Building the Right Thing: Innovation by Intent

In fast-paced markets, strategy is often driven by pressure rather than intent. Tight timelines, competitive moves, and quarterly targets quickly turn innovation into a delivery exercise instead of a strategic one.

Business objectives are often set early in the process, and roadmaps are defined quickly. Teams then move into delivery with ambitious timelines, leaving limited space to revisit initial assumptions. Objectives such as portfolio positioning, launch timing, pricing are established, and engineering focuses on translating these parameters into a working solution.

In practice, this frequently means adapting what already exists in the pipeline. Technologies, platforms, and components are reused not because they are the best solution, but because they are available. The result is predictable: unsatisfying user experiences, unsuccessful products, wasted resources, and significant financial loss.

This is what happens when innovation focuses on what can be built instead of what should be built.

A strong focus on strategic design changes this dynamic. It opens the possibility to approach innovation from a different angle—starting not from constraints, but from intent. Strategic design forces teams to define the problem with precision before committing to a solution.

True innovation begins with a sharp understanding of the problem to be solved and an open mindset about how to solve it. It asks hard questions: 

Is this the right domain to address the problem? 

Should it be solved through software, hardware, services, or a combination? 

Does it require external partnerships, new competencies, or a different business model altogether?

In this model, engineering does not sit downstream of decisions—it plays a central role. Engineers help evaluate options, assess feasibility early, and integrate solutions across domains. Their expertise becomes a strategic asset, not just an execution resource.

When innovation is driven by clear problem definition and strategic intent, teams stop forcing solutions to fit constraints. Instead, they design solutions that make sense for users, for the business, and for the organization’s long-term capabilities.

That is the difference between building fast—and building the right thing.