Developing Innovative Ideas for Product Leaders from Coursera

For product leaders, creating new new products and improving existing products are imperatives for success. Maturing technologies and aging product portfolios are requiring companies to discover, develop, and deliver products that customers love. This course is focused on the first step of this journey, identifying and evaluating new product opportunities.

This course is primarily aimed at professionals who are inspired, or tasked, to develop and lead products. This include aspiring and active product managers, product designers, product developers, and others in the product arena. This course is also valuable to anyone interested in how to developing innovative ideas for new products.

We will focus on four important areas to develop and enhance your capabilities as a product leader:

• Introducing the skills for identifying and analyzing entrepreneurial ideas for new or improved products;

• Examining entrepreneurial thinking within yourself and your colleagues with an awareness of entrepreneurial mindset, entrepreneurial motivations, and entrepreneurial behaviors;

• Cultivating seeing entrepreneurially within yourself and your colleagues with attention to industry conditions, industry status, macroeconomic change, and competition; and

• Championing acting entrepreneurially within the corporate environment with an understanding of value innovation and opportunity identification.

What's inside

Syllabus

Introduction to Developing Innovative Ideas for Product Leaders

Get acquainted with the learning experience and course format, meet the faculty, and connect with classmates from across the globe.

Thinking Entrepreneurially

Examine entrepreneurial thinking within yourself and your colleagues with an awareness of entrepreneurial mindset, entrepreneurial motivations, and entrepreneurial behaviors

Seeing Entrepreneurially

Cultivate seeing entrepreneurially within yourself and your colleagues with attention to industry conditions, industry status, macroeconomic change, and competition

Acting Entrepreneurially

Champion acting entrepreneurially within the corporate environment with an understanding of value innovation and opportunity identification

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Explores techniques for identifying and evaluating new product opportunities, which is essential for product leaders in today's competitive business landscape

Taught by Dr. James V. Green, an experienced professional who founders and runs the consulting firm, Intangible Design

Develops entrepreneurial thinking, seeing, and acting skills, which are highly relevant to success in product development and innovation

Reviews summary

Product leaders' guide to innovation

Learners say that Developing Innovative Ideas for Product Leaders is a solid and informative course. They appreciate the well-structured, practical content that is well delivered by the knowledgeable instructor. Students say that this engaging course provides useful tools for entrepreneurs and product leaders. While some mention that the outdated materials and audio issues detract from the experience, most learners recommend this course.

Practical and useful for entrepreneurs.

"The course helped me a lot to understand my potential for entrepreneurship."

"Developing Innovative Ideas for Product Leaders help me a lot to understanding and improving my skills on Innovation field that required for ensure we could run the company in digital age"

"This course has provided me with an important asset to possess - KNOWLEDGE."

Well-structured and interesting.

"The course was great! Really appreciated how structured and well delivered with practical examples related to the topic being taught."

"I liked this course. It's excellent course for beginners and provides useful tools."

Materials are not the most up-to-date.

"Too much "water" in the materials with many lengthy introductions."

"Materials are from 2014, which is a bit outdated for such an emerging industry."

Audio quality is poor.

"Videos were poor quality. Often skipping audio and only playing on one side -- left or right audio channel -- at a time."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Developing Innovative Ideas for Product Leaders with these activities:

Review basic marketing concepts

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Ensures that students have a strong foundation in marketing before taking this course.

Browse courses on Marketing

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Review your notes from a previous marketing course.
Read a few articles on basic marketing concepts.
Take a practice quiz on marketing fundamentals.

Watch a series of tutorials on product management

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Helps students learn the basics of product management at their own pace.

Browse courses on Product Management

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Find a series of tutorials on product management.
Watch the tutorials in order.
Take notes on the key concepts.
Complete the practice exercises.

Read "The Innovator's Dilemma" by Clayton Christensen

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Helps students understand the challenges of innovation and how to overcome them.

View The Disruptive Innovation Set (2 Books) on Amazon

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Read the book cover-to-cover.
Summarize each chapter's main ideas.
Identify the key concepts of the book.
Apply the concepts to your own work.

Four other activities

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Show all seven activities

Participate in a product development discussion group

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Provides students with an opportunity to learn from and collaborate with other professionals in the field.

Browse courses on Product Development

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Join a product development discussion group.
Regularly participate in group discussions.
Share your own knowledge and experience.
Get feedback from other group members.

Develop a new product pitch

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Allows students to apply their knowledge of product development to a practical problem.

Browse courses on Product Development

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Identify a problem worth solving.
Brainstorm potential solutions.
Develop a prototype of your solution.
Test your solution with potential customers.
Refine your solution based on feedback.

Build a portfolio of product design work

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Provides students with an opportunity to showcase their skills and experience in product design.

Browse courses on Product Design

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Identify your target audience.
Research your audience's needs.
Design a portfolio that showcases your best work.
Get feedback on your portfolio from potential employers.
Continue to update and refine your portfolio over time.

Attend a product development workshop

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Provides students with an opportunity to learn from experts in the field and network with other professionals.

Browse courses on Product Development

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Find a product development workshop that interests you.
Register for the workshop.
Attend the workshop and participate in the activities.
Network with other professionals at the workshop.
Follow up with the organizers or speakers after the workshop.

Career center

Learners who complete Developing Innovative Ideas for Product Leaders will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Product Manager

In this role, you will be responsible for the ideation, development, and execution of the company's products. You will need to have a strong understanding of the market, the customer, and the product development process. This course will help you develop the skills you need to be successful in this role by providing you with a framework for identifying and evaluating new product opportunities. You will also learn how to think entrepreneurially and see the world from the customer's perspective.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Manager

Product Designer

As a Product Designer, you will work to create and improve the user experience of products. You will need to have a strong understanding of human-computer interaction, user research, and visual design. This course will help you develop the skills you need to be successful in this role by providing you with a framework for thinking entrepreneurially and seeing the world from the customer's perspective. You will also learn how to identify and evaluate new product opportunities.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Designer

Product Development Engineer

In this role, you will be responsible for the design and development of new products. You will need to have a strong understanding of engineering principles, product development processes, and the manufacturing process. This course will help you develop the skills you need to be successful in this role by providing you with a framework for thinking entrepreneurially and seeing the world from the customer's perspective. You will also learn how to identify and evaluate new product opportunities.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Development Engineer

Marketing Manager

In this role, you will be responsible for the development and execution of marketing campaigns. You will need to have a strong understanding of marketing principles, market research, and customer behavior. This course will help you develop the skills you need to be successful in this role by providing you with a framework for thinking entrepreneurially and seeing the world from the customer's perspective. You will also learn how to identify and evaluate new product opportunities.

See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Manager

Innovation Manager

In this role, you will be responsible for leading and managing innovation initiatives. You will need to have a strong understanding of innovation principles, creative thinking, and project management. This course will help you develop the skills you need to be successful in this role by providing you with a framework for thinking entrepreneurially and seeing the world from the customer's perspective. You will also learn how to identify and evaluate new product opportunities.

See salaries and explore the career path for Innovation Manager

Sales Manager

In this role, you will be responsible for the development and execution of sales strategies. You will need to have a strong understanding of sales principles, customer relationship management, and negotiation. This course will help you develop the skills you need to be successful in this role by providing you with a framework for thinking entrepreneurially and seeing the world from the customer's perspective. You will also learn how to identify and evaluate new product opportunities.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sales Manager

Entrepreneur

In this role, you will be responsible for starting and running your own business. You will need to have a strong understanding of business principles, marketing, and finance. This course will help you develop the skills you need to be successful in this role by providing you with a framework for thinking entrepreneurially and seeing the world from the customer's perspective. You will also learn how to identify and evaluate new product opportunities.

See salaries and explore the career path for Entrepreneur

Business Development Manager

In this role, you will be responsible for identifying and developing new business opportunities. You will need to have a strong understanding of business development principles, market research, and customer behavior. This course will help you develop the skills you need to be successful in this role by providing you with a framework for thinking entrepreneurially and seeing the world from the customer's perspective. You will also learn how to identify and evaluate new product opportunities.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Development Manager

Consultant

In this role, you will be providing advice and guidance to businesses on a variety of topics, including product development, marketing, and sales. You will need to have a strong understanding of business principles, market research, and customer behavior. This course will help you develop the skills you need to be successful in this role by providing you with a framework for thinking entrepreneurially and seeing the world from the customer's perspective. You will also learn how to identify and evaluate new product opportunities.

See salaries and explore the career path for Consultant

Researcher

In this role, you will be conducting research on a variety of topics, including product development, marketing, and sales. You will need to have a strong understanding of research methods, data analysis, and interpretation. This course will help you develop the skills you need to be successful in this role by providing you with a framework for thinking entrepreneurially and seeing the world from the customer's perspective. You will also learn how to identify and evaluate new product opportunities.

See salaries and explore the career path for Researcher

Data Analyst

In this role, you will be analyzing data to identify trends and patterns. You will need to have a strong understanding of data analysis techniques, data visualization, and interpretation. This course will help you develop the skills you need to be successful in this role by providing you with a framework for thinking entrepreneurially and seeing the world from the customer's perspective. You will also learn how to identify and evaluate new product opportunities.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst

Technical Writer

In this role, you will be writing and editing technical documentation, such as user manuals, white papers, and training materials. You will need to have a strong understanding of technical writing principles, grammar, and style. This course may be useful for you if you are interested in developing new products or features that are well-documented and easy to use.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Writer

Industrial Designer

In this role, you will be designing and developing the physical appearance of products. You will need to have a strong understanding of industrial design principles, ergonomics, and manufacturing processes. This course may be useful for you if you are interested in developing new products or features that are visually appealing and user-friendly.

See salaries and explore the career path for Industrial Designer

Software Engineer

In this role, you will be designing, developing, and testing software applications. You will need to have a strong understanding of software engineering principles, programming languages, and software development tools. This course may be useful for you if you are interested in developing new software products or features.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Engineer

Hardware Engineer

In this role, you will be designing, developing, and testing hardware products. You will need to have a strong understanding of hardware engineering principles, electronics, and manufacturing processes. This course may be useful for you if you are interested in developing new hardware products or features.

See salaries and explore the career path for Hardware Engineer