The fundamentals of innovation explained with 4 curves : Schumpeter, Rogers, Gartner, Kubler-Ross!

Schumpeter's innovation cycle, Rogers' innovation adoption curve, Gartner's Hype curve, but also the Kubler-Ross change curve, what do these curves explain about innovation ?

Even if they are only theoretical, I am interested in them because they allow to understand 4 challenges in innovation management: innovate quickly, think use beyond technology, federate by co-design innovation and engage by accompanying change.

Schumpeter: shorter and shorter innovation cycles

Overall, major innovation cycles are accelerating, and Schumpeter explains that innovations are born in clusters as a result of a technological or scientific breakthrough innovation.

As shown in the diagram below, these cycles of major innovations are getting shorter, forcing companies to constantly watch market/technologies, foresight and anticipate so as not to be overwhelmed when it comes a sectoral innovation.

This shortening of cycles also requires all companies to jump on the bandwagon very quickly when it comes to an innovation that affects all sectors indifferently. ?This is the case of digitalization or at least of its emerged part, that of ICT now associated with the famous expression 'making its digital transition'.

But the current innovation cycle is not just this wave. Although born almost simultaneously, since they are based on computers and the Internet, it seems to me more relevant to distinguish at least three waves:

• the 'communication' wave associated with Networks
• the wave of 'transformation of life' associated with Biotechnology and Iot
• the 'Artificial Intelligence' wave associated more broadly with Big Data and Cognitive Science

Gartner: Two steps in a cycle of technological innovation

In its courbe of Hype, Gartner highlights that technological innovations are done in two stages: Hope/disappointment and Value creation.

The first time is hope and then disappointment

The first step is the discovery. The technology carries inordinate hopes but its application disappoints. Either the technology creates a new product or service and it doesn't live up to expectations or is unreliable. Either it is a new technology that replaces an old one without bringing additional values perceptible in the uses.

The second time is that of value

When technology is digested, then the second time appears, the one that creates value. The better-known technology then naturally associates with other knowledge that, by combining, generates new uses or characteristics that bring the value.

Rogers: Adoption is the key to innovation

Rogers' innovation diffusion curve is like the product lifecycle (launch, growth, maturity, decline) but viewed through another lens, that of innovation adoption. That is, adherence to something totally new.

In innovation management, the Rogers' curve presents two interesting points to highlight: Co-design with 'Innovators' and limiting deployment investments before the ‘Valley of Death’.

Co-create with 'Innovators'

To ensure the buy-in of 'innovators', they must be identified as early as possible and integrated into the innovation design process itself. This success factor is a major point of innovation methods such as Lean Startup or Business Model Canvas (BMC).

Limit deployment investments before the end of ‘The Valley of Death’

Between the 'early adopters' and the 'early majority', Rogers warns of what he calls the 'Chasm'. This is a break in the cycle of deployment of innovation caused by the rejection of the majority to adopt it. I therefore strongly advise you to limit your deployment investments before the passage of this gate and to remain vigilant, able to evolve the innovation until the passage of the gate.

Kubler-Ross: the grief curve or change management curve

As much as innovation presents a high degree of disruption, it transforms an existing one! Therefore, this change, however favourable it may be, must be supported.

In innovation management, the Kubler-Ross change curve, similar to that of mourning, must then be considered for two essential points: with regard to the users of the innovation and with regard to the issuing organization (the company).

On the side of the user companies

If we go back to the Rogers curve, once we have passed the 'innovators' and the 'early adopters', the only novelty of innovation does not interest users. It is therefore necessary to pay particular attention to guiding users, explaining the benefits and encouraging the test to switch to engagement.

On the side of the creative company

As long as innovation does not come from a startup (i.e. a company whose organization is structured at the same time as innovation grows), it is essential to support the change generated by innovation in the organization. Indeed, many innovations are abandoned, "sabotaged" by collective and individual resistance for lack of appropriate change management and engaged early enough in the process of designing innovation. This factor of internal adherence to innovation is, however, an essential condition for the success of its introduction on the market.