As the format of these events is ‘learning by doing’ virtually, the workshop planning and delivery will depend on participant numbers. We would, therefore, encourage you to book if you are committed to attend. If your circumstances change and you are no longer able to attend a booked session, please inform us. Kindly, IFO team.

A structured approach to unstructured discovery

Learning and pivoting from failure is the theme of Innovation Forum Oxford’s 20/21 ACE Saturdays workshop series. This is the sixth workshop in the series, led by Paul Inness and Angela Hobbs. Find out more about the entire workshop series here.

Rapid experimentation, adaptation and iteration may sound like irritating buzz words – but as a combination they change failure from a negative to a positive and help entrepreneurs move from a good idea to a validated successful business. In this workshop participants will take on the role of entrepreneurs, customers, and investors in an engaging and interactive session. Together we’ll answer some key questions: What problem are you solving, are you solving it better than anyone else, how many people have this problem? What will customers pay for your solution and what represents a successful return on investment? Fundamentally the art of discovery is accepting the vulnerability of not knowing.

Angela Hobbs

Angela Hobbs founded CarriMe in 2020, designed to supports women to thrive in mid life. Health, happiness, wealth & wisdom, supporting female entrepreneurs and women in business. Midlife health means menopause and at CarriMe we talk about what that really means. We celebrate what you’ve learned to make the rest of your life, the best of your life.

Recently she has worked with tech start-ups and entrepreneurs for the Design Council, Santander Women in Business Programme, Aspire For Equality, Oxford Women in Business and Versus Arthritis.

Paul Inness

Paul Inness runs intensive.works – a consultancy that supports product teams, start-ups and founders with their innovation journey.

Previously Paul has worked for global technology companies such as ADP Dealer Services where he was responsible for International Product Marketing for a technology portfolio used in over 40 countries. In his last corporate role with CDK Global, he was Head of Strategy and Innovation where he was responsible for overseeing product investments and running Lab59 – a corporate incubator.

Today, Paul splits him time between the corporate, and the start-up worlds. Alongside running intensive.works he also consults for Product Focus – Europe’s largest product management training / consulting company. He is a resident innovation coach at Oxford University Innovation facilitating the training programme for the start-up incubator and the Student Entrepreneurs programme.