Tag Archives: breakthrough

The Breakthrough Lifecycle

The Breakthrough Lifecycle

GUEST POST from Greg Satell

Many experts suspect that the COVID crisis is receding into the background. It is, of course, hard to know for sure. There will continue to be debate and we will still need to have some mitigating measures in place. Still, for the most part, people are back at work, kids are in school, and relatively normal routines have returned.

Generations from now, historians will most likely still question what lessons are to be gleaned from the past few years. Should we strengthen our multilateral institutions or have they become so sclerotic that they need to be dismantled? Is the rise of populist nationalism a harbinger for the future or a flash in the pan?

One thing I don’t expect to be hotly debated, in fact seems perfectly clear even now, is that science saved us. Untold thousands, working mostly anonymously in labs around the world, created a vaccine of astonishing efficacy in record time. It is these types of breakthroughs that change the course of history and, if we can embrace their power, lead us to a better future.

A Seemingly Useless Idea

The MRNA technology that led to the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines have the potential to revolutionize medical science. It can rapidly reprogram the machinery in our cells to manufacture things that can potentially cure or prevent a wide range of diseases, from cancer to malaria, vastly more efficiently than anything we’ve ever seen before.

Yet while revolutionary, it is not at all a new idea. In fact Katalin Karikó, who pioneered the approach, published her first paper on mRNA-based therapy way back in 1990. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to win grants to fund her work and, by 1995, things came to a head. She was told that she could either direct her energies in a different way, or be demoted.

This type of thing is not unusual. Jim Allison, who won the Nobel Prize for his work on cancer immunotherapy, had a very similar experience when he had his breakthrough, despite having already become a prominent leader in the field. “It was depressing,” he told me. “I knew this discovery could make a difference, but nobody wanted to invest in it.”

The truth is that the next big thing always starts out looking like nothing at all. Things that really change the world always arrive out of context for the simple reason that the world hasn’t changed yet.

Overcoming Resistance

Humans tend to see things in a linear fashion. It is easier for us to imagine a clear line of cause and effect, like a row of dominoes falling into each other, rather than a series of complex interactions and feedback loops. So it shouldn’t be surprising that, in hindsight, breakthrough ideas seem so obvious that only the most dim-witted would deny their utility.

When we think of something like, say, electricity, we often just assume that it was immediately adopted and the world simply changed overnight. After all, who could deny the superiority of an efficient electric motor over a big, noisy steam engine? Yet as the economist Paul David explained in a famous paper, it took 40 years for it to really take hold.

There are a few reasons why this is the case. The first is switching costs. A new technology almost always has to replace something that already does the job. Another problem involves establishing a learning curve. People need to figure out how to unlock the potential of the new technology. To bring about any significant change you first have to overcome resistance.

With electricity, the transition happened slowly. It wouldn’t have made sense to immediately tear down steam-powered factories and replace them. At first, only new plants used the electricity. Yet it wasn’t so much the technology itself, but how people learned to use it to re-imagine how factories functioned that unlocked a revolution in productivity gains.

In the case of mRNA technology, no one had seen a mRNA vaccine work, so many favored more traditional methods. Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, for example, used a more traditional DNA-based approach using adenoviruses that was much better understood, rather than take a chance on a newer, unproven approach.

We seem to be at a similar point now with mRNA and other technologies, such as CRISPR. They’ve been proven to be viable, but we really don’t understand them well enough yet to unlock their full potential.

Building Out The Ecosystem

When we look back through history, we see a series of inventions. It seems obvious to us that things like the internal combustion engine and electricity would change the world. Still, as late as 1920, roughly 40 years after they were invented, most American’s lives remained unchanged. For practical purposes, the impact of those two breakthroughs were negligible.

What made the difference wasn’t so much the inventions themselves, but the ecosystems that form around them. For internal combustion engines it took a separate networks to supply oil, to build roads, manufacture cars and ships and so on. For electricity, entire industries based on secondary inventions, such as household appliances and radios, needed to form to fully realize the potential of the underlying technology.

Much of what came after could scarcely have been dreamed of. Who could have seen how transportation would transform retail? Or how communications technologies would revolutionize warfare? Do you really think anybody looked at an IBM mainframe in the 1960s and said, “Gee, this will be a real problem for newspapers some day?”

We can expect something similar to happen with mRNA technology. Once penicillin hit the market in 1946, a “golden age” of antibiotics ensued, resulting in revolutionary new drugs being introduced every year between 1950 and 1970. We’ve seen a similar bonanza in cancer immunotherapies since Jim Allison’s breakthrough.

In marked contrast to Katalin Karikó’s earlier difficulty in winning grants for her work, the floodgates have now opened as pharma companies are now racing to develop mRNA approaches for a myriad of diseases and maladies.

The Paradox Of New Paradigms

The global activist Srdja Popović once told me that when a revolution is successful, it’s difficult to explain the previous order, because it comes to be seen as unbelievable. Just as it’s hard to imagine a world without electricity, internal combustion or antibiotics today, it will be difficult to explain our lives today to future generations.

In much the same way, we cannot understand the future through linear extrapolation. We can, of course, look at today’s breakthroughs in things like artificial intelligence, synthetic biology and quantum computing, but what we don’t see is the second or third order effects, how they will shape societies and how societies will choose to shape them.

Looking at Edison’s lightbulb would tell you nothing about radios, rock music and the counterculture of the 60s, much like taking a ride in Ford’s “Model T” would offer little insight into the suburbs and shopping malls his machine would make possible. Ecosystems are, by definition, chaotic and non-linear.

What is important is that we allow for the unexpected. It was not obvious to anyone that Katalin Karikó could ever get her idea to work, but she shouldn’t have had to risk her career to make a go of it. We’re enormously lucky that she didn’t, as so many others would have, taken an easier path. It is, in the final analysis, that one brave decision that we have to thank for what promises to be brighter days ahead.

All who wander are not lost.

— Article courtesy of the Digital Tonto blog
— Image credits: Pixabay

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Why Quiet Geniuses Excel at Breakthroughs

Why Quiet Geniuses Excel at Breakthroughs

GUEST POST from Greg Satell

When you think of breakthrough innovation, someone like Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk often comes to mind. Charismatic and often temperamental, people like these seem to have a knack for creating the next big thing and build great businesses on top of them. They change the world in ways that few can.

Yet what often goes unnoticed is that great entrepreneurs build their empires on the discoveries of others. Steve jobs didn’t invent the computer or the mobile phone any more than Jeff Bezos discovered e-commerce or Elon Musk dreamed up electric cars. Those things were created by scientists and engineers that came long before.

In researching my book, Mapping Innovation, I got to know many who truly helped create the future and I found them to be different than most people, but not in a way that you’d expect. While all were smart and hardworking, the most common trait among them was their quiet generosity and that can teach us a lot about how innovation really works.

How Jim Allison Figured it All Out

At least in appearance, Jim Allison is a far cry from how you would normally picture a genius to look like. Often disheveled with a scruffy beard, he kind of mumbles out a slow Texas drawl that belies his amazingly quick mind. Unassuming almost to a fault, when I asked him about his accomplishments he just said, “well, I always did like figuring things out.”

When Jim was finishing up graduate school, scientists had just discovered T-cells and he told me that he was fascinated by how these things could zip around your body and kill things for you, but not actually hurt you. The thing was, nobody had the faintest idea how it all worked. So Jim decided to become an immunologist and devote his life to figuring it all out.

Over the next few decades, he and his colleagues at other labs did indeed do much to figure it out. They found one receptor, called B-7, which acts like an ignition switch that initiates the immune response, another, CD-28, that acts like a gas pedal and revs things up into high gear and a third, called CTLA-4, that puts on the brakes so things don’t spin out of control.

Jim played a part in all of this, but his big breakthrough came from the work of another scientist in his lab, which made him suspect that the problem with cancer wasn’t that our immune system can’t fight it, but that it puts the brakes on too soon. He thought that if he could devise a way to pull those brakes off, we could cure cancer in a new and different way.

As it turned out, Jim was right. Today, cancer immunotherapy has become a major field unto itself and, in October 2018, he won the Nobel Prize for his discovery of it. Yet the truth is that it wasn’t one major breakthrough, but a decades-long process of slowly putting the pieces together that made it all possible.

How Gary Starkweather Went From Blowup To Breakthrough

Gary Starkweather is every bit as quiet and unassuming as Jim Allison. Yet when I talked to him a few years ago, I could still hear the anger in his voice as he told me about an incident that happened almost 50 years before. In the late 60s, Gary had an idea to invent a new kind of printer, but his boss at Xerox was thwarting his efforts.

At the time, Gary was one of the few experts in the emerging field of laser optics, so there weren’t many others who could understand his work, much less how it could be applied to the still obscure field of computers. His boss was, in fact, was so hostile to Gary’s project that he threatened to fire anyone who worked with him on it.

Furious, the normally mild mannered Gary went over his boss’s head. He walked into the Senior Vice President’s office and threatened, “Do you want me to do this for you or for someone else?” For the stuffy, hierarchical culture of Xerox, it was outrageous behavior, but as luck would have it, the stunt paid off. News of Gary’s work made it across the country to the fledgling computer lab that Xerox had recently established in California, the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC).

Gary thrived in the freewheeling, collaborative culture at PARC. The researchers there had developed a graphical technology called bitmapping, but had no way to print the images out until he showed up. His development of the laser printer was not only a breakthrough in its own right, but with the decline of Xerox’s copier business, it actually saved the company.

The Wild Ideas Of Charlie Bennett

Charlie Bennett is one of those unusual minds that amazes everyone he meets. He told me that when he was growing up in the quiet Westchester village of Croton-on-Hudson he was a “geek before geeks were cool.” While the other kids were playing sports and trading baseball cards, what really inspired Charlie was Watson and Crick’s discovery of the structure of DNA.

So he went to college and majored in biochemistry and then went on to Harvard to do his graduate work, where he served as James Watson’s teaching assistant. Yet it was an elective course he took on the theory of computation that would change his fate. That’s where he first encountered the concept of a Turing Machine and he was amazed how similar it was to DNA.

So Charlie never became a geneticist, but went to work for IBM as a research scientist. It proved to be just the kind of place where a mind like his could run free, discussing wild ideas like quantum cryptography with colleagues around the globe. It was one of those discussions, with Gilles Brassard, that led to his major breakthrough.

What the two discussed was the wildest idea yet. They proposed to transfer information by quantumly entangling photons, something that Einstein had derisively called “spooky action at a distance” and was adamant couldn’t happen. Yet the two put a team together and, in 1993, successfully completed the quantum teleportation experiment.

That, in turn, led Charlie just a few months later to write down his four laws of quantum information, which formed the basis for IBM’s quantum computing program. Today, in his eighties, Charlie is semi-retired, but still goes into the labs at IBM research to quietly discuss wild ideas with the younger scientists, such as the quantum internet that’s continuing to emerge now.

For Innovation, Generosity Is A Competitive Advantage

My conversations with Jim, Gary, Charlie and many others made an impression on me. They were all giants in their fields (although Jim hadn’t won his Nobel yet) and I was a bit intimidated talking to them. Yet I found them to be some of the kindest, most generous people I ever met. Often, they seemed as interested in me as I was in them.

In fact, the behavior was so consistent that I figured it couldn’t be an accident. So I researched the matter further and found a number of studies that helped explain it. One, at Bell Labs, found that star engineers had a knack for “knowing who knows.” Another at the design firm IDEO found that great innovators essentially act as “knowledge brokers.“

A third study helps explain why knowledge brokering is so important. Analyzing 17.9 million papers, the researchers found that the most highly cited work tended to be mostly rooted within a traditional field, with just a smidgen of insight taken from some unconventional place. Breakthrough creativity occurs at the nexus of conventionality and novelty.

So as it turns out, generosity is often a competitive advantage for innovators. By actively sharing their ideas, they build up larger networks of people willing to share with them. That makes it that much more likely that they will come across that random piece of information and insight that will help them crack a really tough problem.

So if you want to find a truly great innovator, don’t look for the ones that make the biggest headlines are that are most inspiring on stage. Look for those who spend their time a bit off to the side, sharing ideas, supporting others and quietly pursuing a path that few others are even aware of.

— Article courtesy of the Digital Tonto blog and previously appeared on Inc.com
— Image credits: Pixabay

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Building Cross-Functional Collaboration for Breakthrough Innovations

Building Cross-Functional Collaboration for Breakthrough Innovations

GUEST POST from Chateau G Pato

In today’s fast-paced and interconnected world, fostering cross-functional collaboration has become crucial for organizations aiming to drive breakthrough innovations. The ability to bring diverse teams together, breaking down silos and leveraging collective expertise, is a proven catalyst for successful innovation. This article delves into the importance of cross-functional collaboration and presents two compelling case studies that highlight its transformative power.

Case Study 1: Procter & Gamble’s Connect + Develop Program

One exemplary case of cross-functional collaboration for breakthrough innovation is Procter & Gamble (P&G)’s Connect + Develop program. P&G recognized the need for external inputs and diverse perspectives to drive disruptive innovation and address complex consumer challenges. The program laid the foundation for building collaborations with external partners, including startups, inventors, and academia, to co-create groundbreaking solutions.

Through Connect + Develop, P&G fostered cross-functional collaboration by creating a platform that allowed different teams to engage with external partners. This collaboration brought together scientists, engineers, marketers, and designers to work alongside external experts, accelerating the innovation process. By dissolving internal boundaries and extending their innovation ecosystem beyond traditional boundaries, P&G witnessed unprecedented breakthroughs such as the development of the Swiffer, a game-changing cleaning tool.

Key Takeaway: P&G’s Connect + Develop program showcases the power of cross-functional collaboration in driving breakthrough innovations. By leveraging external expertise and promoting diverse collaboration, P&G achieved remarkable success in meeting customer needs and driving market growth.

Case Study 2: Tesla’s Battery Gigafactory

Another compelling case study demonstrating the value of cross-functional collaboration can be observed in Tesla’s Battery Gigafactory project. Tesla recognized the criticality of battery storage technology for the widespread adoption of electric vehicles and renewable energy solutions. To overcome existing limitations and drive breakthrough innovations in battery technology, Tesla embarked on an ambitious project to build the world’s largest battery factory.

Tesla’s Battery Gigafactory brought together professionals from various disciplines, including battery experts, automation specialists, engineers, and supply chain professionals, to collaboratively develop cutting-edge battery technologies from scratch. By integrating diverse fields of expertise, Tesla fostered a culture of cross-functional collaboration, fueling the rapid advancement of battery technology and significantly lowering production costs.

Key Takeaway: Tesla’s Battery Gigafactory project exemplifies how cross-functional collaboration can revolutionize an industry. By engaging experts from multiple domains and aligning their efforts under a shared vision, Tesla transformed the electric vehicle market and accelerated the shift towards sustainable energy solutions.

Conclusion

The case studies of P&G’s Connect + Develop program and Tesla’s Battery Gigafactory project illustrate the transformative impact of cross-functional collaboration on driving breakthrough innovations. By breaking down silos, fostering diverse perspectives, and leveraging collective expertise, organizations can create an ecosystem that thrives on collaboration. To embark on the path of successful breakthrough innovation, organizations should embrace cross-functional collaboration as a core principle, enabling them to surpass existing boundaries and achieve unprecedented growth and market success.

SPECIAL BONUS: The very best change planners use a visual, collaborative approach to create their deliverables. A methodology and tools like those in Change Planning Toolkit™ can empower anyone to become great change planners themselves.

Image credit: Unsplash

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How to Identify Trends and Patterns for Breakthrough Innovation

Connecting the Dots

How to Identify Trends and Patterns for Breakthrough Innovation

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

Breakthrough innovation, one of the most sought-after but largely elusive concepts in business, happens when an idea has the power to revolutionize an industry or disrupt the status quo. In a sea of ideas, the only way to guarantee a truly groundbreaking product is to identify the trends and patterns that will allow you to develop a concept that is both unique and ahead of the competition. By connecting the right dots, you will sometimes stumble upon something revolutionary that no one else has thought of.

So how do you start to identify the patterns and trends that will lead to a breakthrough innovation? There are several methods, but here are a few of the most effective:

1. Analyzing the competition

A great starting point for coming up with a breakthrough innovation is to analyze the competition. By studying what others in the same industry or space have done in the past, you can identify any gaps in the market and figure out how your product or service can fill them. This doesn’t mean stealing ideas or copying what they’ve done; instead, it’s about realizing what hasn’t been done yet and coming up with a concept to address that.

Case study: When Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen first proposed the idea of using personal computers in the home, he wasn’t the first person to think of that concept. In fact, home computing had been a concept since the late 1970s—and while many tried to make it a reality, no one was able to successfully launch a commercial product. By closely examining the competition, analyzing their mistakes, and applying his own knowledge of computer hardware and software, Allen was able to identify the patterns that would allow him to revolutionize the industry with the introduction of the first home computer.

2. Focusing on customer needs

When trying to create a breakthrough innovation, it’s important to focus on the needs and wants of the customer. This requires understanding their problems and coming up with solutions that will truly meet their needs. To do this, companies must engage in active customer research and listen to their feedback. By figuring out what the customers are looking for and thinking outside the box, companies can come up with solutions that are not only valuable, but also unique.

Case study: Airbnb is one such example of a company that saw a need in the market and sought to fill it. After surveying customers, it became clear that people were looking for a more affordable and convenient way to travel. To meet this need, the company launched its online platform that allowed users to rent out their properties—a concept that, at the time, was completely unheard of. Through active customer research and new thinking, the company was able to connect the dots and create a revolutionary concept that changed the industry.

3. Scanning the environment

Sometimes the most unexpected patterns and trends can be identified by simply looking around at the environment. Paying attention to political, economic, and social changes can often reveal an untapped opportunity that no one has thought of. Companies must stay up to date with the latest news and be alert for signs of change in their field. By looking at the bigger picture and constantly challenging the status quo, companies can come up with innovations no one has ever seen before.

Case study: In 2009, Uber was founded with the goal of getting rid of car ownership and replacing it with shared rides. While this concept was unheard of at the time, the founders analyzed changes in the environment that allowed them to make it a reality. They saw that customers were increasingly looking for convenience, along with the rise of smartphones and GPS technology that would allow customers to track rides and pay for them digitally. With these changes in the environment, they saw an opportunity to pursue their vision and connect the dots from ideas no one had thought possible.

Conclusion

Breakthrough innovation requires more than just the right idea and some luck—it requires the ability to connect the dots and identify patterns that will lead to a truly revolutionary product or service. By analyzing the competition, focusing on customer needs, and scanning the environment, companies can identify trends that will allow them to develop something new and groundbreaking. With perseverance, companies can unlock the resources and potential that will revolutionize an industry and create something truly unique.

Image credit: Pixabay

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