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What practical innovation lessons can managers learn from the music and video game industries? Plenty, based on my read of Innovation Playlist: 11 Business Innovation Lessons from the Music and Video Game Industries by Elvin Turner, Chris Parles and Andy Billings.

What practical innovation lessons can managers learn from the music and video game industries? Plenty, based on my read of Innovation Playlist: 11 Business Innovation Lessons from the Music and Video Game Industries by Elvin Turner, Chris Parles and Andy Billings. This new e-book is available in Kindle format from from Amazon.com.

One of the things that makes Innovation Playlist immediately different and refreshing is its format. Rather than paragraph after paragraph of lengthy prose, this new book takes the form of an interview. Turner, an innovation consultant, interviews Billings, VP of Creative Profitability at award-wining video game developer Electronic Arts and Parles, a music industry expert and lecturer at the Academy of Contemporary Music in the UK.

Reading this book, I got the sense that all three of them were sitting in the same room somewhere, because they often riff off of each other in some interesting ways, adding depth to the topics they’re discussing.

Turner is an excellent interviewer, asking questions that draw out behind-the-scenes insights into the creative process, and then comparing them to the remarkably similar challenges that businesses face. Examples include:

  • The “third album syndrome,” where a group’s success makes them complacent and they lose their way creatively
  • Finding a balance between risk taking and sane development (solved by defining the essence of the customer experience and keeping that front and center for the development team), and
  • Embracing failure as a natural part of the creative journey, rather than something to be avoided.

This book is a quick read. Its conversational tone and keen insights will have you thinking about how to apply its lessons to your business – making it well worth the 99-cent investment.

By Chuck Frey

About the author

Chuck Frey Senior Editor, founded InnovationTools.com and served as its publisher from its launch in 2002 until the partnership with Innovation Management in 2012. He is the publisher of The Mind Mapping Software Blog, the definitive souce for news, trends, tips and best practices for visual mapping tools. A journalist by trade, Chuck has over 14 years of experience in online marketing, and over 10 years experience in business-to-business public relations. His interests include creative problem solving, visual thinking, photography, business strategy and technology. His unique combination of experience and influences enables him to envision new possibilities and opportunities.