great definition of innovation

I've just read the interview with Guy Kawasaki. Inside, there is a great definition of innovation:
"Innovation is creating something before people know they need it. The process involves building upon the work of others-a.k.a., "copying," grinding it out, and deleting what doesn't work to jump to the next curve.

Innovation isn't a lightning bolt of inspiration in the middle of a muse. More often than not, it's a process of grinding, cogitating, and doubting. There truly is no shortcut to innovation. Over the course of a career, you come up with dozens, if not hundreds of ideas, and reject most, try some, and you are lucky if handful succeed."

And another great quote:
"...one assumption that companies should not make is that money equals innovation. That is, two guys/gals in the lab might create the great innovation. It doesn't have to be the $10 million budget line item for R and D. I could make the case that money can't buy innovation-if it did, then large companies would get larger and startups would never innovate."

link

10 things you shouldn't forget

1. write-down your ideas!

Every idea has to be written, because it will wipe out from your head :)

Later you can give to the written facts new features.

2. don't be afraid to submit your idea

If your company has innovation system, the idea should be submitted through norm innovation process. In a case that you company doesn't have inno-system, you should inform yourself how your idea can be proposed to someone who can help you to realize it.

3. read

Inform yourself everyday with the news from your interests, but also from the topics you never thought about

4. talk with creative people

Talk about your ideas frequently. Talk with creative people can be very inspiring.

5. don't let that failure dispirits you

In the world of innovations failures often happens.

6. inovation attitude is important!

You must be assured in your idea and push it.

7. do you have the customer for your idea?

Does the possible customer for your idea exist? The answer on this question is very important for future of your idea.

8. is your idea new?

Does similar product exist on the market as the one you want to develop?

9. is your idea technically feasible solution?

Can the prototype be made? Can it be done inside your organization? Will the prototype be very expensive or it can be easily done for small costs?

10. make good marketing for your idea

It is very important to well present your idea, innovator must sometimes act as a presenter.

article about creativity

Great article about creativity that everyone should read! http://freelancefolder.com/im-a-light-bulb-flashing-epiphanator-to-the-extreme-and-my-business-shows-it/

i have the idea, and what now? (1)

So, here's the first chapter of my what-will-be book "I have the idea, and what now?"

I have to note, that english is not my native language, so there are certainly some errors in text. ;)

what is innovation?

The term innovation can be heard in recent times from every direction. TV, newspapers, adds – everywhere we can see the word 'innovation' connected with wide range of products, from commercials for cosmetic products, to banking services. Politicians, professors, businessman or journalists – everyone have something to say about innovations. The term is used so much that there is the danger for it, to lose it's real meaning, and to make people take their look away from it.

Looking to origin, the word innovation is coming from latin in+novare with the meaning 'make something new'.

There are lots of definitions of innovation, I will start with the simplest one:

innovation is new idea the brings the profit.

In other words, that is the conversion of knowledge to money.

Innovations can also be defined with inventions which were converted to market products.

„Innovation distinguish leaders from followers.“

Steve Jobs

Innovation can be defined with only creating something new, but it we want complete definition, market factor must not be avoided.

We can define innovation also with something what isn't innovation: innovation isn't an invention. Many innovations don't use new technologies. In example, McDonalds hasn't spread their fast food concept with using latest technologies, but with managing restaurants in a new way.

It's not correct to think that innovation is something what people in „white suits“ are making in their laboratories.

Difference between innovation and invention can be defined in following way: Invention is first emergence of idea, but innovation is the first attempt to make it. Innovation then can be the usage of existing invention.

Innovation is not only the production of new products, but also the way of doing certain things and how to make it better.

In the case when invention improves some product, or service, or process, we can say that invention is transferred to innovation.

Innovation can be small or big, simple or complex. We can talk about innovation with disruptive idea, but also when just small changes are done on existing product, which must at least be measurable.

Biggest obstacles to innovations in the shape of some organizations are companies culture and management. Company must cultivate the culture that accepts new ideas from employees.

“Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R&D. It's not about money. It's about the people you have, how you're led, and how much you get it.”

Steve Jobs

The role of today's „knowledge economy“ is more important, so rich countries can't compete with low-cost products and services if they don't innovate faster and better.

Innovation is application of knowledge on the problem which occurs, and putting ideas to market. There is different situation with invention or discovery, where customer is not in inventors thoughts. Focus is clearly on invention. During innovation process, customer is the key factor, because innovation must have a market.

The way to submit idea becomes more easy and global as it will shown on the example of open innovations. This opening of innovative potentiality which is not reserved only to technological giants, opens new possibilities for solving current (and future) problems in the world.

IBM's research from 2006. based on answers from 765 interviews with leaders of organizations had the interesting answer on the question, which are the most significant origins of innovative ideas? Over 40% place employees as the most significant origin, only few percent less were business partners and customers.

This answer gives the significance to ideas which comes from employees, which are equally important, maybe even more important then ideas coming from customers.

At innovation, new product brings up new value to customer, with reducing of costs, gives improvement in relation with competitors, or contribute to end-customer satisfaction, or allows the increasing of sales with using new technologies or processes.

Finally, it most important, when customer says that it's an innovation.

Looking through the source of ideas, inventions comes from inventors effort and it can turn up in experiments, sometimes even with luck. On the other hand, innovation must come from introducing the idea on the place when it can be developed, and where it can attract enough attention for realization.

Joseph Schumpeter, well-know economist from 20th century described entrepreneurship as the from of „creative destruction“. He also had interesting though that innovation, at the end in not the creation of mind, but of will.

percentage for own projects

Interesting article in Harvard Business Review about Google. The part about innovation in job description. Google budgets 20% of employee time for their bottom-up projects.

The part from article:

Technical employees are required to spend 80% of their time on the core search and advertising businesses, and 20% on technical projects of their own choosing. As one new Google engineer put it in a blog: “This isn’t a matter of doing something in your spare time, but more of actively making time for it. Heck, I don’t have a good 20% project yet and I need one. If I don’t come up with something I’m sure it could negatively impact my review.”

So, this have a second effect besides that it gives an employee the efforts for new ideas. It will put the feeling of needfulness for ideas and new projects to each employee. Of course, this could only be applied in companies where employees are satisfied and motivated.

link

innovation brainstorming workshops

Last month, I had four innovation workshops with brainstorming sessions, and what I learned is that in each group I can expect allways different situation. I had groups with 7-17 participants, they were from the same technical field and have the same techical knowledge. What was common in all 4 workshops is that the boss is always the leader with most ideas(that's good), other innovative people from past are followers, but some of participants haven't contribute at all. I reach some of them, with showing the benefits of ideas to indivudual(incentives+glory). Important is to notify about successful ideas from their department from near past.
The most successful group was the one that wanted to reach the big number of ideas, with no time-limit to their workshop. And they really did it! First the target was to have at least 14 ideas(from 7 participants) what was pushed from their boss, but they didn't stop until they reach 24 ideas. And they had the high quality of their ideas!
Concusion is that the commitment of the management + successful examples from the past + showing incentives, can lead to generation of big number of ideas. It's also essential to be active in such workshops and don't let the group to be silent. Innovation process should be explained before brainstorming, so that participants know in which program they can submit their idea.
Most important is to not let them forget about their ideas after workshop with at least sending reminder mails.

the myths of innovation

I saw an interesting article on IdeaConnection. An Interview with Scott Berkun, author of the book: The Myths of Innovation.
Here is the set of Myths:
1.The myth of epiphany -- there is no eureka moment, ideas never stand alone
2. We understand the history of innovation -- we have simplified legends
3. There is a method for innovation -- there are infinite paths to innovation
4. People love new ideas -- most people fear change
5. The lone inventor -- all innovation is bound to what came before
6. Good ideas are hard to find -- humans are built for creative thinking
7. Your boss knows more about innovation than you -- just because the boss has power doesn’t mean he knows everything
8. The best ideas win -- not always
9. Problems and solutions -- problem finding and framing are more important
10. Innovation is always good -- all innovations combine good and bad effectsResilience. Talent is great, but a genius who gives up on a good idea isn’t as valuable as a less talented person who sticks it out."

Great set of thoughts which can be added as the quick guide to innovation, or "Quick way to learn about ideas":)
Read the interview

posters for sticking chewing gums

Artistic way to solve a problem which have all cities in the world - chewing gums on the streets. In this way everyone can stick their chewing gum to poster on wallboard on streets which has coluor palette identified with numbers like in children books. This is idea from Sydney and it's really more creative then Singapore's way to solve problem of chewing gums on the streets - by banning chewing gums.
(spotted in trendhunter)

the art of creative thinking

Useful book from John Adair, for everyone who wants to start its creative engine. What makes this book really fun to read are many examples of ideas/inventions, and the big number of inspirational quotes. The chapters are sorted as useful advices, so it can be viewed as an user manual for creativity :)

promote shadow IT

Excerpt from book: Mashup Corporations: The End of Business as Usual: "Understand that you have capabilities outside your IT department, and use them! Shadow IT is not new and exists in every company. It’s been there, lurking just out of sight of your support teams, not necessarily hidden, but implemented by workers who need new tools, procedures, and workarounds that are not yet acknowledged by IT policies. They use their innovations every day to get their jobs and personal tasks done. With every class of graduating students, a more tech-literate labor force emerges. This labor force is creatively innovating both on and off the offi cial clock. They bring with them new methodologies and models for working that line up directly with service orientation.... Failure to embrace and support Shadow IT in the long run means wasted resources, an inability to maximize the value of your company’s collective candlepower, and lost opportunities."

amazon link