#11 Innovation by Design (6/6): Test & Learn—Executing Innovation Like a Pro

Jay Terwilliger
Apr 23
2 min read

Build an execution strategy that iterates and learns post-launch.

A business woman is monitoring all aspects of a launch in real time — Savvy business leaders recognize that launch is just another step of the innovation process—not its end. They don’t expect perfection out of the gate, but instead design their approach to observe, learn, and continuously improve.

“Fail Fast” Is Not a Strategy—It’s a Cop-Out

You’ve probably heard the mantra: “Fail fast. Fail cheap.”

It sounds smart. Nimble. Agile. But here’s the problem:

It’s a strategy for failure. If failure is your strategy, you’re not innovating—you’re quitting early.

Real innovation doesn’t stop at launch. It starts at launch.

In this final post, we explore the importance of iteration, learning, and long-term support as critical elements of innovation execution.

13. A Well-Defined, Flexible 'Test & Learn' Execution Process

Success requires continuous adaptation, not just fast failure.

13. A Well-Defined, Yet Flexible, “Test & Learn” Execution Process

Innovation isn’t an event—it’s an evolution.

Too often, organizations treat “launch” as the finish line. But innovators know that launch is just the first experiment. The real value comes from testing, learning, adapting, and improving over time.

We call this “Launch & Learn.”

Instead of: Failing fast, successful innovators…

Launch intentionally
Observe carefully
Learn quickly
Adapt rapidly
Re-launch smarter

This requires more than mindset. It requires a repeatable process for:

Testing the idea in-market
Validating assumptions
Iterating based on feedback
Keeping investment aligned with learning

The most successful companies don’t bail at the first sign of trouble. They refine and keep going—because if the idea is aligned with their future vision (see CSF #2) it’s too important to abandon.

📌 Ask Yourself:

Is your execution process designed to adapt and improve?

Or is it a one-shot launch strategy that gives up at the first failure?

Score Yourself

Add the final CSF to your Innovation Scorecard:

Critical Success Factor	Rating (1-5)
A well-defined, flexible “Test & Learn” process

Subtotal for Post 6: _____ / 5

Final Score (All Posts 1–6): _____ / 65

How Did You Do?

Here’s how to interpret your total score:

Score Range	Innovation Readiness
46–65	Strong innovation culture—well-positioned for the future
40–45	Moderate readiness—some strengths, but work needed
Below 40	Critical gaps—action is needed to prepare for what’s ahead
e readiness—some strengths, but work needed
Below 40	Critical gaps—action is needed to prepare for what’s ahead