{"id":149349,"date":"2023-03-15T09:55:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-15T07:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/qmarkets.net\/resources\/article\/innovation-in-finance-copy\/"},"modified":"2024-10-10T17:12:48","modified_gmt":"2024-10-10T15:12:48","slug":"successful-innovation-interview-matthijs-rosman-revelx","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qmarkets.net\/he\/resources\/article\/successful-innovation-interview-matthijs-rosman-revelx\/","title":{"rendered":"Successful Innovation: An Interview with Matthijs Rosman of RevelX"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What are the fundamentals of successful innovation? What do business leaders need to take into consideration when they launch their programs, and where do they often go wrong?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>We sat down with Matthijs Rosman, partner at&nbsp;Netherlands-based growth specialists <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.revelx.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>RevelX<\/strong><\/a><strong>, to discuss these questions and more. Founded in 2014, RevelX is a company driven by its passion for growth and expertise on helping businesses to achieve it through innovation.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Matthijs discusses the innovation landscape and shares examples of the things business leaders should be thinking about and prioritizing as they develop an innovation strategy. Read on to hear his insights!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"323\" src=\"https:\/\/qmarkets.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/RevelX_Partner_Logo-1024x323.png\" alt=\"Logo of Revelex - An expert in successful innovation\" class=\"wp-image-149360\" style=\"width:361px;height:113px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qmarkets.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/RevelX_Partner_Logo-1024x323.png 1024w, https:\/\/qmarkets.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/RevelX_Partner_Logo-300x95.png 300w, https:\/\/qmarkets.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/RevelX_Partner_Logo-768x243.png 768w, https:\/\/qmarkets.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/RevelX_Partner_Logo.png 1032w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Q: Hey Matthijs! Could you tell us a little about how you became involved in innovation?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I've always been setting up new things. During my teens I set up an outdoor adventure company, during my studies I was part of a startup taxi company. I've always been interested in the entrepreneurial journey. At my first \u2018grown-up\u2019 job I worked at Libertel (the Dutch branch of a Vodafone). I was among the first to join the company and we were basically building the network from scratch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later, I started my career in consulting and I've been involved in startup mentoring since 2010. I\u2019ve always been involved in projects that involve designing new business models, especially for clients who are looking to reap the benefits of digital. I have an entrepreneurial spirit and I try to instill that in the companies I work with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Q: What about the work that you\u2019re doing now at RevelX?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We work with companies who are serious about driving growth through innovation. We aim to firmly embed innovation in the organization, and we do that by tying the innovation strategy to the overall strategy of the company, and by helping to build the structures and behaviors in which innovation thrive.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We work with clients from across many different industries. At the moment we\u2019re working with the Dutch Olympic Committee to support innovation in professional sport and promoting health and well-being in general. We\u2019re building a Technology Innovation Hub for the airline KLM. We also just started a project with the Dutch police force to build an innovation process that will realize the police force of the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ultimately, we really want to make innovation a fundamental business process in any organization. We believe that innovation should be on a par with disciplines like marketing, finance, and operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1\"><strong>The Innovation Landscape<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Q: What do you think the biggest drivers of innovation are right now?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Changing customer behavior is a major driving force. There are still too many companies which are fatally out of touch with their customers and just don't understand what they are looking for.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I wrote a book with my RevelX colleague Eric de Groot called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/DARE-Mindset-Successful-Innovators-Digital\/dp\/949305618X\/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=&amp;sr=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DARE<\/a>. In that book we write about what we call the \u2018autocatalytic pace of change\u2019 the world is going through, when one change accelerates the next. Too many companies just sit quietly and build their strategies on belief and hope\u2026 I think that's very dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It's not all doom and gloom because the COVID pandemic showed us that companies can still be highly innovative when their lives depend on it. Technology is making the world smaller and the way companies deal with their customers is changing very quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Q: Digital transformation is a concept which has been around for a long time. What are the most important aspects of digitalization for companies today? And how do you see that changing in the future?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Companies\u2019 entire operating models will be digitalized eventually. Nowadays, even the most analog of companies are transforming themselves into tech companies. I think the most important aspect of digitalization is making companies more agile, by empowering core business processes with technology. It greatly enhances the way people work together and collaborate, both internally and externally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019re working with lots of our clients to digitalize their value propositions and work in a completely different way with their partners, whether that\u2019s wholesale companies or sales partners, and also their customers. I think there's much more value that can be added to the customer relationship, through higher levels of personalization and lots of other ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many benefits of digitalization haven\u2019t been captured yet, but digital transformation is a very exciting space to be in at the moment. Open innovation is breaking down walls and companies are working with lots of different partners, all fueled by digital technology. I think we\u2019ll see that accelerate over the next few years.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"RevelX Innovation Webinars: Successful Innovation with Corporate Venturing\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sDE8EBUM1sQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">For more on open innovation, listen to Matthijs in conversation with Qmarkets' Carol Wright as they discuss fueling successful innovation with <a href=\"https:\/\/qmarkets.net\/resources\/article\/corporate-venturing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">corporate venturing<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2\"><strong>Driving Successful Innovation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Q: What would you say is the most important asset for corporate innovators today?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Innovation will either thrive or fail depending on the culture. Everything else can be bought or built.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Innovation is a people discipline. At RevelX we always say that organizations don't innovate, people do. Innovation will either thrive or fail depending on the culture of the company. You can build great processes, bring in efficient new tech solutions, have all sorts of things, but a collective innovation mindset is a key asset. Everything else can be bought or built.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Innovators are starting to realize that in order for innovation to thrive within an organization there needs to be the right environment. It's tough to do and it's one of the main reasons why so many companies aren\u2019t innovating, because they're not able to foster that kind of culture. Companies need to think about what an innovation mindset looks like, what it entails, how you build it, and how leadership can keep their innovators happy, efficient, and productive.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Q: Let\u2019s talk about process. What do you think are the most important aspects of a successful innovation process, and why?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A successful innovation process requires a methodical approach. Many companies still think that innovation is something mystical which just suddenly happens, or that there's a lot of chaos involved. But an innovation process needs to be structured and well thought through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I consider curiosity, trust, and transparency as key elements, and the only way you can bring those into an innovation process is by being clear about what innovation means for the company. There should always be a discovery phase when organizations consider that question. A successful innovation process should be outward-looking. What do your customers need? What does your market need? Where are the opportunities? That\u2019s where curiosity comes in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You bring trust into the process by building in the right levels of autonomy and mandate. If employees don't get that mandate and trust from management, they quickly become less innovative. Transparency means being clear about what the boundaries of innovation are, and what people are and aren\u2019t allowed to do. That\u2019s important because your innovation teams need to be aware of what\u2019s expected of them. It\u2019s really about setting the goal posts and the rules of engagement for the innovation process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ultimately you have to make the corporate invitation process a part of your company's DNA, and you have to tailor it to the specific challenges your organization is facing. And partnership building should be a key part of the innovation process. No company can do it on its own in this day and age so partnerships are really important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q: What do you think are some of the biggest misconceptions about innovation? You mentioned the assumption it requires chaos, are there any others?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes, that one is quite persistent, as is the idea that it should be left up to the \u2018great inventors\u2019 in the company. I think another one is that it's all the responsibility of one innovation department. Innovation has to take center stage because it's so integral to guarding the future of any company. Leaving that to a couple of people in an innovation department is a very risky approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Innovation is a methodical and process-oriented discipline \u2026 and it needs to be when you\u2019re in it for the long haul.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A lot of companies tend to put very young and inexperienced people in innovation teams. That, obviously, is not a bad thing in itself but you do need to have the right balance of young, boisterous energy and experience. Innovation departments might be a good start but in the long run innovation should be the responsibility of the entire organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">People say innovation is all about creativity and of course, creativity is part of it. What often gets overlooked though, is that innovation is a very methodical and process-oriented discipline, and it certainly needs to be when you\u2019re in it for the long haul and grinding out projects through to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lastly, one misconception that is prevalent in a lot of companies is that innovation is only about products and features. It should actually be about the entire business model: how we source products, the networks we build, our customer relationships, and our brands.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q: Do you find that many companies aren\u2019t investing in innovation as much as they should? And if so, what is it that\u2019s holding them back from innovation?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Funnily enough, we\u2019re actually seeing a lot of companies overinvesting in innovation! Innovation is all the rage suddenly and organizations feel a need to get onto the bandwagon, and end up sinking in millions and millions of euros into their innovation programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They might make all the right dance moves, but they\u2019re not hearing the music.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Without getting the groundwork right by focusing on the \u2018softer\u2019 side of innovation, like building the right teams, the right mindset and the right culture, it\u2019s all wasted. They might make all the right dance moves, but they're not hearing the music.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the other hand, it\u2019s also true that we see a lot of companies not investing enough in innovation. The first reason for that is a lack of awareness, either in terms of overestimating their innovation efforts or not understanding them properly. It\u2019s also down to complacency. A lot of companies and industries in general assume that disruption won\u2019t affect them, and that\u2019s a big mistake. Any industry can be disrupted. And then there\u2019s fear of the unknown, fear of taking risks.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another reason &#8211; and this is a management oversight that we see a lot in some of the more traditional industries &#8211; is that some companies just don\u2019t believe that their organization can innovate. They don\u2019t have the right people to do it, so they leave it to others. But actually, if you give people the right guidance and a mandate, anybody within any organization can innovate successfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Q: Let\u2019s say an organization comes to you that is just starting to think about building an innovation strategy. What\u2019s the single most important piece of advice you would give it?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It might sound like kicking in an open door but just start with defining what innovation means for your organization. If you're not clear about what innovation means for your organization and the place it has in your corporate growth mix, it's bound to deliver sub-par results.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Be ready to embrace failure: innovation is a risky endeavor but you need to treat failure as an opportunity to learn. And be ready to be in it for the long haul, not for quick results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"3\"><strong>Da Vinci: Inspiring Innovators for more than 500 Years<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Q: Absolutely. Let\u2019s end with a fun question: which great historical innovator would you most like to meet?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There have been many great inventors and innovators, but the one I would like to meet is Leonardo da Vinci. The title of our book DARE is an acronym: Defiance, Adventure, Realism, and Endurance, and Leonardo da Vinci was one of the quintessential DARE practitioners!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He was a multi-talented innovator in the 15th Century, long before the first corporate organization was founded (we Dutch would like to say that was the Dutch East India Company in 1602!). What\u2019s fascinating about Leonardo is that he questioned everything, and these were questions which led him to great innovations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He was one of those people who roamed the Renaissance courts, which effectively served as 15th Century startups or incubators because they were where new ideas were put forward and great inventions came from. A quick coffee or lunch with Leonardo would be fascinating!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/qmarkets.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/MatthijsRosman2019-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Matthijs Rosman from RevelX, sat on a couch, sharing examples of successful innovation\" class=\"wp-image-149356\" style=\"width:232px;height:348px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qmarkets.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/MatthijsRosman2019-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/qmarkets.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/MatthijsRosman2019-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/qmarkets.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/MatthijsRosman2019-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/qmarkets.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/MatthijsRosman2019-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/qmarkets.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/MatthijsRosman2019-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/qmarkets.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/MatthijsRosman2019-scaled.jpg 720w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matthijs Rosman is a partner at growth specialists and Qmarkets partner RevelX.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>To find out more about RevelX and how their services can help you to achieve outstanding business growth through innovation, visit their <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.revelx.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>website<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Discover how the <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/qmarkets.net\/products\/\"><strong>Qmarkets innovation management&nbsp;ecosystem<\/strong><\/a><strong> can help your organization to develop the right culture and processes to drive a successful innovation program.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color wp-block-paragraph\">a<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color wp-block-paragraph\">a<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color wp-block-paragraph\">a<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What are the fundamentals of successful innovation? What do business leaders need to take into consideration when they launch their programs, and where do they often go wrong?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":149379,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[294],"tags":[199,296],"class_list":["post-149349","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","tag-innovation-management","tag-partner"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/qmarkets.net\/he\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149349","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/qmarkets.net\/he\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/qmarkets.net\/he\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qmarkets.net\/he\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qmarkets.net\/he\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=149349"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/qmarkets.net\/he\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149349\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1059247,"href":"https:\/\/qmarkets.net\/he\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149349\/revisions\/1059247"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qmarkets.net\/he\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/149379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/qmarkets.net\/he\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=149349"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qmarkets.net\/he\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=149349"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qmarkets.net\/he\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=149349"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}