The lowdown: Discover where good ideas really come from – and where they don’t – with this The Myths Of Innovation summary.
Okay, this is going to sound weird… so hear me out.
The concept of an idea is strange when you think about it.
When you have an idea, you are pulling random thoughts and words out into a new order to explain a concept that you have never thought about before.
- Audible Audiobook
- Scott Berkun (Author) – Ryan Burke (Narrator)
- English (Publication Language)
- 09/29/2020 (Publication Date) – Tantor Audio (Publisher)
Anyway, enough of me having a Kyrie Irving ‘woke’ moment, the three main lessons from this book which will create your path for successful innovation are:
- Good ideas aren’t some divine intervention
- Great ideas come from more than one source
- People hate new ideas!
Lesson One: Good ideas aren’t some divine intervention
We’ve all heard of Isaac Newton’s theory of gravity coming from an apple falling on his head.
Newton’s story is a great example, and metaphor, of ideas coming from some epiphany that comes to someone at the right place at the right time.
However, that Newton story is
Instead, big ideas happen when you relentlessly generate small ideas and let them develop.
These small, unfinished ideas build on each other and grow in an encouraged environment and eventually become leading innovations.
Lesson Two: Great ideas come from more than one source
As a society, we like things to be pre-packaged and convenient.
The news is no exception.
Through revisionist history, we can prove it too.
If I asked you who invented the light bulb, I am almost certain you’d say Thomas Edison.
However, what if I told you that the light bulb was invented by the lesser known Humphry Davy and Joseph Swan.
Edison gets the plaudits and society gets it’s pre-packaged and convenient lone-innovator.
This myth of the lone innovator is backed up by patent laws suggest that only one person (or a select few) can play a part in an idea.
In reality, ideas come from multiple sources. So you don’t have to do it alone.
Lesson Three: People hate new ideas!
The modern workplace is designed to stop new ideas. We have progress reports, timestamps, and other bullshit that stop many from being able to innovate.
A big part of this is that people are scared of change.
Even if ideas are brilliant, they will often be met with uncertainty.
Think about the most stressful times in your life… odds are it was due to a change to the norm. Maybe a birth, maybe moving house, or even a new partner.
These changes make us break our routine and comfortable lifestyle.
To battle this uncertainty, offer a sample to your new idea when pitching it.
These samples are often a taste to the new idea, breaking down the resistance to change.
In fact, tea bags were originally given as free samples to eventually convince people they didn’t need to use a tea bin.
My Personal Takeaway
I often shut down ideas too early. While they are still subconsciously in the back of my mind, I need to develop a time to let these ideas develop.
Put it into action
Discuss your ideas with someone. Being able to workshop with a partner is a great way to develop your smaller ideas into larger ones.
Organize a monthly catch-up with another business owner where you can workshop new ideas. This monthly meeting will make sure you are constantly thinking and working on projects.
You should consider buying this book if…
Innovators, business owners, and side-hustlers who are at a dead end in their business.
Or, read our other business book summaries.
You should also check out..
a Swedish university student, marketing professional, and life-long learner. Here at BookSummaryClub I summarize my favorite non-fiction books into easily digested posts. Hope you like what you’re reading!
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