What I learned about innovation from six dynamic founders

I recently interviewed some of the remarkable entrepreneurs and inventors we profiled in my book The Innovation Mindset.

We'll be posting this video interview series—"Innovators in Focus"—in the weeks to come, but I wanted to share highlights my?of "innovation immersion"; a few nuggets of insight and wisdom we heard during our conversations with these successful innovators, who represent a wide range of industries and pursuits.

I asked them about some of the principles of successful innovation - or as I call it in the book, the Laws of Innovation.?

I also asked about the essential traits of successful entrepreneurs.

Sarah Apgar, founder of Fitfighter, had no problem identifying what she thought was number one on that list:?

"Curiosity is the single most important quality for an entrepreneur," said Sarah, who successfully pitched her fitness product on Shark Tank. "You need to ask questions and more questions--until there are no more questions. And then you need to think of one more."

Sarah even offered a wonderful ornithological metaphor (shared with her by her mentor Doug Doan of Hivers and Strivers) for the tireless curiosity of the innovator. "You're a woodpecker," she said. "Always pecking away at the problem."

And problems—or, perhaps I should say, the solutions to that problem—are fundamental to the successful innovator. That's my first Law of Innovation in fact: a successful innovation must offer a solution. I was delighted to hear no less an innovator than Spencer Rascoff confirm my feelings on the primacy of that principle. "I agree with this Law of Innovation so much that it is a criteria for investment," said Spencer Rascoff, co-founder of Zillow and Hot Wire. "If a company can’t easily define a problem for me—and show me they are solving it —I won’t invest."

In our video chat with Spencer, who wrote a foreword for my book and now supports innovative new companies through his "start-up studio" 75 and Sunny, we went on to talk about another important attribute:?"I've had a lot of arrows slung and tomatoes thrown my way," he says. "And that's especially easy to do today with social media." But you can't let a snarky post deter you. "To be a founder," Spencer says, "you need a thick skin."

Someone from a very different realm sounded a similar note: Leslie Aisner Novak, founder of HowdaDesignz, and creator of both the Howda Hug a lightweight, portable seat that gives ideal posture and back support for adults, and the HowdaHUGs, the children’s version, which provides a calming, rocking motion that is used in classrooms around the world. Leslie's father was himself an inventor. In fact, he has the distinction of having created what every mom would agree is a ubiquitous and essential feature of modern life:?

Plastic scissors.?

And yet, while his invention helped keep many boys and girls a little safer at home or in the classroom, he wasn't quite convinced that his own daughter could channel her artistic talents into a successful business venture. Leslie proved that she had inherited the chutzpah needed to succeed because, despite her father's reservations, she went ahead with her idea. The result was a product that, like her father's, has helped thousands of children around the world feel a little safer. "Sometimes you need to show how much gumption you have," she said. "Sometimes, if those close to you are skeptical or concerned, you need to say 'I respect what you're saying and I know you have my best interests in mind, but I believe in what I'm doing.'"

In other words, you need to believe in yourself—and your vision. All of the successful innovators we interviewed had that. But it takes more than confidence. "Creating innovation requires agility and flexibility," says Laurent Levy, founder and CEO of Nanobiotix, a leader in the development of nanotechnology applied to medicine. "You want to be able to move fast, and you want to be adaptable to a rapidly changing environment."

Few environments changed as rapidly as the music industry. During the pandemic, it was essentially shut down. No live concerts, no touring—no revenue! But veteran singer-songwriter Dan Navarro had an idea on how to adjust to the conditions, and still deliver the music his fans have loved for decades.?You can hear in the video (and read in the book) about how Dan managed to use a guitar, Facebook and a 2020 Pro Master van to deliver music to his fans across the country—but what Dan really did, he said, was to understand the true essence of the product he was delivering. It wasn't "just" playing some of the songs he's written that have been covered by many major artists. It wasn't "just" singing. "I asked myself during the pandemic, 'what am I really providing an audience with? It's engagement." (Dan even performed for us what I'm calling "The Song of the Innovator”—real name: “Horizon Line”—which you can hear on the video.)

?Finally, I had the pleasure of interviewing Laura Maness, who as CEO of Havas New York, leads the North American flagship agency of this global advertising and communications firm. At Havas, Laura has created an incredible values-based company; a model for a 21st-century organization. "Innovation and creativity is at the core of everything we do," Laura said. And when I asked her how she defined the Innovation Mindset, she offered a reply that was both instructive—and certainly one that warmed my heart. "Embracing an Innovation Mindset can lead to staggering results," said Laura (and the numerous awards her agency has won attest to that). "It's all about the mindset. My tip is to run out and get the book!"

Excuse the sales plug, but, after all, she is in the advertising business (and thanks for that, Laura!). Seriously, while I of course hope you will consider pre-ordering the book , I do invite you to check back in the next few weeks, as we begin to roll out this series of videos with these and other remarkable and inspirational innovators!

Read more on my?Signitt ?or visit my?website .

Lorraine Marchand is general manager of life sciences at IBM Watson Health and has three decades of experience in new product development. She is author of?The Innovation Mindset: Eight Essential Steps to Transform Any Industry , available August 2022.

Tags: Lorraine Marchand, The Innovation Mindset, Creating Innovation Mindset to drive Strategic Growth, Sarah Apgar, Laurent Levy, Leslie Aisner Novak, Spencer Rascoff, Dan Navarro, Laura Maness,?Sylvana Sinha