Humanities

Lecture (4)

Innovation

What is Innovation?

Creativity is about coming up with ideas while

innovation is about "bringing ideas to life.“ While

individuals may display creativity, innovation occurs in the

organizational context only, by bringing creative ideas to

life

Invention refers more directly to

the creation of the idea or method

itself, whereas innovation refers to

the use of a new idea or method.

What is Innovation?

Innovation is the creation of better or more

effective products, processes, services,

technologies, or ideas that are accepted by

markets, governments, and society

The Idea Hunter

Andy Boyton & Bill Fischer

“If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas.”

George Bernard Shaw

George Bernard Shaw the only person to have been awarded both a Nobel Prize in Literature (1925) and an Oscar (1938)

Thing VS Idea

Be Interested not just interesting

Diversify the hunt

Exercise hunting for ideas

Be Agile in hunting for ideas

The I- Principles

Be Interested not just interesting

“I have no special talents. Iam only passionately curious.”

Albert Einstein

“Good artists copy. Great artists steal.”Pablo Picasso

Diversify the hunt“I almost never look to the existing discipline for new ideas.”

Jack Hughes

“It is hardly possible to overrate the value... Of placing human beings in contact with persons dissimilar to themselves, and with modes of thought and action unlike those with which they are familiar.”

John Stuart Mill

Exercise hunting for ideas“People learn by doing... And by reflecting on what they are doing. Training yourself to notice things is part of the observational platform”

“Writing down your thoughts and observations and keeping them in areadily accessible place-are necessary habits of the Hunt”

Be Agile in hunting for ideasAgile means to move quickly and lightly

Agile means quick or lively

Agile means flexible

Principle One: Do what you love.

Passion is everything. Innovation—which simply means—new ways of doing things that improve our lives---cannot flourish unless you are truly obsessed with making something better—be it a product, a service, a method or a career.

“Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.”

“Passion won’t protect you against setbacks, but it will ensure that no failure is ever final.” – Bill Strickland

Principle Two: Put a dent in the universe.

This speaks to vision. Innovation doesn’t take place in a vacuum. You need to know where you’re going, what the ultimate destination is, and you need to inspire others.

Passion fuels the rocket, but vision points the rocket to its ultimate destination.

Principle Three: Kick start your brain.

Creativity leads to innovative ideas. Jobs believes that a broad set of experiences expands our understanding of the human experience. A broader understanding leads to breakthroughs that others may have missed. Breakthrough innovation requires creativity and creativity requires that you think differently about…the way you think.

“Creativity is just connecting things.”

Principle Four: Sell dreams, not products.

Your customers don’t care about your product, your company or your brand. They care about themselves, their hopes, their dreams, their ambitions. Help them fulfill their dreams and you will them over.  

“The people who are crazy enough to change the world are the ones who do.”

—Apple Ad

Principle Five: Say no to 1,000 things.

 “Innovation comes from saying no to 1,000 things to make sure we don’t get on the wrong track or try to do too much.”

Principle Six: Create insanely great experiences.  

Principle Seven: Master the message.

You can have the most innovative idea in the world, but if you can’t get people excited about it, it doesn’t matter. Steve Jobs is considered one of the greatest corporate storytellers in the world because his presentations inform, educate and entertain.

“We don’t need you. You haven’t gotten through college yet.”

“Get your feet off my desk. Get out of here. You stink and we’re not going to buy your product.”

“Your problem is that you still believe the way to grow is to serve caviar in a world that seems pretty content with cheese and crackers.”

“There’s no reason why anyone would want a computer in their home.” Imagine how one young man with big dreams must have felt when he heard the following.  Of course, these statements were all directed at one time or another to Steve Jobs.

“Dream bigger.”

Perhaps the ultimate lesson that Jobs teaches us is that innovation requires risk-taking and risk taking takes courage and a bit of craziness. See genius in your craziness. Believe in yourself and your vision and be prepared to constantly defend those beliefs. Only then will innovation be allowed to flourish and only then will you be able to lead an “insanely great” life.