This document outlines 10 lessons of innovation based on experience in the field. The lessons are: 1) Innovation involves selling ideas as well as inventing them. 2) Brainstorming needs structure and rules. 3) Creativity is not the same as innovation, which builds on creative ideas. 4) There is no single clear or simple path to innovation. 5) Innovation occurs at the intersection of unrelated ideas. 6) Innovation requires respectful but intense debate of ideas. 7) Innovation benefits from critical evaluation of flaws and failures. 8) Innovation has its own visual and verbal methods of communicating ideas. 9) Prototyping and failing early are important to innovation. 10) Intrinsic motivation, not money, drives radical

1. 10 Lessons of
Innovation
Experience from the field.
Idris Mootee
CEO Idea Couture Inc.

2. #1 a big part of innovation is
about selling, not just inventing

3. #2 innovation needs
brainstorming and
brainstorming needs rules

4. #3 creativity is not innovation.
innovation is built upon creative
assets

5. #4 there’s no “clear” path or
“clean” solution

6. #5 innovation occurs at the
intersection of previously
unconnected and unrelated
planes of thought

7. #6 innovation is like fencing.
You need to learn to fight like a
gentleman
Innovation happens when people respect each other -- but fight
like crazy over their ideas. It’s for fencers only.

8. #7 innovation requires a few
grumpy people
They are good at finding flaws and better at pulling the plug
and stopping organizations from throwing good money after bad

9. #8 innovation requires its own
visual verbal language
A drawing and picture says a thousand words. A journal to put down
your thoughts visually will allow you to think about your ideas from
various angles, and create clarity of thought.

10. #9 prototype a lot, fail often,
and fail early

11. #10 money should never
come first
“People engage in radical innovation not because they get
paid for it, but because they want to.”
- Gene Meieran, Intel Fellow

12. thank you
10 Lessons of Innovation
Thank you.
innovation playground
www.mootee.typepad.com
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