Author Archive | Scott Propp

How to Spot an Idea That Will Set the World on Fire

This is the third post in a series intended to allow you to identify whether you are on the verge of a great opportunity with a new partner or just having an interesting conversation. The metaphor we are using is built around internal combustion, a process which needs compression, fuel and ignition to start and […]

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Are Your Business Discussions High-Octane?

This is part two of a three part discussion about the elements required to take an idea for a new venture, acquisition or partnership from concept to profitability.  In the previous post, I outlined the three essential elements using the analogy of an internal combustion engine: compression, spark and fuel. Today, I will talk about […]

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Three Keys to Profitable Partnerships

We’ve all been to networking discussions where the ideas flow and the potential for collaboration seems infinite – and yet nothing happens after the conversations end.  Some of these ideas are clearly not meant to be; for every great idea there are several hundred that aren’t worth a penny.  So how can you discern the […]

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How to Get Innovation Done

Earlier, I wrote a series that looked at finding inflection points and capitalizing on innovation. If you use the tools described there, you’ll find fertile ground for the innovation that your organization has the capacity to deliver. After deciding how to capitalize on inflection points, you’ll need to decide 1) which project to prioritize and […]

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Preparing for the Ascent: A Growth Leaders’ Action Plan

  This is the sixth and final post aimed at helping you map your external and internal environments. To recap, we have found that the external environment is understandable and runs on very long, predictable waves of discovery and implementation.  By studying these change waves, you can time your investments to be in the Growth […]

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Regaining Agility: How to Set the Stage for Extreme Growth

Note: This is the fifth of a 6-part series, How to Harness the Power of Change Waves to Accelerate Growth. In this post, I continue my focus on understanding what your organization can do internally to capitalize on external change cycles. It is essential to know your organization’s exact position in its internal change cycle. […]

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How to Map the Future of Mobile and other Zeitgeists

This is the third in a series of posts about using change waves to accelerate growth (here’s the first, and the second). Mapping in Real-time I’ve been using historical examples to make the case that change waves start with discoveries decades before they break as large-scale business disruptors. In most cases, it is possible to […]

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The Secret to Beating the Competition: Map the Future

Note: This is the second of a 6-part series on How to Harness the Power of Change Waves to Accelerate Growth (here’s the first). I invite you to add this series of posts to your reading list. (better yet, subscribe at right to have all future posts sent to your inbox). A note of thanks to Venkatesh […]

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How Smart Businesses Embrace Disruption

Note: This is the first of a 6-part series on How to Harness the Power of Change Waves to Accelerate Growth.   Disruption is the new norm. There’s no doubt that technological and economic disruptions are coming faster than ever before in human history. Robert Safian once wrote in Fast Company that “the pace of […]

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