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Six Myths of Product Development
Thomke, Stefan; Reinertsen, DonaldArticle HBS-R1205E-EMany companies approach product development as if it were manufacturing, trying to control costs and improve quality by applying zero-defect, efficiency-focused techniques. While this tactic can boost the performance of factories, it generally backfires with product development. The process of designing products is profoundly different from the process of making them, and the failure of executives to appreciate the differences leads to several ...Starting at €8.20
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The Surprising Power of Online Experiments (Spanish version)
Kohavi, Ron; Thomke, StefanArticle HBS-R1705EService and Operations ManagementAt Bing a small headline change an employee proposed was deemed a low priority and shelved for months until one engineer decided to do a quick online controlled experiment--an A/B test--to try it out. The test showed that the change increased revenue by an astonishing 12%. It ended up being the best revenue-generating idea Bing ever had, worth $100 million. That experience illustrates why it's critical to adopt an "experiment with everything" ap...Starting at €8.20
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The Surprising Power of Online Experiments
Kohavi, Ron; Thomke, StefanArticle HBS-R1705E-EService and Operations ManagementIn the fast-moving digital world, even experts have a hard time assessing new ideas. Case in point: At Bing a small headline change an employee proposed was deemed a low priority and shelved for months until one engineer decided to do a quick online controlled experiment--an A/B test--to try it out. The test showed that the change increased revenue by an astonishing 12%. It ended up being the best revenue-generating idea Bing ever had, worth $100...Starting at €8.20
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Sony
Thomke, Stefan; Osanai, Atsushi; Kanno, AkikoCase HBS-618045-EKnowledge and CommunicationSony used to be synonymous with "innovation" and "cool products". The case reveals how the company lost its edge and describes the leadership initiatives to restore its former glory. In 2012, Kazuo (Kaz) Hirai becomes CEO and successfully transforms Sony, including a relentless focus on differentiation through "wow" products instead of chasing scale. How should he organize and manage the company's response to digital opportunities, such as virtua...Starting at €8.20
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Designing Transformational Customer Experiences
Thomke, StefanCase HBS-617051-EKnowledge and CommunicationAnyone who has recently travelled, gone shopping, or tried to have a problem solved may have little recollection of the experience. Worse yet, some are frustrated by the lack of responsiveness or empathy that they encountered. The reality is that most customer experiences are mediocre, forgettable and some are plain awful. But once in a blue moon, an experience is so great that it leaves positive memories for years. Why do some product or service...Starting at €8.20
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Innovation Magic
Thomke, Stefan; Randal, JasonCase HBS-612099-EService and Operations ManagementWhy do certain product and service experiences seem like magic, making them all but destined for success, while other items languish on store shelves? For a better understanding of that, perhaps there's no better place to turn to than the world of magic. Consider that some professional magicians are constantly under pressure to come up with new "effects" that will wow the audience and ultimately result in a transformational customer experience. A...Starting at €8.20
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The Discipline of Business Experimentation
Thomke, Stefan; Manzi, JimArticle HBS-R1412D-EThe data you already have can't tell you how customers will react to innovations. To discover if a truly novel concept will succeed, you must subject it to a rigorous experiment. In most companies, tests do not adhere to scientific and statistical principles. As a result, managers often end up interpreting statistical noise as causation--and making bad decisions. To conduct experiments that are worth the expense and effort, companies need to ask ...Starting at €8.20