Look Out for Innovation Myopia

You’ve innovated! The solution that your out-of-box thinkers created has been implemented and it is performing as desired to solve the problem you were focused on. Congratulations.

Here’s a question: Can lightning strike twice?

It’s not unusual for innovative thinkers to become myopic. For example:

• In 1889, Thomas Edison strongly rejected the idea that AC electricity would ever be useful. “Nobody will use it, ever.”
• Darryl Zanuck, film pioneer, sneered at television in 1946, saying “”Television won’t be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night.”
• Steve Jobs in 2003 said, “”The subscription model of buying music is bankrupt.”

The rest of this article could just be a list of wrong predictions made by history’s most forward thinkers about technology over the years. It’s more useful, though, to think about the factors that contribute to innovator myopia so that you can recognize them in your own organization.

The new state becomes the status quo. Jobs made his assertion about music subscriptions at a time when the iPod was the only handheld device that played music. It was revolutionary, and it changed the status quo for consumer electronics. Assuming that the current state of things is going to be permanent limits thinking.

Other innovations being rolled out in the market space impact consumer behavior. Zanuck may not have been a fan of TV, but there were others in the entertainment industry who invested in it. The benefits of staying home to watch moving pictures outweighed the plywood box, and consumers embraced the new technology.

The innovator can become too focused on their innovation. Edison could only see what was in front of him based on his deep knowledge of his field. He couldn’t make the leap in thinking need to envision a world where an alternative would be compelling to the market.

How can your organization avoid innovation myopia?

First, avoid the rut of thinking that today’s state is permanent or even in place for a long time. Challenge your thinkers to come up with “what ifs” about how technology may evolve and how your company can respond.

Second, keep pace with other innovations going on in your market. What are competitors rolling out? Are there new players who could bring disruptive technologies? How might your customers and prospects respond?

Third, consciously avoid blindered thinking, where your innovation is the only sensible solution. Think about alternatives and what market characteristics could favor those over yours.

There’s a lesson to take away from every mistaken technology prediction made by thought leaders. You can steer away from innovation myopia by considering what prompted the mistake and whether that cause could be operating in your own company.

Let me know if we can be of any help in the innovation process.

Jim Lawnin, Managing Partner
jlawnin@bblventures.com