Key to Success: The Secret to Innovation

Do you want to create something, but can’t seem to spark an idea? We’ve all been burnt out before, desperate to think of something that could work, so how can we access a bit more creativity? Innovation is another key to success as ideas are the blueprint for creation. You could be starting up a new business, trying to find a solution, or just trying to get some ideas flowing. At the centre of all these issues lies a question. How can I fill a demand in the market? How can I fix this problem? How can I do something no one has done before?

That’s a good question. Innovation is the introduction of something new, so how can we do something no one has done before? Well, first you’ll have to think of it.

“There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations. We keep on turning and making new combinations indefinitely; but they are the same old pieces of colored glass that have been in use through all the ages.” – Mark Twain

The thing is when you create something new, it’s probably just going to be an updated version of what already exists in some form. Like the iPhone, it has been improved many times in the past decade, same idea, new version.

Quote from Henry Ford, Founder of Ford Motor Company:

“If I had asked the public what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse.”

Cars are a great innovation, right? But before that, horses were the main form of transportation. People always needed to get from A to B, but the question was how can we make the journey more efficient?

Your idea exists in the minds of others, but it’s your creation that brings it to life.

Steps to Innovation

1. Identify the issue.

There must be a reason as to why you’re trying to create something. Maybe something needs to be improved, a problem needs to be solved, or a demand must be filled. Ask yourself why you need the ‘what’. It can be hard to narrow down everything you want to do or change, but for now try to focus on one main area.

2. Brainstorm.

This is the time to ask yourself lots of questions and come up with ideas. How can I improve, change, or solve this? Try writing down all the ideas you have in a mind map. When you can’t think of any more ideas, an activity called ‘reverse brainstorming’ may help you see from a different angle. Reverse brainstorming is thinking of ways to worsen a problem. Instead of, ‘How can I solve this problem?’ ask yourself, ‘How can I make this problem even worse?’ Then reverse your identified problems. You might find you now have a few more solutions, you hadn’t considered.

3. Create a prototype.

This is where you bring your idea to life. Ask yourself, ‘How will this actually work?’ ‘Does this solve the issue?’ ‘Will people be satisfied with this solution?’ Test your solution out. Ask your family or friends if they are satisfied with your idea. Put in a real life scenario. Are there any faults? Note down everything your idea is successful at and all the things that could be improved.

4. Improve

Consider everything you noted. If your idea was successful, how and to what degree? If it failed, why and what went wrong? What improvements can you make? How will your idea be implemented into real life?

Secrets to Innovation

1. Apply what you know to a different context.

Think of the smart watch. It uses phone technology but sold in the form of a watch to be more convenient. Existing technology, new market. This is called architectural innovation.

2. Improve something with something else.

Solar Ear is a company that invented solar-powered hearing aids. Hearing aids already existed but this company’s idea revolutionised the product by improving it with something else.

3. Never say never.

You don’t know something is possible until it becomes possible. Continue to ask yourself, ‘What if?’ Don’t throw an idea away, just because someone doesn’t think it could work, or even if you don’t think it will. Prove them wrong and make it work. Space travel, modern technology, the lightbulb, all things that people once thought impossible.

Innovation takes questions, belief, and determination. Take an idea and expand it, improve it, and apply it. The solution may be right in front of you.