Rapid Learning Cycles will help you find the shortest distance between you and a new product that your customers can buy.

“The most thorough, accurate, user-friendly, well-organized and inspiring guide for writers on the market today. Period.”—Richard Carlson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff This expert guide has put the dream of acquiring a publisher within reach for thousands of writers. Whether your book idea is a completed manuscript or still in the planning stages, The Shortest Distance Between You and a Published Book offers comprehensive, industry-savvy guidance on the steps to take to sell your book to a major publisher. Literary agents often advise their clients to read this book as their first step. Susan Page is the author of several bestselling self-help books, and a veteran of the publishing industry. Here, she’ll guide you step-by-step through the roadblocks that stall other writers and help you toward a publishing strategy that gets results. You’ll find in-depth information on the early steps to take, writing title ideas, developing winning book proposals, finding an agent, understanding publishing contracts, promoting your book, and more. Throughout the process, Page coaches you through both the emotional and practical obstacles you’re likely to face. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in a career as a published author. “Page, as her subtitle claims, really does tell you what you need to know to get happily published. This self-help author (If I’m So Wonderful, Why Am I Still Single?) knows what she’s talking about, whether she’s advising on how to write a book proposal, find an agent or promote one’s book . . . This is one of the more instructive guides to read before writing your book.”—Publishers Weekly

What do Ford Motor Company, Steelcase, Scania, Goodyear, Novo Nordisk, and Philips Electronics have in common? They all need to get their best ideas to market as fast as possible. They need to achieve the mastery of innovation. When these companies needed to accelerate time-to-market, get more new products to customers, and improve their ROI from investments in R&D, they turned to Lean Product Development to help them master the process of innovation. By adapting Lean ideas to their specific product development challenges, they learned how to focus innovation on the problems that would maximize customer and business value, and deliver on their best ideas. Winner of a Shingo Research and Professional Publication Award! The Mastery of Innovation: A Field Guide to Lean Product Development describes the experiences of 19 companies that have achieved significant results from Lean Product Development. Their stories show that Lean Product Development delivers results: Ford Motor Company completely reinvented its Global Product Development System and put decades of knowledge about automotive design at its engineers’ fingertips DJO Global, a medical device company, more than tripled the number of products they released to the market and cut development time by 60% Playworld Systems cut time-to-market in half–twice The diverse set of North American and European case studies in this book range from very small product development organizations (three engineers) to very large (more than 10,000). Some of the industries represented include automotive, medical devices, industrial products, consumer electronics, pharmaceuticals, scientific instruments, and aerospace. These companies have generously shared their knowledge about Lean Product Development to help you get your best ideas to market faster.

Why is it executives with great pedigree, great work ethic and great products lead teams that often under perform? Why is it some without the advantages of others seem to outperform the competition, get promoted more rapidly with far greater results? The answer is like most answers, it is right in front of your nose, but from an early age we have been socialized to ignore it to ensure acceptance.Once you have read through this articulate and inviting short work, you will be surprised this has not been driven home before...and once you understand this key piece to success both you and your company will be far more impactful and effective.The authors present, in a very down to earth and compelling manner the insights they have from distinctly different perspectives. One is a leading consultant who brings the unusual combination of a traditional MBA with a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. The second is an individual who was promoted through the ranks of one of America's best led Multi-national corporations to the role of president and COO.Any aspiring executive and indeed any current executive looking to hone their route to success will find this delightfully written book with its many examples a refreshing, if counter-intuitive look in the mirror. And if you are like most, will say "I knew that, and it gave me a powerful reminder of a basic principle responsible for many of the issues I face in my business and personal life."

This book offers new insights into the complex set of activities and decisions of product innovation management. It provides concepts, methods, and tools that can help accelerate the introduction of successful products to the market in an increasingly competitive and changing business landscape. It also offers examples and case studies, and it is the result of more than 20 years of study, research, and consulting carried out by the two authors in the field of innovation management. The book discusses the demanding challenges of product innovation and offers practitioners guidance on how to respond to these challenges. It presents a three-level framework (the “innovation pyramid”), which reflects the core components of a firm’s innovation capability: first, intelligence - absorbing information and knowledge from the outside world by looking beyond the familiar territories of the current market, technology, and customers; second, discovery - exploring opportunities for innovation through creative ideation and technology experimentation; and third, development - transforming opportunities into profitable new products and services.

A teen girl starting at a new school is torn between long-held loyalties and a bright new love in this irresistible new YA contemporary romance from the author of A Little Something Different. Paisley is really looking forward to college. She is ready to take charge of her destiny and embrace some new experiences! Finding a hot guy to make out with at her first ever college party seems like a great start...until her best friend informs her that mystery guy is actually Carter Schmitt, Paisley's sworn enemy who basically ruined their lives in middle school. So much for new people and exciting new experiences. Oh well. Paisley will just pretend he doesn't exist. Of course that would be easier if Carter, AKA her super-hot-sworn-enemy, hadn't ended up in three of her classes AND the same work study. Is it too late to rethink this college thing? Sandy Hall, author of A Little Something Different and A Prom to Remember, is heading back to college in this sweet and quirky contemporary romance. Praise for Sandy Hall: "If you need a cute romance to end your summer with, read this. It’s sweet. It’s adorable. It’s full of emotions. It’s one of the best romances I’ve ever read, and I’ll be reading this one again multiple times." —Here's to Happy Endings on Been Here All Along “Romance with a twist.” —Booklist on A Little Something Different