With Highline Beta, Morneau Shepell developed a new product and brought the MVP to initial customers in 9 weeks

At a Glance

Client: Morneau Shepell

Opportunity: Launch a new venture outside the core
Solution: Went from idea to MVP to initial customers in 9 weeks

Roadmap:

1. Run a bootcamp with Morneau Shepell team on lean innovation best practices
2. Interview 100+ people and test over 10 concepts
3. Build an MVP and launch it to early adopters

Results:

• 1 new venture built alongside the Enterprise Innovation team at Morneau Shepell with immediate traction

The Challenge: Uncover unmet customer needs & launch a new venture outside the core business

The Enterprise Innovation Team at Morneau Shepell approached Highline Beta with an audacious goal: Find radical new ways to help people live better lives at work and beyond. They had identified white space opportunities, and it was time to seek out the mentorship and methodology that would allow them to launch something radically new.

The Solution: A New Venture program to validate opportunity areas & speed time-to launch

New Venture Bootcamp

The Enterprise Innovation Team jumpstarted the innovation project with a 1-week immersive boot camp. Highline Beta was engaged to disrupt embedded ways of working and to guide the team through hands-on experience with Lean Startup methodologies. Using key tools and techniques such as the Lean Canvas and Empathy Mapping, intrapreneurs connected face-to-face with potential customers. The team was able to rapidly validate problem areas, and even uncover a surprising new target audience.

Guided Accelerator – from Idea to MVP

To quickly develop a solution that could be tested with early adopters, Morneau Shepell leveraged the Highline Beta team of entrepreneurs, strategists, and investors to run a 60 day guided sprint. Scheduled office hours and always-on mentorship with Highline Beta provided the support and structure needed to break through roadblocks and to develop new ways of working.

• Customers Interviewed: 100+
• Concepts Tested: 10+
• Weeks to Launch: 9+

The Results: In 9 weeks, Morneau Shepell launched a new product to the early adopter market

With Highline Beta, the Enterprise Innovation Team was able to uncover and validate a new customer problem. Morneau Shepell’s reach and core competencies make the company uniquely positioned to launch a new business venture to address this need. In 9 weeks, the MVP of their new product was ready for the early adopter market.

In addition to new product development, we help foster the culture of innovation at Morneau Shepell by aligning with the Innovation Champions within the various lines of business to explore approaches to innovation & agility that help the organization advance new ideas in a nimble, client-centric fashion. We’ve embraced the methodologies of Design Thinking & Lean Startup, and are collaborating with organizations such as Highline Beta to optimize our approach to innovation, and to effectively plug into the start-up ecosystem.

—Paul Sywulych, VP, Digital Innovation, Morneau Shepell

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