Growing Up Fast: How New Agile Practices Can Move Marketing And Innovation Past The Old Business Stalemates by Jascha Kaykas-Wolff, Kevin Fann

When it comes to marketing and innovation, the world of business is no stranger to stalemates. Companies try to move forward with new ideas and initiatives, only to be met with contention and pushback. Often, the old ways of doing things are still favored and the ultimate cost of not being able to progress can leave even the most creative and ambitious teams in the dust.

As times and technologies change, it is more important than ever for businesses to keep their strategies up to date and competitive. In his book, Growing Up Fast: How New Agile Practices Can Move Marketing and Innovation Past the Old Business Stalemates, author Jascha Kaykas-Wolff outlines the need for new business strategies, and explains how agile practices can get innovation and marketing teams quickly out of the rut.

Kaykas-Wolff begins by exploring the idea of “agile” organizations. Agile organizations are agile in their ways of thinking and operating, favoring speed, collaboration, and flexibility over traditional rigid and slow bureaucratic approaches. By operating with this mindset, Kaykas-Wolff argues that companies can better adapt to a rapidly changing world and become innovative and successful.

Agile practices encourage these businesses to stay ahead of the competition and make meaningful advances. The author also explains how successful organizations incorporate these practices into their everyday operations, stressing the importance of cross-pollinated teams and collaboration.

One of the key principles of agile practices is the idea of “fail fast, learn fast”. Companies that practice this system learn from failed efforts quickly, and use the lessons to propel future ideas and projects forward. This allows the company to remain agile and innovative, and be prepared for new transformations and opportunities.

Agile practices also stress is the need for prototyping and iteration. Kaykas-Wolff argues that companies should get their product on the market quickly and test it, in order to make modifications as needed. Product cycles should be as short as possible and development needs to occur quickly in order to stay on the cusp of innovation.

The author then explains the importance of keeping teams small and flexible. Smaller teams are more agile and they can make decisions quickly, while larger teams are often weighed down by bureaucracy or internal conflict. Additionally, teams should not be too product or process focused. Rather, they should be given the freedom to think outside of the box and innovate without fear of failure or rejection.

Finally, Kaykas-Wolff argues that companies must focus on customer-centric development. By understanding their customer’s needs and wants, companies can design better products and services that will stand the test of time. In addition, companies must invest in this process, or risk being left behind.

Growing Up Fast: How New Agile Practices Can Move Marketing And Innovation Past The Old Business Stalemates provides readers with an invaluable insight into the world of marketing and innovation. Through an exploration of agile methodologies and examples of companies who have successfully implemented them, this book helps readers understand how businesses can move past their stalemates and create compelling, successful strategies. By taking advantage of new agile practices, companies can become a force to be reckoned with in the business world.