Chidi Afulezi - The Innovation Mindset

Innovation isn’t a project, it’s a mindset. It’s easy to fall
into a pattern of approaching innovation with the same
guidelines, principles, and processes that you would a project,
but when it comes to real innovation isn’t the whole point to do
something new?
People think innovation is a project, so a CEO or CFO or head
of division says okay we’re going to do innovation, and so they set
it up as a project…and that is not going to work. You’re already
primed for failure because many times, these organizations can’t
tolerate failure, and the thing about innovation is that you’re
constantly failing. In fact, 99% of the time, you’re failing, and
there is that one spark that will kind of bring innovation into
your organization.Chidi Afulezi

In the last six months, COVID has been a market accelerator, but
not a change agent from a product perspective according to
product geek Chidi Afulezi. “If you thought you had time to
test and address changes for your product, you’re wrong.”


All industries have been impacted by the ripple effects of the
global pandemic and the companies that are thriving today were
those that created a healthy environment for pivotal decision
making and innovation.


In this episode Chidi and J discuss:
The typical pitfalls when companies try to establish
innovation.What the companies who are implementing innovation
“right” are doingHow do you take the risk out of innovation, or at
least minimize it?




About Chidi Afulezi:


Chidi Afulezi is Managing Principal at redKola digital labs and
Head Faculty of Product, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship at ALU
School of Business. Chidi is a product scientist, consultant, and
creative entrepreneur. Chidi began his career out of college
working for Sony, Time Warner, CNN, and Turner Broadcasting after
graduating with training in electrical engineering. During his
time at Turner, he was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug, which
eventually led him to found his own consulting practice centered
around solving existential problems for the customer.


Chidi brings unique energy about products and today his work
spans several continents. Most recently, Chidi has been teaching
and advising start-ups in Africa, which offers a diverse
landscape for business, culture, and technological innovation.





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