Innovate? Just Iterate

Innovation, the current holy grail of business, predates all recent innovation articles, books and experts. It all started in a bathtub, when Archimedes yelled “Eureka!” and went streaking through the streets of Syracuse proclaiming his fluid discovery. Since then, Clayton Christensen, John Kao, Eric von Hippel and many others have helped to put innovation on front covers and corporate walls. However, somewhere along the way innovation became diluted. Breakthrough, bold, game-changers, and disruptive just embody the “Eureka!” moment. Why are we drowning in innovation, and how can we humanize innovation to reclaim its transformative power, for both individuals and intuitions?

The traditional definition of innovation is the act of introducing something new. In today’s design-oriented consumerism, where artistry integrates with manufacturing to produce aesthetically ‘cool’ objects, something that looks new is considered innovative as well. However, neither definition is entirely accurate. Unprecedented innovation is extremely rare because innovators do not work in a vacuum. Ingenious inventions emerge – even serendipitously – out of some previous experience, object, or idea. More importantly, if innovation is represented by newness, then we are being misled and missing an opportunity to democratize innovation and establish a new breed of innovators.

Process, not just product

Misconceptions of innovation are natural – without having visibility into the process, it is easy to conclude that a successful product, unique decision, or creative document materialized as a random thought. Since processes are messy, with multiple contributors, meetings, versions, and communications, rendering a product’s evolution is challenging. Moreover, it is much easier to explain a serendipitous chain of events with rarified anecdotes and simplified logic.

Fortunately, attitudes on innovation are evolving. Driven primarily by an increase of social media globally and the voyeuristic nature of society (think reality shows, DVD outtakes, and director cuts) we are becoming more interested in the process. Rosabeth Moss Kanter’s HBR article, “Block-by-Blockbuster Innovation” is a significant milestone. She reevaluates what she describes as the false dichotomy underlying the breakthrough myth and reinvigorates the significance of incremental innovation. Kanter shows how to celebrate “incremental innovation” as a process, and overcome commonly misunderstood examples, such as the variety of iPod colors and Crest toothpaste flavors which are simply the progeny of popular products, not real innovations: “Even if a company is fortunate enough to find the next Kindle, Swiffer, or smartphone, blockbuster products don’t spring to life or work in the marketplace without the many incremental changes that make big innovation possible, such as new processes or market development techniques,” Kanter writes.

 In emerging markets, The Economist has highlighted previously the use of ”frugal innovation” as another example of rethinking innovation. And GE’s hand-held electrocardiogram leverages relevant aspects of state-of-the-art intensive care units. By simplifying and focusing, emerging markets are creating “mash-up” innovations that hone sophisticated technology with specific local needs. 

Even more enlightening are the stories emerging from innovative organizations. Pixar’s story of their culture of broad collaboration, prototyping and continuous iterations illustrates how innovation becomes part of daily practice. In Creativity Inc, Ed Catmull describes the evolution of the film Toy Story 2. Once a creative team of people was formed, they created storyboards and edited them with dialogue and temporary music. Feedback during daily reviews infused each iteration with improvements. However, chief creative officer John Lasseter was not satisfied with the result, so he launched a new cycle of iterations. He deployed the “Creative Brain Trust” of experience directors, added more elements to the core story, and continued to leverage the “dallies” for ongoing improvement, resulting in Toy Story 2 a critical and commercial success. Pixar’s approach to innovation is best summarized in the practice of the “dailies” or daily reviews: “Showing unfinished work each day liberates people to take risks and try new things,” Pixar’s President Ed Catmull said, “because it doesn’t have to be perfect the first time.”

 Exposing the design process to what John Seely Brown and John Hagel describe as ‘productive friction’ – in the form of continuous peer feedback- provokes iterations. Each round of prototyping and subsequent iterations powers the collective effort along an evolutionary trajectory, building innovation as the collaboration cycle continues. Most recently, Roberto Verganti recently described the power of critique to pivot on the path to innovation. These behaviors demonstrate that innovative thought, action and production occur as a natural part of collaboration. The innovator’s need to communicate ideas to collaborators encourages experimentation and prototyping; their need to integrate different perspectives and iterate new versions ensure collaborators stay engaged towards achieving a common objective. While an “Innovator’s DNA” may lean towards cooperation, it is the dynamics of the whole which sparks the iteration towards true innovation.

Evolution, not revolution

 Revolutions occur, but they are few and far between. Evolution is ongoing and ubiquitous. Our daily practices are simple testimony to the power of iteration: How often do we reach out to colleagues, receive deck, and start modifying it to suit our needs? Rather than creating innovation approaches and platforms reminiscent of American Idol or playground dodge-ball match where the best idea wins, the real benefit may be in creating platforms and leaders that facilitate collaboration, enable prototyping and stimulate the iterative process. We should be connecting practitioners and provide ‘pull’ platforms with to stimulate friction and enable the evolution of innovations. We should be visualizing our ideas to encourage the creative (and sometime conflictual) dialog. Elevating and celebrating the iterative process can turn innovation into a professional raison d’être, regardless of our DNA.

Because innovation is a process and not an event, we would do well to train ourselves to know what really drives this creative process. Ideally, if we demonstrate the leadership required to focus on the collaborative iteration through multiple prototypes, we will be able to consult with real time insights to help our clients not only achieve innovation, but the cultural change required for sustainable growth.