This module guides government innovators through recognizing when to begin their innovation journey by identifying key triggers like market disruption, mission changes, budget pressures, and cross-market technologies. It emphasizes understanding your current position, selecting the right innovation strategy based on breaking cost or performance constraints, and building a coalition of trusted change agents to drive adoption across the organization. Practical lessons include real-world examples like software factories, healthcare reform, cloud modernization, and drone warfare, along with strategies for setting achievable innovation milestones and sustaining momentum through effective leadership and social proof.

This module explores four distinct pathways to market adoption—diffusion, democratization, low-end disruption, and new market disruption—using real-world examples like Uber, Tesla, Netflix, and cardiac stents to illustrate how innovations move from niche footholds to mainstream acceptance. Learners will understand how different combinations of performance and cost challenges shape each pathway, and how businesses strategically break constraints to expand their market reach. By mastering these frameworks, participants gain practical insights into navigating innovation adoption and scaling solutions in complex markets.

This module emphasizes that long-term success in government innovation comes from prioritizing quality and mission impact over simply controlling costs, highlighting the importance of delivering real value and measurable outcomes. Using case studies from software development, healthcare, cloud modernization, and drone warfare, we will explore how subordinating non-essential processes and focusing on key bottlenecks leads to sustainable performance gains. By mastering these principles, participants gain practical strategies to drive meaningful innovation and mission success in complex government environments.

This module guides you through foundational innovation concepts and frameworks, emphasizing the importance of identifying clear first steps in complex journeys—especially in AI—and using tools like jobs-to-be-done to align solutions with real user needs. It deepens understanding of innovation pathways such as diffusion, democratization, disruption, and shows how deliberate, incremental progress with modular design and continuous learning accelerates success while managing risk. By applying these approaches, participants gain practical strategies to navigate uncertainty and create lasting, scalable value in government and technology projects.

Use this module to check your mastery of the course content.