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In an era when organizations are seeking the “iPhone of healthcare” or the “Uber for homelessness,” it’s easy to gloss over the problem at hand. But problem statement definition is an important step that helps organizations avoid shiny object syndrome, $20 million mistakes, and other common pitfalls.
Open innovation is new and exciting; it’s tempting to get caught up in the untapped possibilities and dream outcomes. But if you don't start with the problem, the program will fail — no matter how interesting your tech partner or how big your prize purse might be. In recent years, we’ve been delighted to see government agencies, nonprofit foundations, and private sector corporations take the time to define a problem before jumping to a solution.
When Routledge editor Nina Montgomery asked us to write a chapter for her “Perspectives on Impact” book, we knew we wanted to write about open innovation. And we knew we had to start with the importance of problem statement definition.
Our latest case study, adapted from the forthcoming book, looks at how Luminary Labs worked with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Foods and Veterinary Medicine to define a problem at the start of the FDA Food Safety Challenge.
Read the case study to learn more.
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