Accelerating Adoption of Technology Innovation

Course Description

Successful innovation in the technology sphere has numerous challenges from finding the right idea to operationalizing the concept to bringing it to market. Perhaps the most challenging and indicative of success or failure is the rate of customer adaption. Our understanding of how innovations are adopted by customers has a long history. The Everett Rogers wrote his seminal book Diffusion of Innovations in 1962 describing the S-shaped adoption curve. Since that time innovators have sought to compress the curve, accelerating the adoption process. This course explores how each of you can speed the use of your innovations. The course begins with the theory of customer adoption and then explores ways to accelerate the adoption. Through case examples including the self-driving bus at Linköping University and your own experiences with autonomous vehicles and adjacencies we will create the recipe for rapid diffusion of your next innovation.

Special Course Features

• Use case examples and in-session simulations to ensure interactive learning environment.
• Cover a blend worldwide and local examples so learning is applicable in different contexts.
• Provide concepts/frameworks to address customer adoption.
• Test out concepts/frameworks with case examples to reinforce the classroom learning.

Course Content

Monday February 3, 2025

Session 1: Understanding the Diffusion of Innovations (9:00-10:30)

Session Objectives

• Provide overview of innovation process and guiding principles
• Understand the basic principles of diffusion
• Explore Roger’s Diffusion framework
• Evaluate the compression of the S-Shaped Curve over time
• Share system dynamics as model for understand adoption

Pedagogy

• Presentation of innovation process and the role of customer adoption
• Facilitated discussion of diffusion principles and models
• Breakout group exploration of the S-Shaped Curve trends
• Group assessment of system dynamics
• Sharing of student innovations

Cases/Readings

• On the Diffusion of Innovations: How New Ideas Spread, Singer, https://leif.me/2016/12/on-the-diffusion-of-innovations-how-new-ideas-spread/ (text)
• Fagan video of system dynamics: https://harvard.zoom.us/rec/play/9iRRAt8SU-ED6sdyn8aJNnS9ZHNhfFVaHOrRIChdTF_30JhZPzVDrXWyh_If_g6FbAnk1kESxfCo5ojD.fOCIh0aHziKuw2zh?canPlayFromShare=true&from=share_recording_detail&continueMode=true&componentName=rec-play&originRequestUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fharvard.zoom.us%2Frec%2Fshare%2Fk2fUOIwejsYS_j5anFjlmAF2A5H9YuE8v8C0CE5urMiH7eFyq0C5sFLlQBuez8cW.T_Am9fKnVw1l3aTK

Coffee Break 10:00-10:20

Session 2: Seeing Adoption Through Successes (10:20-12:00)

Session Objectives

• Discuss examples of successful customer adoption
• Explore attributes of success
• Build a best practices toolkit

Pedagogy

• Facilitated discussion of examples
• Breakout groups discussion of attributes
• Facilitated discussion of best practices

Cases/Readings

• How to get your ideas to spread, Seth Godin, https://www.ted.com/talks/seth_godin_how_to_get_your_ideas_to_spread?language=en (video)
• Summary of Fall in Love with the Problem, Uri Levine https://mobility-innovators.com/fall-in-love-with-the-problem-not-the-solution-a-handbook-for-entrepreneurs-uri-levine/
• Article on success of WAZE https://www.vlinkinfo.com/blog/success-story-and-future-of-waze-app/

Lunch 12:00-13:00

Session 3: Learning from Adoption Failures (13:00-15:00)

Session Objectives

• See the difficulty to taking a breakthrough innovation to customer acceptance
• Discuss the root causes of failure
• Identify and evaluate corrective actions

Pedagogy

• Facilitated discussion: Google Glass
  • In what ways was Google Glass a consumer adoption failure?
  • What limited adoption?
  • How could Google have increased the probability of adoption?
• Introduction and application of root cause frameworks
• Brainstorm and prioritize adoption enhancements

Cases/Readings

• Video: https://www.historytools.org/products/the-real-reason-google-glass-failed-spectacularly
• Why Innovations Fail, Heidenreich and Spieth, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259557705_WHY_INNOVATIONS_FAIL_-_THE_CASE_OF_PASSIVE_AND_ACTIVE_INNOVATION_RESISTANCE

Coffee Break 15:00-15:20

Session 4: Accelerating Adoption – The Toolkit (15:20-17:00)

Session Objectives

• Establish core principles of acceleration
• Discuss the “human element”
• Explore the toolkit for accelerating customer adoption
  • “Remarkable”
  • Wisdom of 100 voices
  • Early adopter ego
  • Change agents
  • Persuasion
  • Help
  • Bottom of the Pyramid
  • Elevator Pitch
  • Dashboard

Pedagogy

• Presentation of acceleration techniques
• Application and assessment of tools

Cases/Readings

• The Rising Need for Innovation Speed, BCG, https://www.bcg.com/publications/2015/growth-lean-manufacturing-rising-need-for-innovation-speed.aspx (text)
• The Human Element, Nordgren and Schonthal, PP 1-37,187-210

Monday evening: Ride on the self-driving shuttle buses and joint dinner

Tuesday February 4, 2025

Session 5: Accelerating Adoption – The Case of AVs Around the Globe (9:00-10:30)

Session Objectives

• Apply the concepts to explore how to accelerate the adopting of AVs
• Generalize the learnings to any innovation

Pedagogy

• Presentation of acceleration techniques
• Facilitated discussion of AnswerDash case
  • What are the options for accelerating adoption?
  • What criteria would you use to assess the options?
  • What option would you recommend? Why?
• Facilitated discussion of generalized learnings

Cases/Readings

• Disruptive Innovation Explained, Clay Christensen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDrMAzCHFUU (video)
• Autonomous Vehicles: A winding Road Toward US Adoption, https://ideas.darden.virginia.edu/self-diving-robotaxis
• We were told we would be in self driving cars by now, https://theconversation.com/we-were-told-wed-be-riding-in-self-driving-cars-by-now-what-happened-to-the-promised-revolution-201088
• Its Time to Change the Autonomous Vehicles Regulatory Approach, Fagan et al, https://www.hks.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/It%20is%20Time%20to%20Change%20the%20Autonomous%20Vehicles%20Regulatory%20Approach%2010.15.24%20w.o%20Borders.pdf

Coffee Break 10:30-10:50

Session 6: Taking a Test Drive: Accelerating AVs Adoption in Sweden (10:50-12:00)

Session Objectives

• Understand the special challenge of disruptive innovation
• See the challenges of customers adopting radical innovation
• Explore the impacts of technological uncertainty in adoption
• Find ways to accelerate adoption of AVs

Pedagogy

• Simulation of “selling” the AV concept to consumers
  • Concept description
  • Customer targeting
  • Messaging and delivery
  • Results and refinement

Cases/Readings

• Navigating the Robot Car Revolution, Fagan, https://www.hks.harvard.edu/more/policycast/navigating-robot-car-revolution (audio)

Lunch 12:00-13:00

Session 7: Making this Personal: Accelerating Your Innovation  (13:00-15:00)

Session Objectives

• Apply the acceleration concepts to your work
• Learn though peer review

Pedagogy

• Complete acceleration templates
• Provide and receive peer commentary

Cases/Readings

• None

Coffee Break 15:00-15:20

Session 8: Making this Personal: Communicating Your Message (15:20-17:00)

Session Objectives

• Hone your skills for communicating with your customers
• Learn though presenting and critiquing

Pedagogy

• Explore effective pitches
• Develop you communications pitch
• Deliver and refine your pitch

Cases/Readings

• Future is Now, Waymo, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kJPDg207oc
• Tesla Robos, https://www.google.com/search?q=musk+annoucing+robo+taxi+teslas&client=safari&sca_esv=ceb4c87c7fa8fd20&rls=en&sxsrf=ADLYWILO94eLOSaavpFqZdwnfZoDfO1MkA%3A1734984173924&ei=7cFpZ6eDONiKptQPpNmDiQ8&ved=0ahUKEwjnrYLb176KAxVYhYkEHaTsIPEQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=musk+annoucing+robo+taxi+teslas&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiH211c2sgYW5ub3VjaW5nIHJvYm8gdGF4aSB0ZXNsYXMyBBAhGApIgCNQ6gZYzA5wAXgAkAEAmAFroAG-BKoBAzMuM7gBA8gBAPgBAZgCB6AC_ATCAgsQABiABBiwAxiiBMICChAhGKABGMMEGArCAggQABiABBiiBJgDAOIDBRIBMSBAiAYBkAYDkgcDMy40oAeRGA&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:6acb9504,vid:6iTghylUHUY,st:0
• Juke Deck, pitch #6 – https://www.twine.fm/blog/the-20-best-startup-pitches-of-all-time/
• TED’s secret to great public speaking, Chris Anderson, https://www.ted.com/talks/chris_anderson_ted_s_secret_to_great_public_speaking?subtitle=en

Course Credit and Evaluation

• Attendance and active participation in the class will result in 1.5 ECTS
• If you would like to receive another 1.5 ECTS (= 3 ECTS in total) you can write a 1,200 word paper: illustrating the application of the course concepts in accelerating customer adoption. The paper should address aspects of the course that are relevant for the student’s own innovation or one that are familiar with. It must crisply describe the adoption issue and provide a detailed approach for acceleration, leveraging course concepts/frameworks. The grade is a function of (1) effective use of course concepts; (2) creative/effective acceleration ideas; and (3) clear and compelling writing.

Registration

Please register before January 15!