As we move closer to starting our fourth cohort for Launch, we’ve taken the time to reflect on past cohorts to better understand what went well and where we can improve the program. How have we seen our teams grow over the course of Launch? And, importantly—because the end user’s perspective is critical to innovation—what did the teams themselves have to say about the experience?

We recently reviewed data we collected from and about Cohort 2. We had several valuable data sources, including:

• Results from the Innovation Capacity Assessment Tool (ICAT), which the innovation teams and their coaches use to identify priorities and assess progress at prescribed timepoints along the Launch journey.
• Findings from a post-program survey of innovation team members.
• Qualitative data that teams shared during in-depth interviews with our Launch Learning team conducted at the end of the cohort.

We identified the following insights:

• Cohort 2 gained skills in nearly all areas we measured related to commercialization concepts.  

  All teams who participated in Cohort 2 had increased innovation readiness (how ready their innovation is to go to market). All teams also increased their understanding of the desirability and market fit for their innovation. In other words, they tested whether their innovation was something their intended end user would actually want and use. All teams also increased their ability to add skills or people to their team to continue to ensure they have the team they need to make their innovation available to others.
  

• Teams became more confident in many areas related to innovation. 
  Respondents reported familiarity with the Launch Impact Canvas (the framework Launch uses to help teams identify end users, partners, competitors, distribution channels, and more), with more than half reporting the highest level of familiarity (comprehensive). 
   
  They also reported that they understood how to identify assumptions, create hypotheses related to those assumptions, and to carry out market testing to test their hypotheses. These skills are critical for improving the likelihood of innovation success. It is also the case that more than half of survey respondents said they had a comprehensive understanding of value proposition, a critical differentiator for innovations.  
   
• Teams highly valued the individualized coaching, and offered recommendations for how to adjust the training to better meet their needs.  

  Across the board, teams reported that the personalized coaching they received was a highlight of their Launch experience. One team member shared that their coach did an “amazing job advising and championing our team and innovation,” while another stated that their coach was “a large reason why we succeeded.” Teams also shared constructive feedback about the monthly online trainings.

  Our Launch team has taken this and other feedback to heart, and we’ve already modified the virtual trainings for Cohort 3. We now make concerted efforts to help teams understand how each activity or topic is connected to the overall innovation picture. We have also identified the monthly gatherings as an opportunity to build connection and practice skills rather than share didactic information.

• Overall, innovation team members considered Launch a good experience that they’d recommend to others.  

  Teams shared that they felt Launch was a great growth opportunity. They appreciated their coaches, and they valued the chance to connect with other teams working through similar challenges.

We are grateful to these teams for providing thoughtful and important feedback about our program so that we can continuously iterate and improve Launch, just as they are doing with their innovations. We look forward to implementing many of these improvements as we look toward the rest of Cohort 3 and the start of Cohort 4!