What is the Kickbox method?

The Kickbox method is a bottom-up innovation management method and methodology that aims to engage employees in the innovation process while simultaneously creating valuable business cases.

It was introduced by Mark Randall, former Chief Strategist and VP of Creativity at Adobe, in 2013. This method of bottom-up innovation has since supported over 1000 companies. The Kickbox is open-sourced, and we at rready have built on and expanded the original program with the KICKBOX by rready innovation program.

KICKBOX enables every employee to take an active role in the company's innovation process by submitting and validating their own ideas. No gates are set at the beginning of the process and every participant has the chance to prove that their idea is valuable to the company.

Who can use the Kickbox method?

While the Kickbox method is primarily used by large organizations, who may need help recapturing their initial entrepreneurial spirit, it can also be used by mid-sized companies. Multi-nationals, educational institutions, government agencies, and nonprofits all use it to generate a greater volume of ideas, create a culture of innovation, and kill failures early. 

Organizations that adopt the Kickbox method do so because it is decentralized, scalable, and ‘fail-safe’. It also cultivates a culture of intrapreneurship and allows employees to work on their ideas whenever creativity strikes.

The Kickbox method also supports benchmarking, allowing companies to compare results while also tapping into an internal and external ecosystem - at least it does when the right tools are in place.

What is the process of KICKBOX by rready?

The most successful companies of the future will be those that leverage emerging technologies to drive their innovation efforts at scale. KICKBOX by rready is a powerful program that helps organizations to fully embrace the Kickbox method.

Kickbox’s polarizing core principles are collective group intelligence versus individual action and responsibility. Meanwhile, it celebrates the fact that the organization already has the personnel to innovate and take the organization to new heights. 

KICKBOX by rready helps take the process to new heights by focusing on three key stages as detailed below:

RedBox: Validation Phase

The RedBox phase lasts two months. The goal here is for the Innovator (also referred to as Kickboxer) to validate his idea and its potential. Therefore, they receive a 1,000 CHF budget, 20% of their working time, access to internal and external experts and much more. Eventually, the Kickboxer has to convince a sponsor with a pitch presentation, to secure entry to the next phase.

BlueBox: Pilot

If the Kickboxer manages to find a sponsor, the four-month BlueBox phase starts. With a budget of CHF 10,000-50,000, they will run a pilot with real customers. They will additionally get access to coaching sessions, sprint workshops and many useful innovation modules.

GoldBox: Implementation Phase

After the Kickboxer has prove that there is a real business potential behind their idea, the GoldBox starts. They have created their dream job and now work 100% on the project. This can be within a line organization or as a corporate spin-off.