Mixed Deck — All CPI Topics Flashcards

A senior leader wants to create urgency for digital transformation. According to Kotter's 8-Step model, which action is MOST appropriate at Step 1?

Answer: Identifying competitive threats and data that make the status quo untenable

Kotter's Step 1 (Create Urgency) requires presenting credible, compelling evidence that the organization must change or face serious consequences.

What is open innovation?

Answer: Collaboration with external partners for innovation

Open innovation involves leveraging external ideas and expertise, as well as allowing internal ideas to go to market through external channels. This collaborative approach extends beyond a company's internal R&D, fostering a broader ecosystem for generating, developing, and commercializing new solutions through partnerships.

What is the primary ethical obligation of a CPI professional when a conflict of interest arises during customer discovery & validation activities?

Answer: Disclose the conflict to all relevant parties and recuse from the decision if necessary

The primary ethical obligation when a conflict of interest arises in customer discovery & validation is to disclose it to all relevant parties and, if necessary, recuse from the decision. This maintains professional integrity and stakeholder trust.

What is a 'technology incubator' and how does it support commercialization?

Answer: A support program providing startups with office space, mentorship, shared resources, and networking to accelerate technology-based business development

Technology incubators provide early-stage companies with physical infrastructure, business mentoring, and connections to investors and customers, reducing failure rates during the commercialization valley of death.

The concept of 'exponential technology' in digital disruption refers to technologies that:

Answer: Follow a rapid performance improvement trajectory (e.g., Moore's Law) making them increasingly powerful and affordable over time

Exponential technologies like AI, genomics, and computing power improve on predictable curves that make previously impossible applications suddenly feasible and affordable.

In the context of customer discovery & validation, what role does continuous professional development play for CPI practitioners?

Answer: It ensures practitioners remain current with evolving standards, technologies, and best practices

Continuous professional development is essential in customer discovery & validation because it ensures CPI practitioners remain current with evolving standards, technologies, and best practices, maintaining competency throughout their careers.

What is a minimum viable product (MVP)?

Answer: A basic product with core features for testing and validation

A Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is the version of a new product that allows a team to collect the maximum amount of validated learning about customers with the least effort. It includes only the essential core features necessary to solve a primary user problem, enabling early market testing and feedback. This approach minimizes development costs and risks while maximizing learning before full-scale development.

In the Business Model Canvas, 'Channels' refer to which of the following?

Answer: How a company communicates with and reaches its Customer Segments to deliver a Value Proposition

Channels describe how a company communicates with and reaches its Customer Segments to deliver a Value Proposition.

What is problem framing?

Answer: A method for defining and structuring a problem to generate solutions

Problem framing is the critical initial step in problem-solving, where the problem is clearly defined, understood, and structured. It involves analyzing the context, identifying key variables, and articulating the challenge in a way that opens up possibilities for diverse solutions. Effective problem framing ensures that efforts are directed towards solving the right problem, rather than just addressing symptoms.

In the Double Diamond design process, what happens in the second diamond?

Answer: Teams diverge to generate many solution concepts, then converge on the best solution to develop

The second diamond focuses on solutions: diverging through ideation and prototyping, then converging through testing and delivery.

Rapid prototyping is BEST described as an iterative process because:

Answer: Feedback from each prototype cycle informs and refines the next version

Each round of prototyping and testing generates insights that are incorporated into the next iteration, continuously improving the solution.

Which of the following is a key characteristic of a 'learning organization' as defined by Peter Senge?

Answer: An organization that continuously transforms itself by facilitating learning and systems thinking at all levels

Peter Senge's 'learning organization' continuously expands its capacity to create results by facilitating individual and collective learning, systems thinking, and shared vision at all levels.

How does technology impact innovation strategy?

Answer: It enables faster development and scalability

Technology acts as a powerful enabler for innovation by providing tools and platforms that accelerate the development, testing, and deployment of new products and services. It allows for rapid prototyping, efficient data analysis, and broader market reach, making it possible to scale innovative solutions quickly. This significantly shortens innovation cycles and expands the scope of what is achievable.

A CPI professional encounters an unfamiliar situation while performing intellectual property & patent strategy duties. What is the most appropriate first action?

Answer: Consult relevant standards, guidelines, or a qualified supervisor before proceeding

When facing unfamiliar situations in intellectual property & patent strategy, the most appropriate action is to consult relevant standards, guidelines, or a qualified supervisor. This ensures safety, accuracy, and compliance while building professional knowledge.

What is the strategic advantage of filing 'continuation patents' after a parent patent issues?

Answer: They allow the applicant to pursue new claims based on the parent's disclosure to cover evolving products or competitor designs

Continuation patents let innovators file new claims on the same original disclosure to capture improvements, design-arounds, or competitor implementations that weren't initially claimed.

In the context of design thinking, 'How Might We' (HMW) questions are used to:

Answer: Frame problems as opportunities to spark ideation

HMW questions reframe challenges as open-ended opportunities, priming teams for generative brainstorming.

What does a 'Build-Measure-Learn' cycle prioritize above all else?

Answer: Minimizing the time to validated learning

The entire loop is optimized to reduce the time between forming a hypothesis and getting validated evidence that confirms or refutes it.

According to Lewin's Change Management Model, what must a leader do FIRST before introducing an innovation-driven organizational change?

Answer: Unfreeze the current state by creating a sense of urgency or dissatisfaction

Lewin's Unfreeze stage disrupts the status quo by creating motivation for change before any new behaviors are introduced.

Which technology readiness level (TRL) is typically required before most commercial partners will consider licensing a university technology?

Answer: TRL 4–6 (validated in lab/relevant environment)

Most industry partners prefer technologies at TRL 4–6, where the concept has been validated, reducing their commercialization risk to manageable levels.

Which metric is most useful for validating whether a proposed solution delivers genuine value during early pilots?

Answer: Customer retention and repeat usage rates within the pilot cohort

Retention indicates whether customers derive enough value to return, making it a stronger validation signal than acquisition or awareness metrics.