Mastering the Hype Cycle: How to Choose the Right Innovation at the Right Time

Nine

Evaluate: Understanding Rewards and Risks

Never mistake a clear view for a short distance.

—Paul Saffo¹

AFTER SCANNING THE HORIZON, capturing candidates that look as if they fit the needs of your company, and ranking those candidates, you’re left with a number of innovations that look promising.

If the benefits, risks, and costs are well understood—for example, if you’re adopting a mature innovation with a track record of successful adoption elsewhere—you may decide to proceed directly to adoption without further evaluation. However, skipping the evaluation phase does not mean dropping out of the STREET process. Even with a relatively straightforward adoption, many of the lessons and guidelines in the evangelize and transfer phases are still ...