As we are burning through a development process to deliver the innovation we have designed for our products and organization, it occurred to me, that it becomes harder and harder for startups to deliver innovation.

That’s because they not only need to innovate, they need to catch-up at the same time too. And that is hard. Very hard. Especially when the resources you need to do it, are scarce and hard to find.

We have taken a structured approach to this problem. Perhaps some of our insights can help you out:

Startup

First of all you need to make sure your efforts are structured and have a shape that others people and organizations can relate to. The startup itself usually is the best way to do that. It provides the framework you need to get going and makes it easier to involve resources like people and supporting organizations.

This is especially important, cause when you’re innovating it’s hard for people to get what your doing, let alone be involved in it. This is also the biggest obstacle to getting the financial resources you need.

Catch-Up

This takes the most effort, cause you are expected to deliver about the same level of functionality and quality in your product or service, that took your competitors years to build and develop. You have limited resources so you need to do it in just a couple of months. Now that’s a challenge!

Usually there are some factors helping you to do this, like improved technology, but still it’s an amazing achievement. And don’t you forget it.

Unless you have some great VC funding, at the end of this process your startup is out of breath and looking desperately for that finish line. But…

Innovate

Catching-up isn’t enough. You need to add innovation to make sure your market will find you and identify you as a great new supplier to serve their needs.

But catching up AND big innovation will probably take more that you can give, about 99% of the time.

That’s why you need to innovate with marketing in mind. Choose a couple of areas within your product or service, where you can truly be remarkable, and innovate there. That will make it easier for your product to be successful during the early stages. And then of course you use that early success to finish your broader innovation.

If you make it, you’ve done something absolutely great, against all odds!

Isn’t that something you need to experience at least once in your lifetime? So go out there and startup, catch-up and innovate!