Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

I`ve been LOVING Yvonne Chouinard`s book, Let My People Go Surfing, about the genesis of the company he founded, Patagonia, and the philosophies that have made it such a huge, iconic success.

One really interesting distinction he draws is how the process of innovation is different than the process of invention.

This was an aha! moment for me. Like when something says something so crisply and clearly that all of a sudden it comes into full light, even though it`s been there in the shadows forever.

Since reading this, I`ve thought about this concept a lot. When people invent, Yvonne argues, they come up with something that makes a huge leap forward.

When people innovate, on the other hand, they simply improve on things.

Interestingly, he sides heavily with innovation as a capability to emphasize and stress vs. inventing. He says he`d much rather improve on things for which there`s proven demand (innovate) than blaze new expensive and risky trails with something revolutionary (invent).

What side of this equation do you fall on?

I`m more of an innovator.
Innovation is almost a mental playground for me. Throwing concepts together. Combining markets and schemes. No pressure.
Jamming.
Sometimes arriving at the brilliant. Sometimes at the brilliantly stupid.
Invention seems much more serious.
My ultimate goal, though, would be something like an innovative inventor. I classify people like Albert Einstein and Jimi Hendrix as innovative inventors.
Not afraid to screw around with concepts but once they get absorbed in that zone. Wow... quantum leap.

I tend to think that innovation (meaning "improvement) is the way the majority of businesses and business leaders lean. It`s the "Build a better mousetrap philosophy." Most everyone thinks about ways to improve an existing product. There are not many Edisons out there.

Take the toothbrush. I`m over 50 and I bet I`ve witnessed more improvements to the toothbrush in the last 10 years than in the first 40 years of my life. Just when I think "surely, this is the absolutely best toothbrush ever invented," - BAM - here comes another improved toothbrush.

And why? Because the toothbrush business is BIG! They have to keep "innovating" to keep market share.

Innovating is fun. It is competition. Competition is American capitalism. We thrive on it. Drawing the line in the sand every day - daring someone to "innovate." I love it!

R@

I surely fall to the side of innovation. I am currently working on a product which is already very proven and widely used in the marketplace. It is helpful to know that people are already buying this product, im going to improve it. We all have had moments when your using a product and its not performing how you think it could. That slight change or redesign would make all the difference in the world. This is what drove me to start my own business.

Allan

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Wow,

I would like to start by saying I think I found Home. All of you are great, I`ve been looking for this forum all my life ( ok just the last 23 years). If you all are only half as good as I feel you are We are going to change the world  like it has never seen before but I want to completely go through the postings before I start entering My programs and Ideas. For the next few days you get just my input

This site is by far the best I have ever seen as far as content, information and most importantly the people who are participating.

As far as Innovation vs Inventor,,,,, 

I was listening to a tape where the wording was different, This person clumped Innovation and Invention together as the big leap and used a different phrase for the small improvements. at the time it was crushing to me because I felt I was an innovator and now it looked like the industry had defined me as something less than I had hoped for. 

Within this defination I am definately more Innovation than invention but would like to add I feel I have what might be perceived as signs of invention also.  This again is subjective.

As far as which may be better ,

Innovation does have the established market to almost ensure success for any improved products.

Invention may have more risk that people may not accept it but If it does get accepted then the rewards have the potential to be much greater.

So it comes down to the old risk reward ratio.

I`m open to both ways.