Technology landscape evolves by the day due to the effort of several individuals, universities, companies and government agencies. There are two kinds of evolutions – building new technology for solving something and using technology as a lever to solve something. Technology evolves faster with the wider usage in real-life applications. In order to spot opportunities and explore them, a structured experimentation approach will help.
As an Intrapreneur / Entrepreneur, if you want to spot opportunities with changes in technology landscapes, you mostly focus on applications. Finding answers to a set of questions is an easier way.
Try some of these unconventional ABCDEFGs:
• Assumptions – what existing assumptions this new tech is going to challenge, change? – Opportunity for new products, solutions, and applications
• Barriers – what barriers are required to cross for adoption?; what new barriers will this tech introduce for potential users/ applications? – Opportunity for hand-holding, consulting, training, solution accelerators
• Constraints – What constraints are to be dealt with in adopting?; what constraints this new tech is going to introduce for potential users/applications? Opportunities to innovate on business models
• Dependencies – what new dependencies this new tech is going to introduce for potential users/buyers/applications? – Opportunity to introduce complimentary services and solutions.
• Experiences – what changes in experience is this new tech is going to introduce for potential users/ buyers/ applications? – Opportunity to build new offerings and displace existing competition
• Future-shifters – how does production-supply-consumption pattern change due to this new tech leading to a full transformation of customer involvement in the process? – Opportunity to build a new base of customers and transformational value networks
• Global-scale – how does the technology adoption expand across the globe? -Opportunity to start local/ hyper-local and scale globally by partnering.
Every set of answers will provide you a list of opportunities to explore. The key to success, however, is dependent on three factors: Scope, Speed, and Scale of your pursuit. Since everyone around you will be more-or-less at a similar stage, you will always have a level-playing-field. Early starters always have the benefit of quick win or feedback to win better, quickly.
be a #dreamerdoer