Diana Kander, New York Times Bestselling Author and Renowned Innovation Keynote Speaker
Diana Kander 
The Big Idea: To beat the overconfidence effect in yourself and others you need to argue like you’re right but listen like you’re wrong. Background: Adam Grant was the youngest tenured professor at Wharton School, receiving tenure at the age of 28. He specializes in organizational psychology. He has been Wharton’s top-rated professor for seven … Read more
When I walked into a local car dealership in Columbia, Mo. earlier this year, I knew which car I wanted and I had a plan to get it at a great price. Within thirty seconds of walking onto the showroom floor, a sales rep named Chad asked me to step into his cubicle with promises … Read more
The data you choose to measure to test the success of a project is very important. If you measure vanity metrics instead of measuring real value based on the strategic goals of the organization, you could end up with a warehouse full of cupcake supplies. The metrics you choose to measure the success of any … Read more
A few weeks ago, at the National Association of Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) Conference, I took part in a panel discussion on the subject of preparing our future workforce for entrepreneurial thinking. As companies increasingly express an interest in creative, innovative employees, one of the hottest questions in entrepreneurship education has become, “How do we … Read more
Launching new products and services is the only way to stay competitive in the new economy. Unfortunately, most companies have a process in place that stifles innovation. I recently gave a TEDx talk titled “Our Approach to Innovation is Dead Wrong” about why our traditional thinking with regard to launching new products or initiatives is actually killing those new ideas … Read more
Corporate innovation is all the rage these days. With plenty of money and time at their disposal, employees have ample resources to create the next big thing. But before they commit too many resources to an idea, these intrapreneurs can learn a lot from successful entrepreneurs who operate with fewer resources. Innovation within a corporation … Read more
I’ve been thinking about my first motorcycle accident. I’m not counting the time when I drove my Kawasaki Ninja to my friend Eric’s house and, while showing it off, fell over and needed his help to pick it back up. No, this was a lot more serious I was attempting to make a left turn … Read more
No innovator fails because they couldn’t build their product. They fail because no one found value in what they built. Here’s what usually happens when someone gets a new idea: Their mind starts racing with all the possibilities of what it could turn into, the impact it could have on the world, and all the … Read more
What does it feel like to have a terrible business idea? The kind where people laugh behind your back as you walk away? Take a moment. Think about it. It actually feels a lot like having the world’s best business idea…right up until the moment when the market tells you that you don’t have anything anyone wants. I meet with a lot … Read more
(Note: This is the second installment of a multipart series on conducting customer interviews and discovering true migraine problems. And check out the first article in the series.) Ok, you’re on the bandwagon. You understand that you need to a get to a new level when it comes to understanding your customers and finding their migraine … Read more