Andrew Hargadon

An (innovation) revolution in our midst

The fields of innovation and entrepreneurship are undergoing a revolution of sorts.  We are slowly and inexorably recognizing that our obsession with ideas—how to have them or how to buy them—fails to explain how breakthroughs actually happen.  It's no longer easy to believe that a single idea drove Apple's iPod (which in a decade has become its biggest business) or Edison's lightbulb when we consider the dozens of other companies who were already selling those same ideas in the market when their proverbial and literal light bulbs went off.  As with any scientific revolution (and conveniently self-referential), it's not a single idea that drives the revolution but rather a subtle accumulation of similarly new ideas from different sources.  In this case, the revolutions is about the role of entrepreneurship, of action and experimentation, in making breakthroughs happen.

Problem finding—not just for amateurs

I've posted recently about the challenge of understanding the problem before rushing off to develop a solution (Finding new problems and What's the problem with LEDs?). A recent post by Sam Shrauger, Vice President of Global Product and Experience at PayPal, reminded me that losing sight of the real problem (or ever having it in the first place) is not just an amateur mistake: Why the Mobile Payment Debate Is Headed in the Wrong Direction.  As Shrauger points out in talking about the future of mobile payments, even the best people in the best organizations lose sight of the real problems.