About
So What Is The Ignition Framework?
The Ignition Framework is an approach to creating new businesses that helps teams get organized and focused on getting real business results as quickly as possible.
Like a fire, every startup (whether standalone or part of a bigger company) needs three things in order to survive and thrive:
- Conditions
- Catalyst
- Container
Conditions are like the perfect blend of air and fuel when starting a fire. For new businesses, conditions that matter are the market environment, technology runway and the business model(s) to be deployed. When the market is ripe, the technology is ready and you have a business model to take your idea to the market, then you have ideal conditions for a new business.
But just like with starting a fire, ideal conditions won’t ignite until you have a spark or catalyst.
Catalysts are like the spark that ignites the air/fuel mixture. For new businesses, the catalyst is the team and the capital needed in order to take advantage of the market conditions. When the right team is paired with the right amount of capital (not too little or too much) surrounded by the right market conditions, a new business can ignite.
Containers are like a well-designed fire ring or the chamber of a cannon. Having the right market conditions, team and capital is only as useful as the focus and direction of the team. Even in the best conditions, teams can lose focus on what they need to accomplish and ultimately fail. With a proper container, or framework, team effort is focused and directed in the most useful and effective ways to achieve immediate business results.
Check out this Smarter Every Day video of a transparent potato gun…
With the chamber in place, the spark at the bottom is directed straight into the air/fuel mixture which burns in a focused beam toward the potato. Like the chamber and barrel in the video, the proper framework can organize, direct and focus the teams effort to take full advantage of the market environment and give the startup or new venture a strong chance at success.
Purpose of the Ignition Framework
IgnitionFramework.com exists to equip entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs and wantrapreneurs with a proven framework to build a new business from scratch based on the tools and trade secrets the great innovators, entrepreneurs and thought leaders have used throughout history to create businesses that change the world.
For Entrepreneurs, the Ignition Framework enables you to quickly, inexpensively and comprehensively get started on your business while giving you a precise roadmap with deliverables and milestones at every step.
For Intrapreneurs, the Ignition Framework enables you to quickly document your new business idea in a form that is understandable and useful to internal investors such as CEO’s or division presidents.
Whether you are an entrepreneur, intrapreneur or even a wantra-preneur, the Ignition Framework will help you gain clarity and focus to generate sales and success as quickly as possible.
About the Author
I’m Jake. I’ve always loved learning new things – especially new technologies and business ideas. I don’t have an engineering degree (far from it actually, I graduated with a degree in PR) but I’ve always been an effective handyman who could fix anything from cars to computers. And I grew up with a Dad who taught me how to make things to solve problems (our farm had no shortage of problems) through welding, woodworking and tinkering. I think that’s where I get my love for innovation.
My Story
In 2010 I started a masters in business program at Purdue University. After a year, I was offered an internship at a large company where they asked me to devote the entire time to studying innovation and help to implement the best practices available at the time into the company. I literally went to work every day and searched, read, distilled into PowerPoint and presented innovation methods. The experience was an eye opener for me. After three months of doing that, I knew I had become a much more open-minded and creative person. I loved it. It didn’t feel like work at all and I knew I wanted to be involved with innovation for the rest of my life.
After the internship the company invited me to take a full-time job as a product manager to implement the methods I had learned as an intern. It was a perfect fit. Ever since then, I felt compelled by the idea of starting a blog and sharing some of the things I’d learned with others who are passionate about innovation, business and creativity. That’s how the idea of IgnitionFramework.com was born.
If you like (or dislike) the site, let me know! I’d love to get your feedback and additional insights. At the end of the day, I view this site as yours – something for you to use as a central resource to help you in your efforts to become more innovative. If you want something added or covered, feel free to let me know!
I really appreciate you stopping by the site today and I hope that you get the value out of it that you came for. Given that innovation is my passion, this is a labor of love for me and I only hope it can be helpful to you as well.
Take care,
Jake Nielson
It’s my treasure find for this week-end. I was looking for additional information on the Blue Ocean Strategy and came upon your template. Good, no great work. Thanks.
Thanks, Jake. This is awesome! I believe you will help many people become who they are supposed to be in life. God bless you for your efforts and thanks so much for sharing!