For Mid-sized Industrial Companies
You don’t have an innovation problem.
You have a decision problem — earlier than you think.
Not because people are careless —
But because critical decisions are made implicitly, long before assumptions are tested.
I help industrial companies surface these early decisions
and create clarity before direction, budgets and resources are locked in.
Why this rarely looks like a decision problem
Because most early decisions don’t feel like decisions at all.
Early on, nothing looks final.
There are ideas, concepts, pilots, roadmaps, initiatives.
Progress feels reversible.
But that’s exactly the illusion.
In practice, decisions are already being made — just not explicitly.
Because most early decisions don’t feel like decisions at all.
Direction gets locked in through momentum, not intent.
What starts as “just an exploration” quietly becomes the default path.
Teams optimize execution instead of questioning assumptions.
Energy goes into doing things better, not into asking whether they are the right things.
Evidence arrives after commitment — not before.
What starts as “just an exploration” quietly becomes the default path.
At that point, changing course no longer feels like a decision.
It feels like a failure
What this actually costs — economically
The real cost of early, implicit decisions is rarely visible at first.
It doesn’t show up as a single mistake.
It accumulates quietly.
Because most early decisions don’t feel like decisions at all.
Resources are invested into paths that were never consciously chosen.
Teams become busy, but not necessarily aligned.
Alternatives disappear — not because they were rejected, but because they were never explored seriously.
Later, when evidence finally challenges the chosen direction, the price of change is no longer technical.
It becomes political, financial and personal.
Budgets are already committed.
Reputations are attached.
Stopping or changing direction feels riskier than continuing — even when doubts are growing.
That’s how organizations end up executing confidently on fragile assumptions.
Not because people are careless.
But because the real decisions happened much earlier — unnoticed.
Where I step in
I typically get involved before major commitments are made.
Not when solutions are already defined.
Not when execution is in full swing.
But when direction still feels plausible in more than one way.
That’s usually the case when:
strategic direction needs to be set, but evidence is still weak
several options look reasonable, yet none feels clearly right
innovation efforts are moving, but priorities remain implicit
uncertainty is high — and the consequences of getting it wrong are even higher
This is the phase where decisions matter most,
and where they are easiest to overlook.
Where I don’t
My work is not designed for every situation.
I don’t step in when:
innovation is treated as a separate activity, not a strategic choice
speed matters more than clarity
the goal is idea generation without real consequences
In those situations, other approaches are usually more effective.
Why this distinction matters
Clarity only works if decisions are still open.
Once direction, budgets and expectations are locked in,
the nature of the problem changes.
My role is not to optimize what’s already decided.
It’s to help make the right decisions visible — before they harden into facts.
What changes when decisions become explicit
When early decisions are surfaced and discussed deliberately,
organizations don’t suddenly become faster or more creative.
They become clearer.
Typically, that means:
fewer parallel initiatives competing for attention
clearer priorities before teams and budgets are committed
less pressure to “push through” once doubts appear
earlier evidence about what to pursue — and what not
Not because uncertainty disappears.
But because it is handled consciously — before it hardens into facts.
If this sounds uncomfortably familiar, the next step is not a solution — but a conversation.
25 minutes. No preparation. No sales pitch.
Questions I Get Frequently
Navigating the early phases of product development can be daunting without the right guidance. My workshops and sprints are designed to be structured, human-centered approaches to practical and innovative problem-solving. However, without an expert to guide you through critical decisions and offer valuable perspectives, these processes can easily go off track.
Drawing on over a decade of hands-on experience in the fields of product development, innovation, and strategy, I bring real-world expertise from both medium-sized industrial companies. I had the same challenges when working in product development, I understand your situation deeply and can empathize with your struggles. I am dedicated to helping you succeed by providing genuine added value and ensuring the highest quality in every aspect of our collaboration.
After getting to know each other, we have a free Discover Call, where we define your challenges, expectations and options.
All my sprints have a defined timeline of 2-12 weeks to guarantee you fast results and success. When we agreed to work together, we define the start and the needed workshop dates, including the final Handover.
The height of your investment depends on the selected service. All my service have a fixed price, may adding travel costs.
Copyright 2026 Florian Hameister, all rights reserved.