems you should choose to solve and how to share your innovations with others.
You can innovate.
Learn:
What is User Innovation? Can you become a User Innovator?
How prevalent is User Innovation? Why do people innovate and why don’t companies always do it for them?
How do you decide what problem to solve? How do you use the skills you already possess to solve your problem? How do you frame your problem to fit your skillset?
Why are some innovations given away for free? What are the challenges and rewards of giving away your innovation? How do you make your innovation worth adopting for others? Is your innovation right for Peer-To-Peer diffusion?
Why do some User Innovations become commercial? What makes people happy to pay for your innovation? How do User Innovators survive among big producers? Is your innovation right for Market Diffusion?
What today is making innovation more accessible for everyone? What is the future of User Innovation? How do User Innovators survive among big producers? Is your innovation right for Market Diffusion?”
(Source)
Episode 3: Peer-to-Peer Diffusion
Episode 4: Diffusion via the Market
Episode 5: Democratization of Innovation
photo: depositphotos/Rawpixel
