The myths of innovation

“The Myths of Innovation”

Presented byMiguel Ángel Fernández September 29th, 2011

Scott Berkun

AgendaWhat is Innovation?

A brief look in the “The myths of Innovation”

Chapter 1 Summary : The myth of epiphany

Chapter 2 Summary: We Understand the history of Innovation

Other Literature about Innovation

Conclusions

What is Innovation ?

What is Innovation ?

What is Innovation ?

The most potent definition is “ Significant positive change” (Scott Berkun)

Derives from the Latin word innovatus, which is the noun form of innovare "to renew or change"

But, Is it enough with simple renovation or

change?

Anything in common with the previous

examples?

A brief look in the “The myths of Innovation”

10 Chapters

Each Cha pter explores one of the most pervasive and misleading myths, reveals facts and gives

advice.

The myth of epiphany.The belief that we understand the history of innovation.The myth of a method for innovation.The idea that new ideas automatically find a welcome.The myth of the lone inventor.The concept that finding good ideas is the key stumbling block.The idea that your boss knows more about innovation than you.The myth that the best ideas win.Myths about problems and solutions.The myth that innovation is always good.

Chapter 1 Summary : The myth of epiphany

The question of where ideas come from is on the mind of anyone visiting a research lab, an artist’s workshop, o an inventor’s studio

“The myth tempts us to believe that the magic moment is the gran catalist of

innovation”

What People Focus on

Chapter 1 Summary : The myth of epiphany

The work that makes “Eureka

possible”The Work of

Innovation

Example: Isacc Newton and the discovery of gravity

An apple fell on his head, and the idea of gravity was born

The myth suggest that great ideas como to people who are lucky.

Example: Isacc Newton and the discovery of gravity

This legend of Newton´s discounts 20 years of work to explain the Gravity.

There is also evidence that Egyptian and Romans had understood the gravity well before Newton.

Hence, Newton contribution is that he used math to explain more precisely than anyone before how gravity

works.

Ephiphany Defined

Epiphany“A sudden

manifestation of the essence of

something”

Religious origins

Today is used when we do not know where an

idea came fromm and

won’t take credit for it.

Ephiphany Explanation

Epiphany is the moment when the last piece of work fits into place.

However, the last piece is not any more magical than the others. This means that any other piece of the jigsaw has the same chances

to be the last one.

Jornalist were frustrated when I tell them there was no “Eureka” moment to create WWW. It was the various proposals of its development.

Tim Bernes

“Myths are more satisfiying than the truth”.

Chapter 2 Summary: We Understand the history of Innovation

We need to see how history Changes Perceptions and re-

examine events .

Ordinary things, people, and events are transformed into

legends by the forces of time.

Chapter 2 Summary: We Understand the history of Innovation

Johannes Gutenberg

Chinese invented print techniques.Gutenberg was the first European to apply such print techniques.He symply was doing his jobHe never received credit during lifetime

500 years after his dead, he has heralded the credit of one of the most important people in history.Millons of books and websites mention his name.

Chapter 2 Summary: We Understand the history of Innovation

Here the major culprit is our human tendency to make narratives out of history.

We draw a straight line from the silicon chip to the iPod with a few stop for the Walkman and the hard disk, but forget all the small inventions, especially the dead end ones, along the way.

That leaves us with an impression of brilliance followed by further brilliance, ignoring the experimentation and necessary following of leads into blind alleys that brought us to the present day.

Chapter 2 Summary: We Understand the history of Innovation

Dominant Desings – Dominate History

Other literature about innovation

1. Apple2. Google3. Microsoft4. IBM5. Toyota6. Amazon7. LG8. BYD9. General Electric10. Sony11. Samsung12. Intel

Ranking 2010

Source: http://www.businessweek.com/interactive_reports/innovative_companies_2010.html

Other literature about innovation

www.bcg.com/documents/file42620.pdf

Other literature about innovation

Source: http://hbr.org/2009/12/the-innovators-dna/ar/1

Conclusions

Ideas never stand alone

For most innovations there is not singular magic

moment. Instead there are smaller insights

accumulated over time.

The Internet is the result of 40 years of innovations in

electronics, networking and software.

Innovation ≈ Exploration

You can’t discover without taking risks

Innovation and evolutions can be demystified.

Remember that ordinary people and events are tranformed into legends by the forces o time.