GraphTour 2020 Amsterdam Stefan Wendin, Neo4j

1. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Graph Tour EMEA, 2020

2. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Once upon a time in a
galaxy far, far away…

3. Neo4j Innovation Lab
1. Future Prediction
2. Unlearn
3. Do or Don’t

4. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Values and Beliefs
Artefacts and Tools
Actions and Behaviours
Culture consist of three components
Values
Beliefs
Artefacts
Tools Actions
BehavioursCulture

5. Neo4j Innovation Lab
– Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back
You Must Unlearn What
You Have Learned!

6. Neo4j Innovation Lab
It’s about the ability to
choose an alternative
mental model or paradigm
Unlearning is not about forgetting

7. Neo4j Innovation Lab
What most people working with
innovation think innovation looks like…
Disruption
Status Quo
Competence Sweater

8. Neo4j Innovation Lab
I love child things because
there's so much mystery when
you're a child. When you're a
child, something as simple as a
tree doesn't make sense.
Me
You

9. Neo4j Innovation Lab
A Decade of Learning from
Enterprise Adoption
Best in class

10. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Digital Native CompaniesCompanies in Transition
A Decade of Learning from Enterprise Adoption
Digital Transformation with Graphs

11. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Airline-customer
Large telco in Europe
Telco
Online Retail
Consulting
Investment Banking
Software
Financial Services
H120172014 2015 2016 H22017 2018
200
A Decade of Learning from Enterprise Adoption
Digital Transformation with Graphs

12. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Connecting silos
transforms companies
A Decade of Learning from Enterprise Adoption

13. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Connected insights leads to
revelations you wouldn’t have
access to in any other way
A Decade of Learning from Enterprise Adoption

14. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Connected Data Use cases
spawn more use cases
(data-network effects)
A Decade of Learning from Enterprise Adoption

15. Neo4j Innovation Lab
How much data do you have over time
How much does the
value of the product
or service increase as
a result of the data

16. Neo4j Innovation Lab

17. Neo4j Innovation Lab
David Dunning and Justin Kruger
Dunning–Kruger effect
A cognitive bias in which
people assess their cognitive
ability as greater than it is.

18. Neo4j Innovation Lab
👋Hi!
PLEASE CONNECT:
stefan.wendin@neo4j.com
linkedin.com/in/stefanwendin
Head of Innovation Lab, EMEA
Stefan Wendin

19. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Back in 2017…

20. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Create a program that
combines the…

21. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Empathic approach of
design thinking…

22. Neo4j Innovation Lab
…with hard-core data
science and graphs

23. Neo4j Innovation Lab
— with the intention of
Accelerating Innovation

24. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Discrete data, as represented
in a relational database

25. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Data represented as a graph

26. Neo4j Innovation Lab
A Paradigm Shift in
How We Think About Data

27. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Every change comes
with a cost

28. Neo4j Innovation Lab
🤮
💩
😭
😬
🤬
😢
😳
😳
😃
🧐
😒
🤩
🥵
The Kubler-Ross
Change Curve

29. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Neo4j Innovation Lab

30. Neo4j Innovation Lab
– Yogi Berra / Jan L. A. van de Snepscheut
In theory there is no difference
between theory and practice.
In practice there is.

31. Neo4j Innovation Lab

32. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Bansi Nagji and Geoff Tuff
The Innovation Ambition Matrix

33. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Process – Process – Process
The importance of

34. Neo4j Innovation Lab
IBM Design
Thinking Model
Google Design
Sprint Process
Ideo Human Centered
Design Model
Stanford D School
Design Thinking
Zurb Design
Thinking Model
The Double
Diamond Model of
Design Design
Council
Everybody has a “Sprint”

35. Neo4j Innovation Lab
IdeationInspiration Implementation
Discover Concept Design Do
Envision Explore Create Inspire Express
Prepare Form Harden Fire& Glaze
Research Modeling, Scenarios Framework Design Communicate
Discover Design Deliver
Discover Define Design Do
Explore Discover Concept & Design Implement & Assess
Discovery Interpretation Ideation Experimentation Evolution
Empathise Define Ideate Prototype TestSTANDFORD
IDEO
XPLANE
CHESKIN
BITOMI
COOPER
FROG
FITCH
MELVILLE
IDEO ED
Everybody has a “Sprint”

36. Neo4j Innovation Lab
– Murray Walker (BBC motorsport commentator)
The lead car is unique,
except for the one behind it
which is identical

37. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Neo4j ❤ Design Thinking

38. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Neo4j Innovation Lab
Accelerate Innovation
Through Graph Thinking

39. Neo4j Innovation Lab
• Speed up time-to-validation
• Comprehensive learning through prototyping
• Craft meaningful value propositions
Innovation Task
Neo4j Innovation
Lab Sweet spot

40. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Help companies accelerate innovation and digital
transformation through graph thinking.
What we do
We generate and prototype graph projects together
with customers and prospects.
How we do it
Expected Outcome
To provide a deep understanding of graph thinking and the
new possibilities in innovation and digital transformation
that is enabled by adopting Neo4j and graphs.
Innovation Lab:
Sprint — 4 day workshop
Accelerator Program — Four consecutive Lab Sprints
MethodologyNeo4j Innovation
Lab Sweet spot

41. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Innovation Lab Sprint
The Methodology
Generate Data ModelDefine Target Use Case Related “Graph Questions” Executive Feedback PresentationBuild Prototype/Wireframes

42. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Innovation Lab Sprint
The Methodology
Generate Data
Model
Areas of
Significance
Define Target
Use Case
Challenges &
Opportunities
Related “Graph
Questions”
Use Case Generation & Whiteboard Model
Day 1
Identify Data
Sources

43. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Source data to
populate model
Build QueryImport Data
Innovation Lab Sprint
The Methodology
Generate Data
Model
Areas of
Significance
Define Target
Use Case
Challenges &
Opportunities
Related “Graph
Questions”
Materialize Model
Day 2

44. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Source data to
populate model
Storyboarding/
Mockups
Identify Stakeholders /
Personas / Synopsis
Build QueryImport Data
Innovation Lab Sprint
The Methodology
Areas of
Significance
Related “Graph
Questions”
Generate Data
Model
Define Target
Use Case
Challenges &
Opportunities
Craft Scenario
Day 2
Materialize Model
Day 2

45. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Build Prototype/Wireframes
Source data to
populate model
Storyboarding/
Mockups
Identify Stakeholders /
Personas / Synopsis
Build QueryImport Data
Innovation Lab Sprint
The Methodology
Areas of
Significance
Related “Graph
Questions”
Generate Data
Model
Define Target
Use Case
Challenges &
Opportunities
Build Prototype
Day 3

46. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Executive Feedback
Presentation
Source data to
populate model
Storyboarding/
Mockups
Identify Stakeholders /
Personas / Synopsis
Build QueryImport Data
Innovation Lab Sprint
The Methodology
Areas of
Significance
Related “Graph
Questions”
Generate Data
Model
Define Target
Use Case
Challenges &
Opportunities
Build Prototype/Wireframes
Finalize & Present
Day 3.5

47. Neo4j Innovation Lab
1. Defining Use Case
UX/UI Lead
Data Scientist
Head of Innovation Developer
CIO
Business Analyst
Head of Customer Success

48. Neo4j Innovation Lab
2. Data modeling
Adam Cowley, Neo4j
Field Engineer
Director of AI
Data Scientist
Eric Monk, Neo4j PS-
consultant
Innovation Lab
Leader

49. Neo4j Innovation Lab
3. Crafting Prototype

50. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Innovation Lab Sprint
Explorations and new insights
Using Neo4j and graphs to explore new insights from a customer support perspective

51. Neo4j Innovation Lab
“If you build a polished prototype, others
will see flaws.

52. Neo4j Innovation Lab
— Baba Shiv
Stanford Graduate School of Business
“If you build a polished prototype, others
will see flaws. If you build a rough
prototype, others will see potential”

53. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Who should participate?

54. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Customer’s Team
(Between 3-8 participants)
“Technical users” “Business users”
Neo4j Field Engineer
• Facilitates graph modeling exercises
• Expert in Neo4j/Architecture & Data Science
• Cypher-queries for prototype
UX-designer
• Facilitates storyboarding/wireframing
• Builds UI-tool for prototype
Labs Leader
• Head facilitator & Team Leader
• Facilitates the use case generation-segment
• Project manages prototyping
Neo4j Innovation Lab Team
+
Facilitation
Engineering/
Data Science
Design
The Workshop
Neo4j Innovation Lab Team
Digital
Transformation
/Innovation Teams
Key sponsor
Example:
• Developers
• Architects
• Data engineers
• Data Scientists
Example:
• Use Case-specific experts
• Analysts
• Strategists
• Innovation Team

55. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Data Preparations

56. Neo4j Innovation Lab
✓ Thousands of nodes/relationships
✓ Multiple Data Sources
✓ Captured Network Complexity of Use Case
✓ Simulated Sample Data
Simulated Data
✓ Millions of Nodes/Relationships
✓ Multiple Data Sources
✓ Captured Network Complexity of Use Case
✓ Real Sample Data (ingested with accurate properties)
✓ Data ingestion through CSV-files
✓ Data ingested at scale
Real Sample Data at Scale
✓ Hundreds of Thousands of Nodes/Relationships
✓ Multiple Data Sources
✓ Captured Network Complexity of Use Case
✓ Real Sample Data (ingested with accurate properties)
✓ Data ingestion through CSV-files
Real Sample Data
CSV
CSV
Data preparations
Type of Data used

57. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Simulated data
Real Sample Data
Domain Specificity
Great Data Quality
Poor Data Quality
Intuitive datasets
Obscure Data Sets
(i.e. a product catalogue where all products
are translated to article numbers)
Data QualityTime to access
Data preparations
Real or Simulated Data?
It depends – but while prototyping we almost always opt for speed versus granular detail.
Cumbersome and time
consuming to access
Readily Available

58. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Sample Data
Sample Data
Simulated
Simulated
Simulated
Simulated
Simulated
Sample Data
Sample Data
NODE
NODE
NODE
NODE
NODE NODE
NODE
NODE
NODE NODE
HAS_INVITATION
RELATIONSHIP
RELATIONSHIP
RELATIO
N
SH
IP
RELATIO
N
SH
IP
RELATIONSHIP
RELATIONSHIP
RELATIONSHIP
RELATIONSHIP
RELATIONSHIP
RELATIONSHIP
RELATIONSHIP
RELATIONSHIP
RELATIO
NSHIP
RELATIONSHIP
RELATIONSHIP
IS_NEXT…
Sample Data
Example
Data model

59. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Software Companies
Heavy Industry
FMCG
Cruising Companies
Logistics
Financial Services
Media
Health Care
Energy
Telco
Industries Use Cases
Recommendation Engines
Smart Cities
Personalization
Fraud Detection
Data Lineage
Construction Planning
Regulatory Compliance
Media Advertising Systems
Supply Chain
Preventive Health Care Tools
Churn Prediction
Customer Service Automation
Customer Journey Mapping
Full view 360
Retail Bill of Materials
Knowledge Graph
Crypto Currency Fraud
ChatBot NLP
Payment Solutions
Enhanced AI/ML Pipeline

60. Neo4j Innovation Lab
“Very impressed. Intense and fun! We
got a lot done in just a week. Great
experience and super effective.”
— Santander Consumer Bank
“Unexpected and pretty incredible
that it’s possible to achieve such
relevant and applicable results in
such a limited time period.”
— Schibsted Media Group
“The productivity and output enabled
by how the days were structure and
the exercises within the sessions has
been an eye-opener.”
— Procter & Gamble
FEEDBACK RECEIVED
“Involving. Knowledge building.
Fun! Extremely valuable and
mind opening”
— Alfa Laval

61. Neo4j Innovation Lab

62. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Madrid, 13 February
Tel Aviv, 18 February
Fortum – Stockholm, 03 March
Planethon – London, 11 March
BMW – Munich, 17 March
Eriks – Paris, 26 March
Rome, 31 March
Eriks – Amsterdam, 04 February

63. Neo4j Innovation Lab
Neo4j Innovation Lab, EMEA