Analyzing the Innovation Portfolio

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

1. Portfolio Snapshot

   • Count projects by status (Not started, In progress, Completed, Blocked).
   • Group by owner, type, or theme where possible.

2. Outcomes & Impact

   • Identify projects with clear, positive impact.
   • Flag projects with weak, unclear, or missing outcomes.

3. Cost & Resourcing

   • Roughly allocate costs by project or category, using reasonable assumptions when needed.
   • Highlight overloaded or under‑used contributors.

4. Risks & Bottlenecks

   • Call out late, blocked, or repeatedly slipping projects.
   • Note any single‑points‑of‑failure (e.g., only one dev can maintain X).

5. 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 Felipe can make, not just descriptive stats.
• Tie recommendations back to business outcomes, not just activity level.