Innovation Part 2 – The Idea…

Following on from Part 1 – we’ve been actively curious, watched the world around us and asked Why? and then listened to the answer…

And then one day, whilst in the shower, or just before falling asleep, or walking the dog it hits you… the big one… the IDEA.

Now you’re in deep trouble. This idea, this gnawing certainty will get under your skin and drive its claws deep, and the longer it’s left unrealised, the worse it will get.

So, let’s get one thing straight here.

We have them all the time, they come and go and they are mostly just as tenuous and intangible as clouds, or wind (both sorts). They are often derivative, unoriginal, dull or even just plain rubbish. So, go easy on yourself – don’t sweat it and have another one; it will likely be better.

Let’s assume you have an idea that is worth pursuing and you can’t shake off. The ‘traditional’ method is to research, do some focus groups, ask around, Vox Pop away. But the problem is you’ll be asking the wrong questions. Did you actively listen? (see part 1 – the answers are all there).

The only thing that matters is turning that idea into reality, into a tangible, useable, perhaps saleable object. So, in the words of Phil Knight (well not his words exactly, but you get the point) – Just Do It!

The only way to learn to do anything well is to constantly fail. This is true of walking, talking, drawing, reading, writing, eating, swimming etc. Failure is the only certain outcome of innovation, and the inability to accept it, change something and try again is the main reason that even great ideas don’t make it.

Embrace failure and seek it out, then work out why it failed and solve that. Then try again! Eventually things will stop failing and start working. This is true of all innovations, whether physical, computer code, graphics, art, music, architecture and so on.

OK. You have a thing that doesn’t fall apart all the time, that manages to show some vestiges of the innovation that originally drove the idea – now what?

Sales and Marketing (and why the better they are the worse it can be) …. TBC.