CONSULTING SERVICES Corporate innovation initiatives move like boulders.  It takes monumental effort to get them rolling.  But, once they gain momentum, only great effort can slow them down.  As one client put it, "The only thing harder than starting a major initiative is to kill one."   I help clients address both dysfunctional tendencies.  I aim to provide objective advice that acts as the catalyst or the dampening agent, as the business and marketplace potential dictates.  I have vast experience in these types of engagements: Innovation Catalyst. Peter Drucker once wrote that "contrary to popular belief, 'flashes of genius' are uncommonly rare. Purposeful innovation begins with the analysis of opportunities. The search has to be organized, and must be done on a regular, systematic basis." Bringing together research on business failures captured in Billion-Dollar Lessons with design principles from Unleashing the Killer App, I work with companies to jumpstart purposeful innovation and capture strategic opportunities at the intersection of business and technology. In the course of doing so, I offer pragmatic methods and tools for designing an innovation portfolio to capture the potential value, while avoiding the pitfalls. Independent Devil's Advocate Reviews.  No company should launch a strategic initiative without an independent assessment of the effort. Internal stakeholders and outside constituents too often have a vested interest in the outcome, and a natural bias. An independent devil's advocate review offers fresh perspectives and asks the tough questions that might otherwise never get asked. If done properly, an independent devil's advocate review can ensure that uncertainties are appropriately exposed and risks properly managed.  A review can also uncover design errors early, before problems mushroom.  You should allocate at least 1 to 2% of an initiative's budget to independent reviews. For more on both the need and the process for independent reviews, see "Billion-Dollar Lessons." Retainer-based Advisory Services.  Rather than just providing counsel on an engagement-by-engagement basis, I also provide extended retainer-based advisory services. The goal is to serve as a personal sounding board and thought partner, offering candid feedback on key issues that clients face. This is done through regular discussions that consider both pressing concerns and strategic issues with longer timeframes, striving for a balance between the two. INQUIRE