If You’re Not Managing Innovation—You’re Gambling With It

Greg Galle

What if I told you most organizations aren’t actually managing their innovation efforts—they’re with them?

Daniel Buritica

And not small bets—we’re talking about gambling with your resources, your people’s energy, your reputation, and serious capital.

Greg Galle

Welcome to . I’m Greg Galle.

Daniel Buritica

And I’m Daniel Buritica. Today, we’re revealing why even the smartest organizations fall into this trap—and how you can avoid it by managing designed to build the right kind of capital.

Greg Galle

By the end of this episode, you’ll know how to use the to bring structure, clarity, and discipline to your innovation efforts—by balancing across .

Daniel Buritica

Let’s be honest—how many times have you heard a leader say, Like that’s automatically a good thing?

Greg Galle

Yeah, but when we ask, —the room gets quiet.

Daniel Buritica

Here’s the thing: Busyness isn’t progress. When teams are pulling in different directions, chasing shiny ideas, and overloading resources—that’s not innovation. That’s .

Greg Galle

And it leads to what we call . People get excited at first, but when projects stall or feel disconnected from real impact, morale drops, trust erodes, and suddenly innovation feels like an empty promise.

Daniel Buritica

If you don’t have a clear view—a real —you’re not leading innovation. You’re hoping something sticks. And hope, as the saying goes, isn’t a strategy.

Daniel Buritica

Okay. So, let’s bring this to life with one of the biggest innovation misfires in recent history—the U.S. Army’s .

Daniel Buritica

This was a bold vision. A fully integrated battlefield system—drones, autonomous vehicles, next-gen communications. But by 2009, after spending , the program was scrapped.

Greg Galle

What went wrong?

Greg Galle

They didn’t manage it as a set of portfolios. Everything was treated as equally urgent, equally feasible.

Greg Galle

No segmentation.

Greg Galle

No phasing.

Greg Galle

Imagine loading your pipeline with nothing but high-risk moonshots—and pushing them all at once.

Daniel Buritica

No structured reviews.

Daniel Buritica

No clear alignment with evolving military needs.

Daniel Buritica

And no way to pivot when cracks appeared.

Greg Galle

So. Let’s take a moment to pause and reflect.

Greg Galle

:

Greg Galle

Where in your organization are you treating every idea as equally urgent?

Greg Galle

Where are you skipping segmentation or ignoring risk balance?

Daniel Buritica

The lesson here is simple—

Daniel Buritica

Future Combat Systems didn’t fail because of a bad idea. It failed because nobody managed the portfolio of opportunities.

Daniel Buritica

Here’s where most leaders get tripped up. It’s not just that they don’t know how many initiatives they’re running—it’s that they’re not thinking in terms of .

Greg Galle

Exactly. At Solve Next, we recommend organizations sort innovation opportunities into , each designed to achieve specific capital-building priorities:

Greg Galle

performance-improving innovations—making what you already do better.

Greg Galle

of market-expanding innovations—capturing new opportunities.

Greg Galle

of disruptive innovations—your bold bets that reinvent the ways things are done.

Greg Galle

And a of opportunities to by exiting activities that no longer deliver sufficient impact.

Daniel Buritica

Just like you wouldn’t manage stocks, bonds, and cash the same way—you shouldn’t lump every innovation effort into one bucket. Each portfolio carries different risks, timelines, and returns across human, intellectual, political, reputational, social, and financial capital.

Daniel Buritica

So if you’re treating everything as “one portfolio,” you’re likely falling short or overshooting your capital-building goals.

Daniel Buritica

This is exactly why the exists. It’s not just tracking projects—it’s helping you

Greg Galle

It helps you see if you are overloaded in without enough to stabilize.

Greg Galle

You are neglecting —letting low-impact efforts drain capital.

Greg Galle

If your is aligned with where you want to expand market presence.

Daniel Buritica

It gives you that perspective—so you’re balancing ambition, performance, and resource liberation intelligently.

Daniel Buritica

Let’s take a look at Next Portfolio Management done right. NASA doesn’t manage one giant innovation portfolio—they balance across , each designed to achieve specific outcomes and manage risk intelligently.

Daniel Buritica

Their focuses on performance improvements—like extending the lifespan of satellites or upgrading systems on the International Space Station. These are low-risk, steady-return initiatives that ensured operational excellence and continuous value delivery.

Daniel Buritica

Their centers around programs like the —taking proven technologies and expanding their scientific reach. These initiatives aren’t moonshots—they’re scalable, with clear paths to impact, keeping public engagement high and political stakeholders supportive.

Daniel Buritica

Their is home to bold, transformative bets like the . High risk, high reward. But crucially, NASA never allows these disruptive projects to dominate their overall innovation landscape.

Daniel Buritica

And when necessary, they apply —like when they retired the aging . That wasn’t just about shutting down a legacy system—it was a strategic move to and redirect it toward next-gen initiatives.

Greg Galle

So. Here’s where the practical insight comes in for leaders:

Greg Galle

NASA didn’t just "balance" for the sake of it—they designed a where:

Greg Galle

kept the lights on and maintained trust.

Greg Galle

provided momentum and visible wins.

Greg Galle

pushed boundaries—but within a controlled portion of their total effort.

Greg Galle

And ensured they weren’t clinging to outdated programs out of sentiment or inertia.

Greg Galle

When delays hit the James Webb Telescope, NASA didn’t face a crisis—because their were still delivering crucial forms of capital.

Greg Galle

That’s what looks like.

Daniel Buritica

If you’re leading innovation, ask yourself:

Daniel Buritica

Daniel Buritica

Daniel Buritica

Daniel Buritica

Daniel Buritica

This is exactly where the can guide you—by making sure your ambition is structured, balanced, and sustainable.

Daniel Buritica

Now, let’s look beyond aerospace. Cities and corporations are applying the same principles—whether they realize it or not.

Daniel Buritica

Take .

Daniel Buritica

They didn’t just decide, They treated green spaces as part of a —expanding community well-being, reducing urban heat, improving air quality.

Daniel Buritica

But they didn’t stop there.

Daniel Buritica

They also identified —like repurposing outdated industrial zones or inefficient roadways into green corridors.

Daniel Buritica

This wasn’t just beautification—it was . They freed up underperforming urban assets and turned them into long-term value generators across , , and .

Greg Galle

And they measured success beyond budget and timelines.

Greg Galle

They tracked:

Greg Galle

Reductions in public health costs due to better air quality.

Greg Galle

Increases in social cohesion and citizen satisfaction.

Greg Galle

And environmental resilience metrics like biodiversity and flood prevention.

Greg Galle

That’s what happens when you manage initiatives as , not standalone projects.

Daniel Buritica

Now, let’s cut to the corporate world and .

Daniel Buritica

They faced the challenge of digital transformation across multiple sectors. Instead of lumping everything under a vague "innovation program," they structured :

Daniel Buritica

Their focused on upgrading existing manufacturing lines with IoT sensors—improving efficiency and reducing operational costs.

Daniel Buritica

Their helped them expand into smart energy solutions, where market demand was accelerating and reputational capital was growing.

Daniel Buritica

Their invests in AI-driven healthcare diagnostics—a bold move into new territory with disruptive potential.

Daniel Buritica

And critically, they maintain a constant focus on —identifying legacy systems, outdated services, and internal processes that could be retired to .

Greg Galle

Here’s the actionable insight:

Greg Galle

Siemens leaders weren’t just asking,

Greg Galle

They were continuously asking:

Greg Galle

Greg Galle

Greg Galle

Daniel Buritica

This is what the helps leaders visualize—how to allocate resources across these portfolios, track capital impact, and stay agile as conditions change.

Greg Galle

Here’s the core takeaway—.

Greg Galle

It’s a system of , each playing a role in building—growing, protecting, and liberating capital.

Greg Galle

If you’re treating all initiatives the same—applying the same decision criteria, the same pace, or the same expectations—you’re setting yourself up for imbalance and disappointment.

Daniel Buritica

Without segmentation, leaders unknowingly:

Daniel Buritica

Over-invest in high-risk Renew initiatives without the stabilizing force of Optimize.

Daniel Buritica

Miss out on Grow opportunities because they’re distracted by disruptive ideas.

Daniel Buritica

Let underperforming projects linger, draining resources that should be .

Greg Galle

Managing allows you to:

Greg Galle

Balance short-term performance with long-term vision.

Greg Galle

Make smarter trade-offs when resources tighten.

Greg Galle

And communicate clearly with constituents about where capital is being created—and why some initiatives look different than others.

Daniel Buritica

And that’s exactly what separates organizations that from those that burn out after a few flashy projects.

Daniel Buritica

Here’s how you start bringing order to your innovation chaos—by asking these five questions .

Daniel Buritica

Think of this as your —with or without AI—but trust me, it’s a lot easier with the right thinking partner.

Daniel Buritica

First:

Daniel Buritica

Too often, leaders treat everything like a single to-do list. Sorting initiatives is the first step toward clarity—and resilience.

Daniel Buritica

Second:

Daniel Buritica

An Optimize opportunity should improve performance. A Grow initiative should expand market or impact. If they’re not doing that—you’ve got misalignment.

Daniel Buritica

Third:

Daniel Buritica

What are you holding onto that no longer delivers value? Freeing up capital is just as strategic as launching something new.

Daniel Buritica

Fourth:

Daniel Buritica

Bold bets are exciting—but without a foundation, they can sink you.

Daniel Buritica

Finally:

Daniel Buritica

If you’re applying the same cadence to every opportunity, you’re either rushing or stagnating parts of your portfolio.

Greg Galle

This is where smart leadership shows up—not in chasing the next big idea, but in .

Greg Galle

These five questions force you to think holistically—about risk, alignment, and capital impact.

Greg Galle

And this is exactly where the becomes invaluable. It doesn’t just remind you to ask these questions—it helps you answer them, consistently and objectively.

Daniel Buritica

So here’s your next move—don’t just listen and nod along. Go to the show notes and start your of the AI Assistant. See how quickly you can move from guessing to knowing—how structured clarity can transform your innovation outcomes.

Greg Galle

And we want to hear from you.

Greg Galle

What did these five questions surface in your organization?

Greg Galle

Where did you uncover hidden risks—or untapped opportunities?

Greg Galle

Connect with us on LinkedIn, share your insights, or drop us a message with your biggest innovation challenge—we just might feature it in a future episode.

Daniel Buritica

And, of course, don’t forget to to so you never miss an episode on how to lead smarter, more sustainable innovation.

Greg Galle

Thanks for joining us—see you next time on .