Pipeline Accelerator Insight #10: Avoid Bright Shiny Objects – Distractions in Innovation
Ever feel like your innovation team is running in circles? It’s usually because of a common problem: Bright Shiny Object Disease (BSOD). This habit hits way too many companies, especially when they’re trying to launch new products. It feels like progress, but it’s actually just a distraction.
The Real Cost of Distractions in Innovation
When you jump from one new idea to the next, you aren’t actually finishing anything. Your resources get spread too thin, and your best projects start to crawl. If you want to see real growth, you have to stop chasing every sparkle on the horizon. The secret isn’t doing more; it’s focusing and finishing the products you’ve already started.
Every time a “bright shiny object” pops up, it asks for your time, money, and energy. If you say yes to everything, you’re saying no to the success of your current pipeline. You can’t reach the finish line if you’re constantly changing the race you’re running.
Master the Art of “Not Now”
When a new program looks for resources, your default answer shouldn’t be “no.” But more often than not it should be be “not now.” You don’t have to kill the idea forever. Instead, you should backlog those new thoughts until you’ve cleared the deck. Wait until your team has the bandwidth to actually give it the attention it deserves.
By staying disciplined, you ensure that your best opportunities don’t get buried by the latest distraction. Finishing what you start is the fastest way to accelerate your results and get your innovation engine humming again. Let’s keep the focus where it belongs: on the wins that are already within your reach.
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