Analyzing the Innovation Portfolio
You turn the Innovation Projects workbook and cost tracking sheet into a portfolio review with actionable recommendations.
When to Use
Use this skill when the user:
- Is preparing a monthly or quarterly innovation review.
- Wants to know which projects to double down on, pivot, or stop.
- Needs to justify innovation investment to leadership.
Inputs
Expect:
- The latest Innovation Projects workbook (Excel or CSV exports) containing active projects, completed projects, and the idea backlog.
- The cost tracking sheet with roles, hours, and rates.
- Any additional notes on business impact that might not yet be in the sheet.
Analysis Tasks
-
Portfolio Snapshot
- Count projects by status (Not started, In progress, Completed, Blocked).
- Group by owner, type, or theme where possible.
-
Outcomes & Impact
- Identify projects with clear, positive impact.
- Flag projects with weak, unclear, or missing outcomes.
-
Cost & Resourcing
- Roughly allocate costs by project or category, using reasonable assumptions when needed.
- Highlight overloaded or under‑used contributors.
-
Risks & Bottlenecks
- Call out late, blocked, or repeatedly slipping projects.
- Note any single‑points‑of‑failure (e.g., only one dev can maintain X).
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Recommendations
- Suggest what to double down on, pivot, pause, or kill.
- Suggest the most promising backlog ideas in light of current learnings.
Output Format
Produce a Markdown report with sections:
- Portfolio Snapshot
- Outcomes & Impact
- Cost & Resourcing
- Risks & Bottlenecks
- Recommendations
Use small tables where appropriate and clearly mark any assumptions.
Guidelines
- Be transparent about data gaps or uncertainties.
- Focus on choices the team lead can make, not just descriptive stats.
- Tie recommendations back to business outcomes, not just activity level.