A book review of "Myths of Innovation"

1. Book review:
Author: Scott Berkun

2. Insights of the book !
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The myth of epiphany
The myth that we know history
The myth of a method
The myth we love new ideas
The myth of the lone inventor
The myth that good ideas are rare
The myth your boss knows more innovation than you
The myth the best idea wins
The myth of problems
The myth innovation is always good

3. Innovation ?
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Bring in significant positive change
Is it the real innovation?
"We innovate every day !”
Too much use of word has
lowered its significance
• Reserve
the i-word for... Nothing !

4. The myth of epiphany
• Moment when the last piece of work fits into
place
• ‘Magic moment’ is remembered
• Everyone wants to listen
to ‘epiphany’

5. The grand myth !
• Entertaining more than
truthful
• Myth discounts Hard
work, sacrifice, personal risk
• 20 years work on gravity is
forgotten
• Everyone remembers the
end moment

6. Truth of Epiphany
• Myths are more satisfying than the truth
• Tim Bernes:
• Nearly every major innovation of the 20th century took
place without claims of epiphany

7. What matters?
Ability to see a problem clearly:
Do not wait for an apple to fall on your head !
Ability to solve it:
Do not wait and think of Eureka moment !
Just start working towards solution !

8. The myth that we know history
• History is not a straight line of progress
the present isn’t either
• History is told in the manner it is liked to accept
• Inspiring lies are often more popular than complex truths

9. Rosetta stone
• First object found with
writing in both hieroglyphics
and Greek
• Is Rosetta stone a history?
• Object that was part of history but it wasn’t a history
• What if there was a book which could translate?
• What if it would not have ever found ?

10. Let history be history !
• We are encouraged to believe that other outcomes were
impossible
• All histories are based on interpretations and personal views
• History should not be related much to present and it would
never determine way for anyone

11. Myths of a method
• I will follow
‘Steve Jobs’ recipe !
• No method is perfect !
• What worked for them in their era won’t necessarily
work for everyone !
• You can do everything right and still fail
• Many factors beyond your control

12. Eight challenges of innovators
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Finding an idea
Developing a solution
Sponsorship and funding
Reproduction
Reaching potential customers
Beating competitors
Timing
Keeping the lights on.

13. The myth we love ideas
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We are a conservative species
Conformity is deep in our biology
Being creative puts your social status at risk
All great ideas were rejected
Galileo's sun-centered solar system

14. I have an idea !
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Imagine its 1874
You invented telephone
Rejected by Western Union
Rejected by 25 more companies

15. How ideas get acceptance?
• Ideas are rarely rejected on their merits
• Problem- your skills for pitching ideas to others
• Success- Ability to persuade and convince conservative
people
• The bigger the idea, the harder the persuasion challenge

16. The myth of the lone inventor
• Who invented the electric light?
• Thomas Edison
• Humphry Davy and Joseph Swan
• Who invented automobile?
• Henry Ford
• Largest library in the world don't know for
certain, how could we?

17. Why most people were wrong?
• Major innovations aren’t decided by historians
• Driven by - Markets , Circumstances, Popularity
• Edison marketed ‘Electric bulb’
Inventor of Light
Marketer of Light

18. Inventors are alone?
• Steve jobs
Steve Wozniak
• Stories of mad geniuses who worked completely alone
are rare
• Learning to collaborate matter more than brilliance

19. The myth that good ideas are rare
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Watch any 6 year old child
We are built for creativity
Conventions of adult life demand conformity
Sacrifice our creative instincts in favor of social status
The challenge- Ideas don’t come with the courage to
invest in them
Judgmental
attitude
Killing of
idea

20. The myth your boss knows more
innovation than you
• Judgmental attitude – Kills ideas
• Innovation requires – willingness to defy convention
Good political
judgment
Idea
Boss has – Power
To rise the
power
Kills the idea

21. The myth the best idea wins
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Story of mouse- Douglas Engelbart
Rejection by Xerox
Apple
Fairy tales and hero stories follow similar patterns: good
guys win, bad guys lose
Apple is winner !
And xerox?
Xerox is also a winner !
Xerox made a reasonable choice

22. QWERTY.. Keypad !
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Inventor- Christopher Sholes
Why ‘qwerty’?
How he designed?
Wanted design that wouldn't jam his mechanical keys
From typewriter to PC
From PC to mobiles !
Not designed great !

23. Myth of problems
• Myth says you have to get rid of problem as soon as
possible
• “If I had 20 days to solve a problem I would take 19 to
define it.” – Einstein
• There are many creative ways to think about a problem
• Success is determined by how deeply you understand the
problem

24. The myth innovation is always
good
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Innovations have positives as well as negatives
Innovation brings change
It helps few people and hurts others
Automobiles- kills 40k people each year in U.S
Accept both change and tradition

25. Thank You !
Presented by Saurabh Mhase
Universal Business School