The web is constantly delivering new services for managers, entrepreneurs and innovators many of us are unfamiliar with. Leaving aside the more established market information companies, the following lists try to capture some of the best blogs and resources out there, which can offer practical help to those seeking to understand more about innovation and business models.
Blogs on management and innovation
- Fred Wilson is a VC and principal of Union Square Ventures who writes about entrepreneurship and the ins and outs of Venture Capital.
- Hosted by writer and speaker Braden Kelley of Business Strategy Innovation for the Global Innovation Community, this blog says it has visitors from more than 150 countries. As is fitting for a blog with such a wide audience, breadth and depth of content are this site’s strengths. Post archives go back to 2006, written by a variety of contributors. In addition to blog posts on topics such as “9 Innovation Roles” (which highlights the nine roles that you need to fill to successfully innovate), you can also access case studies and news.
- A site that features countless contributions to the making of a best-seller “Business Model Generation“. The site is still active in providing innovative ideas for new books and improving previous editions.
- This blog features interesting articles posted by Harold Jarche, who founded the blog in 2003. It introduces the concept of PKM (Personal Knowledge Management) and includes the latest tools on fostering innovation.
- The “Sandblog,” as the blog hosted by creative problem-solving company Idea Sandbox is called, is one of the more attractively designed blogs around. The creative look will help inspire creativity—so will the practical and thorough how-to posts, such as 11 Ways To Restate Problems to Get Better Solutions. Other recent topics I found useful (and innovative) included what foods you should order for the group to maximize a brainstorming session and how to manage time using a pie chart instead of a traditional calendar. Idea Sandbox offers books and tools to help you be more creative, with enough useful, practical content to make it a worthwhile read.
- Subjects include innovation, creativity and management. Author Emilio Rosico (in Spanish)
Innovation Tools’ Innovation Weblog
- A “meta-index of the latest innovation trends, news, technology, resources and viewpoints,” Innovation Weblog is chock-full of ideas, how-to’s and tools to help you be more innovative. Posts run the gamut from book reviews and lists of innovation tools to reports on innovation-related events. You’ll also find thought-provoking posts such as “How the Cage of Affinity Limits Your Creative Thinking,” and interviews with thought leaders in innovation. You can buy innovation tools, books and software on the site, too.
- Ian McCarthy’s new blog shows plenty articles that are effective and enthralling. The author explains how innovation works in great detail with tables, diagrams and videos that make this a blog worth a look.
Matthew E. May: How to do Better with Less
- Matthew E. May is the author of The Laws of Subtraction. He blogs about innovation and lean thinking, reviews books and discusses tools
- Hosted by Idea Champions, a consulting and training company dedicated to awakening and nurturing the spirit of innovation, this blog is a great place to go when you need a quick burst of inspiration or energy to help you innovate. True to the concept of creativity, what you find on The Heart of Innovation will vary wildly from day-to-day. You might discover a quick, energizing read like “15 Awesome Quotes About Collaboration” or a pithy Zen koan. Or you might find a more traditional blog post on the power of full immersion, which explains the results you can get from spending a full day working on one thing and one thing only, or “The 8 Dimensions of a Brainstorm Session.” The blog, which also spotlights books and tools related to innovation, features posts from a variety of contributors.
Business plans and business modelling
Alexander Osterwalder AO’s website
- Author of the book “Business Model Generation“. Business model templates.
Business Model Database http://www.tbmdb.com/
- A blog that discusses innovative business models and provides book reviews.
Carnegie Library Library site
- To my knowledge, the best Library catalogue of business plans on the web.
Damodaran NYU Site
- Aswath Damodaran is one of the most important figures in valuation. His website has a large amount of qualitative and quantitative information on the subject and various business model templates. Includes country risk premiums and WACC calculations.
Management Innovation Exchange MIX
- Project that involving names such as Gary Hamel. Innovation and business models.
[Updated November 2012 by Hugo Mendes Domingos]
Innovation Models 