Big companies love to talk about innovation. They create labs, invest in R&D, and build entire teams around digital transformation. But when it comes to turning ideas into real business growth, most fall flat.
Heather Myers has seen it firsthand. Before founding Spark No. 9, she worked in corporate strategy for Scholastic and Universal, managing billion-dollar mergers and launching digital businesses. She saw great strategic ideas get buried, not because they weren’t good, but because no one could prove they would work.
That problem led her to a new approach. Instead of relying on guesswork or small focus groups, Heather and her team use real-world experimentation to test and validate ideas before companies make big investments.
HOW HEAT TESTING HELPS COMPANIES MOVE FAST AND REDUCE RISK
Most companies approach innovation in a slow, linear way. They brainstorm, conduct focus groups, refine a concept, and only then start building. Marketing happens at the very end. That’s a problem.
Heather’s approach flips the process. Instead of asking people if they think they’ll buy a product, Spark No. 9 creates real ads for multiple versions of a concept and tests them live. This method, called heat testing, generates real behavioral data. If people engage, click, and sign up, it’s a strong signal the idea has potential. If they don’t, it’s back to the drawing board before wasting time and money.
"The best companies don’t waste time debating ideas. They put them in front of real customers and see what happens."
— Heather Myers
One of their first major projects involved an eBook company struggling to connect with readers. Instead of guessing what would work, Spark No. 9 tested different marketing messages using ad campaigns. One concept, featuring a 1950s mugshot, far outperformed the rest. That insight transformed the company from a struggling eBook seller into a thriving marketing-driven business.
WHY TRADITIONAL MARKET RESEARCH FALLS SHORT
Surveys and focus groups have long been the go-to for market validation, but there’s a major flaw: what people say and what they actually do are often two different things. Relying on stated preferences leads to misleading insights, leaving businesses guessing.
Heat testing changes that. Instead of asking people what they think they want, it measures real-world behavior, giving companies concrete evidence of what resonates.
This is especially valuable for large brands trying to attract younger audiences without losing their core customers. Rather than guessing how to engage Gen Z, they can test multiple concepts in real time, see what actually works, and adjust their strategy based on real data - not assumptions.
HOW COMPANIES CAN USE HEAT TESTING TO SPEED UP INNOVATION
For businesses looking to move faster, Heather’s advice is clear. Start testing earlier. Too many companies spend years developing a product only to find out later that the market doesn’t want it. Running lightweight experiments before committing to full development saves time, money, and frustration.
For example, a beauty brand with groundbreaking science came to Spark No. 9 with nothing but an idea. No packaging, no branding, no final product. Through rapid testing, they figured out what format the product should take, how to price it, and what messaging resonated most. That allowed them to launch with confidence, knowing they were positioned for success.
WHERE INNOVATION IS HEADED: AI, EXPERIMENTATION, AND THE FUTURE OF MARKET RESEARCH
Heather sees AI playing a bigger role in speeding up research and execution, but she’s cautious. AI can write survey questions, generate content, and even analyze data, but at the end of the day, it still comes down to human behavior. Businesses that rely too much on AI-driven insights without real-world validation risk making the same old mistakes.
The future belongs to companies that embrace experimentation at every stage. Instead of assuming they know their customers, they’ll test, adapt, and refine in real time. The brands that rise above the noise will be the ones that learn how to cut through it.
INNOVATION DOESN’T HAPPEN WITHOUT THE RIGHT PEOPLE
Ideas don’t build businesses - people do. You need a team that doesn’t just brainstorm but executes, experiments, and turns bold ideas into real growth. That’s where Bamboo Crowd comes in.
We connect companies with the talent that makes innovation happen—strategic thinkers, product leaders, and data-driven marketers who know how to build, launch, and scale.
As Heather Myers puts it:
"Growth isn’t about guessing. It’s about testing, learning, and having the right people to move fast on what works."
If you’re serious about driving innovation, let’s build a team that can actually make it happen. Get in touch with Bamboo Crowd today.
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