The Innovation Trap

One of the biggest traps that stops many entrepreneurs from being successful is what I would like to call “the innovation trap.”

What is the innovation trap?

The innovation trap is that many people sit waiting around for the big idea to hit them.  They are wondering and waiting for the “Eureka” moment to arrive. 

People want to believe that great ideas come to us in a moment of brilliance, most often while we are taking a shower in the morning or are still deep asleep at night and wake up all of a sudden when the big “aha” moment strikes.

To all of you waiting for this moment I say “wake up” and don’t wait for these moments to come.  There is a reason why the famous French inventor Louis Pasteur said “chance favors the prepared mind” and why Thomas Edison said “innovation is 99% perspiration.” 

Worse, many people that try a new idea but don’t succeed right away give up too early.  Innovation is far more about incremental innovation and continuous improvement than about the “Eureka” moment. 

There is good news and bad news in realizing the truth in this.  The bad news is that your “Eureka” moment might never come.  The good news is that you can finally stop making excuses.  First of all, don’t wait for the big idea to hit you.  Just get started innovating and never stop. 

I would like to wrap up with one quote from Peter Drucker.

“Successful entrepreneurs do not wait until the Muse kisses them and gives them a ‘bright idea’: They go to work.  Altogether they do not look for the ‘biggie,’ the innovation that will ‘revolutionize the industry,’ create a ‘billion-dollar business’ or ‘make one rich overnight.’  Those entrepreneurs who start out with the idea that they’ll make it big — and in a hurry — can be guaranteed failure.”