Supercharging Innovation with “Flash Teams”

The HBR IdeaCast episode features Allison Beard and Adi Ignatius discussing "flash teams" with Melissa Valentine, a Stanford professor. Valentine defines flash teams as project teams with "superpowers" due to technology like the internet and AI, enabling rapid assembly of experts from around the globe. She argues that flash teams lower the barrier to bringing ideas to life and solving problems quickly and cost-effectively. The discussion covers practical aspects of forming and managing flash teams, including recruitment strategies using online labor markets, the importance of clear roles and documentation, and the integration of AI for team design and simulation. Valentine also addresses the broader implications of flash teams for the labor market, emphasizing the need to decouple the concept from precarious gig work and focus on using data and AI to structure teams more effectively within organizations.