Methodology
The Innovation Sequence
The Innovation Sequence
The Innovation Sequence
This page outlines the proven eight-stage framework created by Marcus Strömberg to design, validate, and build a new innovative product into your business landscape. The world needs more real innovation. That's why this framework is entirely public and more information will be made available over time.
The Innovation Sequence is a year-long journey designed for long-term results. Slow and steady wins the race, after all. But sometimes the race is a sprint. That's what the Sequence Start Program is for.
Stage 1: Talk with your team and define success.
Start with alignment, not ideas. Before jumping into brainstorming or solutions, get crystal clear on what success looks like. What are you trying to achieve? What are your current strengths, weaknesses, and resources? Where is your organization already winning—and where do you want to win next? The goal is to agree on a shared vision and establish the boundaries that will guide your innovation work.
Proceed to the next stage when:
You have a clear, shared definition of success
Leadership is aligned and supportive
The vision, constraints, and resources are documented
Stage 1: Talk with your team and define success.
Start with alignment, not ideas. Before jumping into brainstorming or solutions, get crystal clear on what success looks like. What are you trying to achieve? What are your current strengths, weaknesses, and resources? Where is your organization already winning—and where do you want to win next? The goal is to agree on a shared vision and establish the boundaries that will guide your innovation work.
Proceed to the next stage when:
You have a clear, shared definition of success
Leadership is aligned and supportive
The vision, constraints, and resources are documented
Stage 1: Talk with your team and define success.
Start with alignment, not ideas. Before jumping into brainstorming or solutions, get crystal clear on what success looks like. What are you trying to achieve? What are your current strengths, weaknesses, and resources? Where is your organization already winning—and where do you want to win next? The goal is to agree on a shared vision and establish the boundaries that will guide your innovation work.
Proceed to the next stage when:
You have a clear, shared definition of success
Leadership is aligned and supportive
The vision, constraints, and resources are documented
Stage 2: Listen to customers to hear what they really need.
Get out of the building and into your customer’s world. This stage is about listening—not selling. Interview users, explore their behaviors, and look for patterns in what they need but aren’t getting. Focus on discovering pain points, unmet needs, or underserved segments. Don’t aim too broad. Go deep. Find a specific opportunity that’s real, compelling, and actionable.
Proceed to the next stage when:
You've identified a clear, evidence-backed opportunity
You understand the customer need deeply
The scope is focused enough to explore solutions effectively
Stage 2: Listen to customers to hear what they really need.
Get out of the building and into your customer’s world. This stage is about listening—not selling. Interview users, explore their behaviors, and look for patterns in what they need but aren’t getting. Focus on discovering pain points, unmet needs, or underserved segments. Don’t aim too broad. Go deep. Find a specific opportunity that’s real, compelling, and actionable.
Proceed to the next stage when:
You've identified a clear, evidence-backed opportunity
You understand the customer need deeply
The scope is focused enough to explore solutions effectively
Stage 2: Listen to customers to hear what they really need.
Get out of the building and into your customer’s world. This stage is about listening—not selling. Interview users, explore their behaviors, and look for patterns in what they need but aren’t getting. Focus on discovering pain points, unmet needs, or underserved segments. Don’t aim too broad. Go deep. Find a specific opportunity that’s real, compelling, and actionable.
Proceed to the next stage when:
You've identified a clear, evidence-backed opportunity
You understand the customer need deeply
The scope is focused enough to explore solutions effectively
Stage 3: Find one idea that makes your whole team really excited.
Now it’s time to generate ideas and prioritize them. Get your team together to explore ways to solve the opportunity you uncovered. The energy should be high—but focus is key. Use clear criteria (e.g. customer value, feasibility, strategic fit) to filter ideas down to 2–3 serious contenders. Then, flesh out each one with user journeys, business logic, and strategic impact. End the stage with one concept you’re ready to bet on—and a couple of backups just in case.
Proceed to the next stage when:
One concept is clearly prioritized and well-documented
The concept aligns with strategic goals and customer needs
Executive sponsors are bought in and resources are approved
Stage 3: Find one idea that makes your whole team really excited.
Now it’s time to generate ideas and prioritize them. Get your team together to explore ways to solve the opportunity you uncovered. The energy should be high—but focus is key. Use clear criteria (e.g. customer value, feasibility, strategic fit) to filter ideas down to 2–3 serious contenders. Then, flesh out each one with user journeys, business logic, and strategic impact. End the stage with one concept you’re ready to bet on—and a couple of backups just in case.
Proceed to the next stage when:
One concept is clearly prioritized and well-documented
The concept aligns with strategic goals and customer needs
Executive sponsors are bought in and resources are approved
Stage 3: Find one idea that makes your whole team really excited.
Now it’s time to generate ideas and prioritize them. Get your team together to explore ways to solve the opportunity you uncovered. The energy should be high—but focus is key. Use clear criteria (e.g. customer value, feasibility, strategic fit) to filter ideas down to 2–3 serious contenders. Then, flesh out each one with user journeys, business logic, and strategic impact. End the stage with one concept you’re ready to bet on—and a couple of backups just in case.
Proceed to the next stage when:
One concept is clearly prioritized and well-documented
The concept aligns with strategic goals and customer needs
Executive sponsors are bought in and resources are approved
Stage 4: Quickly build a low-cost prototype to see if it works.
Don’t aim for perfect—aim to learn. Build a simple prototype to test your riskiest assumptions. Whether it’s a clickable mockup, a rough physical model, or a manually powered experience, keep it lean and focused. What matters is whether users get it, use it, and find value in it. Run quick build-test-learn cycles and adjust as needed. This is how you make smarter decisions before investing more.
Proceed to the next stage when:
You've tested key assumptions with real users
The prototype delivered useful insights
You have a clear MVP scope based on evidence
Stage 4: Quickly build a low-cost prototype to see if it works.
Don’t aim for perfect—aim to learn. Build a simple prototype to test your riskiest assumptions. Whether it’s a clickable mockup, a rough physical model, or a manually powered experience, keep it lean and focused. What matters is whether users get it, use it, and find value in it. Run quick build-test-learn cycles and adjust as needed. This is how you make smarter decisions before investing more.
Proceed to the next stage when:
You've tested key assumptions with real users
The prototype delivered useful insights
You have a clear MVP scope based on evidence
Stage 4: Quickly build a low-cost prototype to see if it works.
Don’t aim for perfect—aim to learn. Build a simple prototype to test your riskiest assumptions. Whether it’s a clickable mockup, a rough physical model, or a manually powered experience, keep it lean and focused. What matters is whether users get it, use it, and find value in it. Run quick build-test-learn cycles and adjust as needed. This is how you make smarter decisions before investing more.
Proceed to the next stage when:
You've tested key assumptions with real users
The prototype delivered useful insights
You have a clear MVP scope based on evidence
Stage 5: Put it in front of a larger audience and see if it holds up.
You’ve tested it in small settings—now see how it performs in the wild. Run a pilot or limited beta with real users in real conditions. Collect feedback, usage data, and performance metrics. Refine your offer, positioning, or support model based on what you learn. This phase validates not just user value, but operational and business viability.
Proceed to the next stage when:
Real users are adopting and using the product
You've validated business assumptions (e.g. pricing, operations)
The team agrees it's ready for full MVP development or launch
Stage 5: Put it in front of a larger audience and see if it holds up.
You’ve tested it in small settings—now see how it performs in the wild. Run a pilot or limited beta with real users in real conditions. Collect feedback, usage data, and performance metrics. Refine your offer, positioning, or support model based on what you learn. This phase validates not just user value, but operational and business viability.
Proceed to the next stage when:
Real users are adopting and using the product
You've validated business assumptions (e.g. pricing, operations)
The team agrees it's ready for full MVP development or launch
Stage 5: Put it in front of a larger audience and see if it holds up.
You’ve tested it in small settings—now see how it performs in the wild. Run a pilot or limited beta with real users in real conditions. Collect feedback, usage data, and performance metrics. Refine your offer, positioning, or support model based on what you learn. This phase validates not just user value, but operational and business viability.
Proceed to the next stage when:
Real users are adopting and using the product
You've validated business assumptions (e.g. pricing, operations)
The team agrees it's ready for full MVP development or launch
Stage 6: Build it for real—and get ready to scale.
Now it’s time to build the MVP for real. This version should be stable, focused, and launch-ready—built around only the essential features. Use agile methods, sprint cycles, and stakeholder check-ins to keep everything aligned. Make sure lessons from testing are incorporated. Don’t chase perfection. Focus on clarity, quality, and execution.
Proceed to the next stage when:
MVP is complete, tested, and stable
Stakeholders approve the release plan
Launch logistics and responsibilities are confirmed
Stage 6: Build it for real—and get ready to scale.
Now it’s time to build the MVP for real. This version should be stable, focused, and launch-ready—built around only the essential features. Use agile methods, sprint cycles, and stakeholder check-ins to keep everything aligned. Make sure lessons from testing are incorporated. Don’t chase perfection. Focus on clarity, quality, and execution.
Proceed to the next stage when:
MVP is complete, tested, and stable
Stakeholders approve the release plan
Launch logistics and responsibilities are confirmed
Stage 6: Build it for real—and get ready to scale.
Now it’s time to build the MVP for real. This version should be stable, focused, and launch-ready—built around only the essential features. Use agile methods, sprint cycles, and stakeholder check-ins to keep everything aligned. Make sure lessons from testing are incorporated. Don’t chase perfection. Focus on clarity, quality, and execution.
Proceed to the next stage when:
MVP is complete, tested, and stable
Stakeholders approve the release plan
Launch logistics and responsibilities are confirmed
Stage 7: Get your sales and marketing ready for launch.
The launch isn’t just technical—it’s organizational. Marketing, sales, support, and leadership all need to be aligned. Make sure campaigns are ready, sales teams are trained, and support knows what to expect. Have metrics in place to track success and contingency plans for whatever doesn’t go to plan. Launch day is the beginning, not the end.
Proceed to the next stage when:
Product is live and initial adoption is underway
Launch campaigns have been executed
Early performance data and user feedback are available
Stage 7: Get your sales and marketing ready for launch.
The launch isn’t just technical—it’s organizational. Marketing, sales, support, and leadership all need to be aligned. Make sure campaigns are ready, sales teams are trained, and support knows what to expect. Have metrics in place to track success and contingency plans for whatever doesn’t go to plan. Launch day is the beginning, not the end.
Proceed to the next stage when:
Product is live and initial adoption is underway
Launch campaigns have been executed
Early performance data and user feedback are available
Stage 7: Get your sales and marketing ready for launch.
The launch isn’t just technical—it’s organizational. Marketing, sales, support, and leadership all need to be aligned. Make sure campaigns are ready, sales teams are trained, and support knows what to expect. Have metrics in place to track success and contingency plans for whatever doesn’t go to plan. Launch day is the beginning, not the end.
Proceed to the next stage when:
Product is live and initial adoption is underway
Launch campaigns have been executed
Early performance data and user feedback are available
Stage 8: Reflect on what you built—and decide what’s next.
Now that the product is live, shift into continuous improvement and strategic reflection. Look at usage data, customer feedback, and team performance. Identify what needs improvement and what can scale. Help the internal team fully take over through training and documentation. Celebrate the journey, share the lessons, and make a plan for what comes next—whether that’s scaling, pivoting, or spinning up the next innovation.
You have completed The Innovation Sequence when:
The product has been integrated into daily operations
Your team is fully enabled to own and run it
Strategic decisions have been made on how to grow or evolve the offering
Stage 8: Reflect on what you built—and decide what’s next.
Now that the product is live, shift into continuous improvement and strategic reflection. Look at usage data, customer feedback, and team performance. Identify what needs improvement and what can scale. Help the internal team fully take over through training and documentation. Celebrate the journey, share the lessons, and make a plan for what comes next—whether that’s scaling, pivoting, or spinning up the next innovation.
You have completed The Innovation Sequence when:
The product has been integrated into daily operations
Your team is fully enabled to own and run it
Strategic decisions have been made on how to grow or evolve the offering
Stage 8: Reflect on what you built—and decide what’s next.
Now that the product is live, shift into continuous improvement and strategic reflection. Look at usage data, customer feedback, and team performance. Identify what needs improvement and what can scale. Help the internal team fully take over through training and documentation. Celebrate the journey, share the lessons, and make a plan for what comes next—whether that’s scaling, pivoting, or spinning up the next innovation.
You have completed The Innovation Sequence when:
The product has been integrated into daily operations
Your team is fully enabled to own and run it
Strategic decisions have been made on how to grow or evolve the offering
Note: The Innovation Sequence is being turned into a concierge consulting service.
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