3. Overview

Anything that can be made or done must be able to be described. If you can't describe it there is no way for you to do it.

Once you describe it, you can also describe the ideal version. The ideal does what you want, when you want, where you want, the way you want, with whom you want, for the price you want with no hassle. If you start from the ideal then go backwards to what is available today, each step is an innovation.

What, How, and Doing it

To innovate you need ideas and to put those ideas into action. Ideas fit into two basic categories: what to make and how to make it. Only when you correctly identify what to make and the most profitable way to make it can you actually make your product or service. Additionally, to accurately measure your performance you need the correct criteria.

This book shows you the basics of how to determine what to make and how to make it. It's up to you to put those ideas into practice.

You need to know what you will make before you can figure out how to make it; but, the ways to make things influences what to make. A pocket MP3 player depends on electricity, which depends on batteries, which depends on the materials to make a battery.

Each step affects the next step. Choices of what to make interact with how to make it. You will use different parts of Predictive Innovation depending on if you are focusing on what or how. You will want to learn all the Core Skills but this table shows which parts to focus on for either What or How.