How does Apple win when Microsoft spends 4-5 times as much every year on R&D? How did an unknown band without a record deal manage to fill New York's Madisonn Square Garden on three separate occasions? Why did it take 200 years between the invention of the steam engine and the start of the industrial revolution? Sidestep and Twist answers these and other questions, and provides the tools that will let you create products that people will queue up to buy.
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Sidestep and Twist isn't anti-innovation, but challenges the notion that all ideas are good just because they are new. Innovation is making new ideas useful. Gardner's book will make anyone involved in doing transformation rethink what they're doing --Max Mckeown, Author of The Truth About Innovation, The Strategy Book and Adaptability
Forget everything you think you know about innovation. Gardner proves that innovation can be mastered - breaking down the myths that stand in the way of value creation. This book will fundamentally change how organisations compete in the 21st Century --Gabe Zichermann, Author of Game Based Marketing and Gamification by Design
I predict Sidestep and Twist's common sense approach to innovation success at scale will leave a lot of innovation gurus exposed like the proverbial emperor. If they're clever, they will grab a copy of this book and shout Eureka as they run naked for cover! --Annalie Killian, Catalyst for Magic at AMP Australia
Forget everything you think you know about innovation. Gardner proves that innovation can be mastered - breaking down the myths that stand in the way of value creation. This book will fundamentally change how organisations compete in the 21st Century --Gabe Zichermann, Author of Game Based Marketing and Gamification by Design
I predict Sidestep and Twist's common sense approach to innovation success at scale will leave a lot of innovation gurus exposed like the proverbial emperor. If they're clever, they will grab a copy of this book and shout Eureka as they run naked for cover! --Annalie Killian, Catalyst for Magic at AMP Australia
About the Author
James Gardner has run the largest innovation programmes in the public and private sector. He is present Chief Strategy Officer at crowd innovation company Spigit, and lives in London
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Liam Joseph Donaldson
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
How the heck is Glee so popular? I don't watch it, I'm aware of many, many people who are enamoured. They unashamedly 'take' other people's original creations and tweak it, often making orders of magnitude more money. (I saw the Glee analogy in a presentation, it is not in the book).
Was Apple's iPad the first tablet computer on the scene? Hell no! Was the iPod the first portable music player of its kind? Hello, no! Why and how were they such sensational hits?
In the case of the iPad, there was a large degree of Sidestep(ping) & Twist(ing). I do still think that R&D and talent played a significant part. For example, Tim Cook mastered the supply chain.
Facebook is the dominant social network, Google is the dominant search engine. Neither were first on the scene. (Remember MySpace, Altavista etc.?)
The iPhone was late on the scene. I used to have a Windows handheld device back in 2002 - an HP iPAQ - around 5 years before the iPhone was announced. It sucked! It looked great on the shelves in John Lewis and Dixons, but it was a piece of crap. Developers could create, and consumers could buy apps on it. Apple did not originally allow native apps (they suggested people built browser based apps only). They sidestepped and twisted to create a juggernaut.
The book is insightful, a must read for anyone interested in technology. The author makes some pretty compelling cases.
Was Apple's iPad the first tablet computer on the scene? Hell no! Was the iPod the first portable music player of its kind? Hello, no! Why and how were they such sensational hits?
In the case of the iPad, there was a large degree of Sidestep(ping) & Twist(ing). I do still think that R&D and talent played a significant part. For example, Tim Cook mastered the supply chain.
Facebook is the dominant social network, Google is the dominant search engine. Neither were first on the scene. (Remember MySpace, Altavista etc.?)
The iPhone was late on the scene. I used to have a Windows handheld device back in 2002 - an HP iPAQ - around 5 years before the iPhone was announced. It sucked! It looked great on the shelves in John Lewis and Dixons, but it was a piece of crap. Developers could create, and consumers could buy apps on it. Apple did not originally allow native apps (they suggested people built browser based apps only). They sidestepped and twisted to create a juggernaut.
The book is insightful, a must read for anyone interested in technology. The author makes some pretty compelling cases.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By E. Lumley
Format:Paperback
James Gardner's book is a fascinating, but at times depressing, take on the Darwinian history and realities of innovation, product adoption and the ability (and inability) to make money. Gardner argues that true innovation (that is something that is new, first on the scene, never before done-*take note blog writers and conference speakers) rarely makes money. Instead, usually, a younger, faster, nimbler company copies an idea, incorporates a 'sidestep' or a 'twist'(such as exploiting a new and more lucrative customer base, based on location; making the customer interface less complex, or embedding functions that encourages more users)and then reaps most of the spoils from the initial innovation.
The book also highlights some of the challenges large(and not so large) companies have in incorporating some of these 'sidesteps and twists' in regards to innovation. Some of these same challenges seemed very familiar to me and my company only has seven people in it.
I think James' honest view of the world is more true than people wish to believe. I've been reading this morning about Google's struggles with Google Wallet (you know, the mobile payments initiative that was supposed to have every bank shaking in its boots?) Basically the lesson of the book is that there are products and then there are products that a lot of people use(buy)and then there are products that a lot of people use for a long period of time. That road is filled with a lot of side steps and twists.
Depressing stuff for those of you who leave the house every day to create the new and the cool, hoping that is enough to set the world on fire. James' warnings could send everyone back to the warmth of a duvet and Radio 4.
(I, for one, have started work on my first novel - a tender story of a teenage vampire investigating grisly sex crimes in Nordic countries all while keeping up with his studies at a supernatural boarding school. It will be called 'Night blood - the vampire with too much time on his hands'-expect the movie out in 2016.)
The book also highlights some of the challenges large(and not so large) companies have in incorporating some of these 'sidesteps and twists' in regards to innovation. Some of these same challenges seemed very familiar to me and my company only has seven people in it.
I think James' honest view of the world is more true than people wish to believe. I've been reading this morning about Google's struggles with Google Wallet (you know, the mobile payments initiative that was supposed to have every bank shaking in its boots?) Basically the lesson of the book is that there are products and then there are products that a lot of people use(buy)and then there are products that a lot of people use for a long period of time. That road is filled with a lot of side steps and twists.
Depressing stuff for those of you who leave the house every day to create the new and the cool, hoping that is enough to set the world on fire. James' warnings could send everyone back to the warmth of a duvet and Radio 4.
(I, for one, have started work on my first novel - a tender story of a teenage vampire investigating grisly sex crimes in Nordic countries all while keeping up with his studies at a supernatural boarding school. It will be called 'Night blood - the vampire with too much time on his hands'-expect the movie out in 2016.)
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Kate Bennet
Format:Paperback
Dr Gardner's "Sidestep and Twist" provides a walk through innovation as we do- and as we don't- know it. The central premise, that genuine breakthroughs are never as successful as alterations of something that already exists and that crowds and marketing are key- is well justified, with a good mix of case studies and analysis. The studies are particularly compelling, with fascinating insights in to some of the world's most successful individuals and companies. For example- did you know that the first satnav databases (created in the late 1980s) were based on people driving around the country describing important features in to a dictaphone? And did you know that the world's first vending machine (invented in Ancient Greece) dispensed holy water on the deposit of a coin in to a slot?
These anecdotes, and others like them, were well told- demonstrating Gardner's skill as a story teller. I did feel, however, that at times the central argument would have better elucidated if the case studies had been backed up with more data and/ or if the experiences of the companies had been shown on the indicative graphs; showing real data against the expected outcome would have helped demonstrate the "sidestep" and "twist" in reality. Similarly, I felt that the author sometimes focused on described the impact on the graph line rather than the impact as related to an actual example- for example, writing "this twist has the impact of moving the curve to the left" rather than "this speeded uptake."
This aside, however, this was still an excellent book which innovation teams and company directors would benefit from reading. I would certainly love to hear more innovation anecdotes (including more non-technology based examples) from Gardner- perhaps a topic for the author's next Little Book Of...?
These anecdotes, and others like them, were well told- demonstrating Gardner's skill as a story teller. I did feel, however, that at times the central argument would have better elucidated if the case studies had been backed up with more data and/ or if the experiences of the companies had been shown on the indicative graphs; showing real data against the expected outcome would have helped demonstrate the "sidestep" and "twist" in reality. Similarly, I felt that the author sometimes focused on described the impact on the graph line rather than the impact as related to an actual example- for example, writing "this twist has the impact of moving the curve to the left" rather than "this speeded uptake."
This aside, however, this was still an excellent book which innovation teams and company directors would benefit from reading. I would certainly love to hear more innovation anecdotes (including more non-technology based examples) from Gardner- perhaps a topic for the author's next Little Book Of...?
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Creating products and services that people will love and share
James certainly has a passion for his subject. What is great is that he has also been involved with innovation in very large organisations so can speak with experience of dealing... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Robin Brownsell
5.0 out of 5 stars
An original contribution to the field
Are there very many of us who haven't wondered how Apple got to be cool while Microsoft got boring?
This is a book that tries to answer that question and others like... Read more
This is a book that tries to answer that question and others like... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Paul F
5.0 out of 5 stars
A book with solutions
I completed reading this over the Christmas break, and like other reviewers on here, found the book a really interesting read. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Susana Posada
4.0 out of 5 stars
Thought provoking read
Fascinating insight into ideas and innovation success.
Fundamentally the author argues that big innovation ideas (breakthrough's) are somewhat less profitable than... Read more
Fundamentally the author argues that big innovation ideas (breakthrough's) are somewhat less profitable than... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Martin
4.0 out of 5 stars
A must read
This book gives you a great insight in how to make success sustainable, it is an interesting read and I recommend this to anyone
Published 17 months ago by John Apple
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very Interesting book
I've just read this book and its and excellent take on Innovation theory. It's a must have for anybody who work's within innovation management.
Published 17 months ago by Gareth
5.0 out of 5 stars
Must read...
Fascinating insight into what make some products sell and others die. Made me re-think how best to promote and market new ideas as well.
Published 17 months ago by Jim
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