Innovation Context

It has always been a big question on my mind if an innovators' desire is to create a solution for a problem they have encountered during the course of their life or they have potentially visualized a problem in someone else's life. It is pertinent and intrinsic to the nature of the innovation cycle that the curiosity generated in the mind of an innovator is usually contextual to the fundamentals and the environment he is exposed to.

There may also be a need to dissect the population in terms of education, economy and enlightenment. I call these the three fundamental "E's" which help build the desired motivation in an innovator. There were times, ages ago, when a 'real' innovation used to hibernate for an extended period and then the discoveries around the globe would happen in a highly dispersed manner relative to the time scale. There were very few innovators and most of them had challenges during their education, weren't from a strong economic background and because of lack of effective communication medium the enlightenment in the form of a market pull was missing. But yet, these innovations changed the world forever in a profoundly practical and profitable way.

The animal species learns to walk or fly by imitating their mothers or fathers. You can watch a baby duck following that process. Many species, including we humans, develop much of their behavioral repertoire by following role models. One distinctive characteristic of humans, however, is that as we become adults we can choose whom and what to imitate. If you believe that you would like to cultivate and exploit all the aspects of the human potential then there will not be a better person to emulate than Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo was probably the most creative and well-rounded genius who has walked on this earth. But if you believe in honing your most important and ambitious goals then there is probably no better individual than Edison. He has been history's greatest achiever and by far the most practical innovator.

I studied a lot on Edison and his innovation methodology to break open the codes of his invention factory. Possibly, besides his patented 1,093 innovations, the one which stands out most and which he didn't patent was the systematic approach to innovation. Before Thomas Edison, invention was viewed as the random product of a solitary genius. Edison was, of course, an exceptional genius, but the greatest product of his genius was the establishment of an approach to creativity and innovation that he believed anyone could follow. As he proclaimed, "If we all did the things we are capable of doing we would literally astound ourselves."