The Innovation Myth
Plastered across TechCrunch and VentureBeat are tales of stealth startups, entrepreneurs building the next killer social media app, numbers (usually in the millions) touting some company’s userbase, downloads, or the amount of their latest round of funding. It seems that almost everyday, a bunch of startups come out of the woodwork with goals to impress the technorati with the next big innovative technology. Internet, mobile, gaming, and clean tech sectors are where many of today’s headliners stem from. They’re the Top 40 of music and arguably what’s hip. Twitter, Facebook, Apple, and Google are the Kanye Wests, Rihannas, Alicia Keys, and Lady Gagas.
Of course, we know that music is much more expansive than the mainstream popular artists that get overplayed on the radio. Ever heard of Boards of Canada? Angelique Kidjo? Anna Laube? Portishead? I’d be surprised if any of their songs appeared on the top 10 iTunes downloads list, but they’re all creating amazing music and possibly taking bigger risks by trying out new things.
This brings me back to the hot tech startups. It is not uncommon for these companies to be considered at the forefront of innovation, especially because the media spins it that way. They’re the savvy, smart entrepreneurs coming up with big bold ideas. However, it’s important to realize innovation is not limited to a certain type of company, a certain sector, or even a certain functional role within a company. Innovation is, at the core, a simple concept - the act of coming up with new ideas or new ways of thinking. And innovation is everywhere - in the arts, in fashion, in ‘stodgy’ industries like oil & gas, even in our personal lives or at home. Innovation happens within huge enterprises when a lone employee has an idea and wants to pursue it. Innovation happens when someone in HR realizes that the way interview feedback is processed is extremely inefficient and decides to create something new.
Where there is passion, innovation will thrive.
