The First Mile A Launch Manual for Getting Great Ideas Into the Market

<b>You have a great idea, now what?</b><br> <br> That first mile--where an innovation moves from an idea on paper to the market--is often plagued by failure. In fact, less than one percent of ideas launched by big companies end up having real impact. The ideas aren't the problem. It's the process.<br> <br> <i>The First Mile</i> focuses on the critical moment when an innovator moves from planning to reality. It is a perilous place where hidden traps snare entrepreneurs and roadblocks slow innovators inside large companies.<br> <br> In this practical and enlightening manual, strategic adviser Scott Anthony equips innovators with new tools, questions, and examples to speed through this crucial early stage of innovation. You'll learn:<br> <br> * How to evaluate your idea's strengths and weaknesses using the "DEFT" process--Document, Evaluate, Focus, and Test<br> * Fourteen recipes from an "experiment cookbook" to gain confidence in your idea or business<br> * Why "spinouts," "wrong turns," and other challenges commonly trip up innovation--and the practical strategies you can use to avoid them<br> * Why innovators need to seek chaos in an age of constant change--and other essential leadership skills<br> <br> Drawing on his decade of experience as an innovation adviser and investor, Anthony describes hard-won lessons from disruptive start-ups and global giants alike. <i>The First Mile</i> will give you the knowledge and confidence to travel this perilous--but ultimately promising--terrain.<br> <br> The first mile can be a scary place, but you don't have to traverse it alone. This book can help.<br>