We design Strategic Service Innovation together.
WE DESIGN INNOVATION SOLUTIONS
For Corporate Innovators
Established companies work with us to make their innovation management successful in the long term. We anchor fast but measurable innovations in processes and provide support at all management and specialist levels.
For entrepreneurs
From the first idea, to MVPs, to scaling, start-ups work with us to integrate the combination of business and technical knowledge and experience into their company. We provide the expertise that transforms founders into future CEOs.
For universities and start-up centres
Institutional start-up facilities, such as start-up centres or fablabs at universities, find in us a partner who guides docked start-up teams through incubation phases in a reflective and experienced manner. The science-oriented approach of the pitchnext team helps us to do this.
CASE STUDY | Towards cloud-based real-time collaboration in an agile context
Challenge:
Our client, an internationally operating bank with total assets of currently approx. 256 billion euros, is in the middle of an agile transformation. In order to enable more collaborative work in real time, the roll-out of a task management tool is to be linked with a sustainable consolidation of the agile mindset. The aim is to align the heterogeneity in the digital and agile maturity level and to make it capable of innovation in the long term.
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Consultancy approach and impact:
A cross-location training programme was developed, which, in addition to voluntary formats with a high pull effect through internal communication, multipliers and agile coaches, was also a fixed component for the trainees. Master task was taught together with the agile basic knowledge in a practical way. In “agile consultation hours”, best practices for operational application were developed for each team and department. Managers were specifically accompanied and coached with regard to the change in agile leadership. Project and task management became user-friendly, stringent and results-oriented across the hierarchy — even before the pandemic, so that the changeover to remote work was easier thanks to the cloud software.
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CASE STUDY | Data-based investment decision in the founding team
Challenge:
Our clients’ idea has been born and matured. But the associated investment in software development involves numerous uncertainties and risks. These are to be evaluated transparently and evidence-based in a structured consulting process (with real clients).
Consultancy approach and impact:
The motivation and drive of the founding team were first “encapsulated” in two scoping workshops and the assumptions and premises that prevailed at that time were secured. The hypotheses were then carefully worked out again and the degree of maturity checked in terms of evidence and security/risk, in order to derive test steps from this along the lines of the Business Model Canvas approach and Design Thinking. In a market survey, the features of the software product to be designed could be further narrowed down. In the sense of a smoke test, the team was enabled to launch the landing page and MVP online in a short time.
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CASE STUDY | Establishment of a university InnovationLab
Challenge:
Our client, a globally top-ranked technical university, was faced with the challenge of developing extracurricular innovation formats for a global top talent programme. The playbook and the management approach for the InnovationLab had to be designed and the first teams had to be supported.
Consultancy approach and impact:
With the help of an assessment on agile tools, a data basis was first laid and the coaching and consulting scopes for the students were derived. At the core of this was the deliberate and artistic combination of diverse backgrounds (from machine learning to fine arts) with which the teams to be newly formed were to develop science-relevant innovations. From this, a spectrum of methods was developed, which is available to all teams and is partly run through repetitively for new entrants. Several projects have already been carried through by the students from the first idea to the launch and have often subsequently been taken forward with the start of a doctorate.
OUR ROLE IN THE INNOVATION PROCESS
::: IN(N)PUT :::
Our scientific approach to innovation is based on human-centred thinking. The approach of design thinking, as a human-centred innovation method, is the most important component in the early phase of innovation projects.
Services:
- Design Thinking: As a management/employee workshop, productive, agile working format with a defined result horizon or with training/team-building character (remote or in-house).
- Design Sprints: Tight, agile and productive work format with clear deliverables, e.g. in the context of an application development (remote or in-house).
- Innovation Data Sprint:Exploration of data sources to validate ideas. Ideal as a data basis for business plans, business model canvas or design thinking projects (remote).
::: PROTOTYPING :::
We put business models, start-up projects and spin-offs through their paces with rapid prototyping. In just a few days, we generate user feedback and measurable UX insights that we iteratively feed back into the innovation process.
Services:
- Rapid Prototyping as a Service: As a service or in co-creation, digitally experienceable services can be validated and are for us the logical consequence of Design Thinking initiatives (remote or in-house).
- Rapid Prototyping Training: The ability to express your own (digital) ideas beyond presentation slides is an important competence in the digital age. We teach the mix of technical, business and design skills it requires (remote or in-house).
- Hackathon: As experienced hackathon mentors, we organise individual coding and innovation camps in hackathon format with you (remote, in-house or public).
::: INNO-OPS :::
Beyond fixed ideas are tangible results. We accompany operational innovation management (Inno-Ops) in organisations through tangible results and measurable control.
Service:
- Objective Key Results: implementation and/or training on the OKR format as an agile steering method (remote or in-house).
- Innovation processes: Visualisation and implementation of your innovation funnel, typically designed as intensive support (change management, executive coaching and enabling of employees). Introduction of a suitable software tool for innovation and trend management (usually at least partly on-site, remote possible).
- Technical implementation: For many start-ups, the content management system WordPress has long since become the hub and thus the starting point for their digital offerings. Therefore, we have made it our core competence to implement individual solutions along the WordPress ecosystem.
::: A^2 MANAGEMENT :::
AA^2 stands for AGILE and AUTOMATED. Digital innovations must be recognisable and tangible both internally (within the company) and externally (to stakeholders and shareholders, customers, fans or the research community). In the hyperconnective environment of micro-services, APIs and social media channels, automation and an agile approach are indispensable. We rely on cloud automation tools and isolated scripted services, while in the agile approach we always choose the best approach for our client*s from Scrum, Kanban, Scrumban and DevOps.
Service:
- Cloud Automation: In co-creation or service model we automate your business.
- Agile Marketing: We don’t work off communication plans, but develop agile (= fixed in time and budget) results based on a marketing backlog and transparent OKR control.
- Agile Trainings:As experienced agile facilitators, we pass on knowledge, but even more our experience and scientific background on agile methods (in-house, remote or public).In Co-Creation oder im Servicemodell automatisieren wir Ihr Business.
OUR ROLE IN THE INNOVATIONSMARKETING
::: GO VIRAL :::
Ideas without resounding success in the market or the power to change society remain ideas. We help companies to digitally market their innovative products and services. In doing so, we rely on pragmatic, measurable and modern instruments and a contemporary marketing technology stack that enables both automation and UX-oriented use (in the sense of a high-quality and simple user experience).
Service:
- SEO/visibility analysis: initial analysis of your brand on the web and social media. We look not only at technical metrics, but at your company’s overall marketing strategy and objectives.
- Content strategy: We help you build your editorial strategy and show you how content works in today’s social media like LinkedIn, TikTok or Instagram.
- WordPress web development: Based on the CMS (Content Management System) WordPress, we develop a frontend that is easy to use for you and your marketing team. From this content hub, you control what is usually the first point of contact for your leads.
- WordPress server and application management: Where many code dependencies are involved, for example through plug-ins, we recommend outsourcing WordPress maintenance. We can ensure that your site is up to date and accessible, even with comprehensive updates, in various stages of expansion.
FEMALE EMPOWERMENT
::: DIVERSITY AND EQUALITY :::
Since the foundation of pitchnext GmbH, we have been committed to inclusion and equality with all our possibilities. Especially in our day-to-day project and seminar work, there are many levers that we are happy to share and represent here.
Points of view and related services:
- Female Empowerment: The legal mandate (e.g. HG NRW) in many places (especially universities and companies) requires equality officers or human resources development departments to offer targeted innovation and workshop formats. We are prepared for this and have designed topics such as rapid prototyping, project and time management, as well as networking for a dedicated group of female participants.
- Female Founders: We are very quickly infected by the enthusiasm of young female founders. It shouldn’t really be an issue today, but substantial questions arise for female founders at the latest when it comes to cognitive load, KiGa and OGZ. Here we advocate and live a modern understanding of roles, but without bringing about a structural change in language, thinking and social norms, this will not succeed.
- Target group-specific preparation: We are happy to adapt all types of training and seminars from our programme to your target group within the framework of a diversity or equality programme. For example, Women/Female Students only, etc.
Typisches Einstiegsslide einer pitchnext-Präsentation
pitchnext bloggt
We blog about our topics. Your topics. Innovations, technology, AdTech, digital marketing, innovation diffusion, agile software development.
Everything that drives us in our joint projects.
WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
“Mr Krüger guided us very competently through a series of agile, interactively designed workshops, despite the short-notice switch to a fully digital format, and showed us how to use a number of new tools in the process.”
Prof. Dr. Susanne Staude
President of the Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences
“I have worked with pitchnext many times and I am always impressed. Very likeable team, super committed and experts in their field. Can definitely recommend Nicolai and his team. :-)”
Jenny Jaumann (via Google)
Social Entrepreuner
“A few weeks ago, I took part in a pitchnext training on the topic of “Meistertask and Kanban” and was able to really benefit from it! Even though the workshop was no walk in the park, I have since been able to organise my everyday work more efficiently and agilely than before. I’m getting along wonderfully with the tools/methods we learned in the training at pitchnext! Thanks for the great content and super instructor Nicolai :)”
Michael Benz (via Google)
Relationshipmanager Key Account BW-Bank
Further references:
- Adbaker
- Bayern Card-Services
- Bundesverband der Deutschen Luft- und Raumfahrtindustrie
- digitalmissionpioneers
- DZ Bank
- Freiland Design
- Google Zukunftswerkstatt
- Heizmaier
- Hochschule Ruhr West
- LBBW
- S‑Payment
- Stadtwerke Wolfsburg
“An all-in-one style consultation. Nicolai leads through the sessions in an appreciative and constructive way, makes the results available digitally directly afterwards and brings all the tools with him without me having to worry about them as a client. That is very efficient and adds value. It was also a lot of fun.”
Erik Friemel
Entrepreneur and Head of Administration
“Mr Krüger manages to bring projects forward with inspiring ideas and his creative way. His appreciation for the team created a striking added value in our transformation.”
Michael Brandt
Agile Coach, LBBW
LET’S TALK!