Marketers, especially in the field of technology, use, and sometimes overuse, the term cutting-edge in their collaterals. But what does it mean? The adjective refers to the newest, most advanced stage in the development of something, i.e. art, science, etc.?
Primarily, to be on the cutting edge, you need to have the highest knowledge of a subject to create something new. More than the end-product, its journey from ideation, experimentation, prototyping, and pilot testing is fascinating. Science is an evolving field of study. Being at the forefront demands a great deal of research and development.
The product/service is ahead of its time and a potential game-changer for the entire business world. Today, can you imagine your life without a mobile phone? That’s how a product becomes a game changer. Businesses gain the first-mover advantage only when cutting-edge becomes mainstream. It is a risk, undoubtedly, and a difficult option to invest.
- Continuous Learning: Be a lifelong learner and keep curiosity alive. Learn what’s new in research, trends, and developments in your field. Participate in workshops/conferences/seminars to acquire knowledge.
- Creativity & Innovation: Creative thinking is a skill. Everyone does not have it. You need to stand out of the crowd and think differently. It is very easy to follow the rat race, but it takes guts to build something new from scratch. ‘What If…..’ is a regular question for creative thinkers. Are you one?
- Adaptability: Embracing change helps you to adapt quickly and respond to new challenges/opportunities.
- Risk-Taking Ability: Life can be monotonous without risks. Are you someone who challenges your own potential? It is important to experiment and take calculated risks. Willingness to learn from failures increases your risk appetite. Life becomes more exciting this way.
- Collaboration: ?Alone, a person can only travel a specific distance. Teamwork helps you scale greater heights. Nobody is perfect. There’s no harm in learning from experienced professionals and getting different perspectives about a topic. Networking with like-minded professionals will help you achieve greater heights of success in your business or career. Are you open to learning from others?
- Automation: Leveraging technology enhances productivity and efficiency. For example, ChatGPT is a good tool for writers, as it saves time on secondary research. Additionally, now you have speech-to-text tools that don’t require writers to use pen and paper. I have always believed that ethical use of technology can create wonderful gifts for human life.
- Quality: The most important factor of success is striving for excellence. Whatever you do, you must aim to achieve high standards of quality. Now, what does quality mean? I know perfection is a myth, but in general, quality implies fitness of purpose i.e., whether a product/service is delivering value for money. I can write a separate blog altogether on this topic alone.
There are several norms, which have been mutually agreed upon by the majority, to determine quality. Excellence does not come at the first attempt, and it is not quick. It takes years of perseverance to achieve excellence. Keep doing the same thing every day until you get the best outcome. Then, test your creativity in public to receive feedback.
- Customer-Centricity: Why do you think your idea/product/service will be accepted by society?
- Ethics: Morals, values, ethics are not a thing of the past. When you are creating something new, and for public use, it must be combined with integrity and social responsibility.
- Forward-Thinking: If you are interested in being the change, you must inspire people around you and prepare them to embrace change. Brainstorming is a vital function of innovation. Listen to ideas, challenge your biases and build the new.
All said and done, the most important element of being at the cutting edge is research and development. Even if you want to copy/imitate a past innovation, try to look at it from your own unique perspective. How will it fit the current scenario?
Be modern, be relevant or choose to be outdated. Cheers to a happy life and progress ???
