What sparks paradigm-shifting innovation in any business? It’s a special mix of entrepreneur and company, regular in every respect except for having the courage and foresight to make an idea happen that was supposed to be impossible. As an entrepreneur in a startup, how do you know if you have this potential, and what are the steps to get from an innovation to a revolution?

1. nanovation

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What sparks paradigm-shifting innovation in any business?

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It’s a special mix of entrepreneur and
company, regular in every respect
except for having the courage and
foresight to make an idea happen that
was supposed to be impossible.

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As an entrepreneur in a startup, how
do you know if you have this
potential, and what are the steps to
get from an innovation to a
revolution?

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The first step is to meditate on the
examples set by others, like Steve
Jobs of Apple, Jeff Bezos of Amazon,
or Thomas Edison with the electric
light.

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There are many others, like the one I
just finished about Ratan Tata
bringing out the Nano car in 2009 in
India for less than $2,500.

7. The book is called “Nanovation,”
by Kevin & Jackie Freiberg.

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These authors have studied many such
examples, and summarize my own
perspective on the characteristics of
entrepreneurs they call “nanovators,” that
produce true, life-changing innovations,
which they call nanovations:

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1. vation
Get wired for nanovation. We all agree that innovation is an adventure into the unknown. If
you want people to follow, you need to be able to convince them of three things: (1) your
mission is worth supporting, (2) you have the competence to build a critical mass, and (3)
you have integrity to look out for their best interests along the way.

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2. vation
Lead the revolution. Nanovators have more than the vision; they have the drive to lead, and
the focus to stay on target. They are wired to win. Organizations don’t produce game-
changing innovations; people do. They allow a leap of faith in their own ideas, as well as in
the ideas and capabilities of their team.

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3. vation
Build a culture of innovation. You need a culture where restlessness is tolerated, curiosity is
encouraged, passion is inspired, creativity is expected, and people are always talking about
what’s next. Ultimately, the mind-set changes so significantly that innovation is natural, and
no one is conscious of it.

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4. vation
Question the unquestionable. Outsiders ask a lot of questions because they don’t presume
to know why something is done a certain way. Make your insiders think like outsiders.
Provocative questions like “What if?”, “Why not?”, or “So what?” can help to get everyone
outside the box.

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5. vation
Look beyond customer imagination. First-of-a-kind products empower customers to do
things they didn’t even know they wanted to do, and now can’t live without them. The
computer mouse, Tivo, and Teflon are examples. Listen to customers, but remember that
they can’t always tell you what they don’t know.

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6. vation
Go to the intersection of trends. Nanovators pay close attention to the early warning signs
that precede major cultural, societal, and market shifts. Where most people see an isolated
trend, nanovators connect the dots by relating one trend to several others. They focus on
next practices, versus best practices.

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7. vation
Solve a problem that matters. The key here is to resist the temptation to pay more attention
to the technology solution than the problem. Some people create brilliant solutions to non-
existent problems, like maybe Segway and satellite phones. These solutions may be nice to
have, but won’t ignite a revolution to get there.

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8. vation
Risk more, fail faster, and bounce back stronger. When you pursue a creative idea that
takes you beyond, fear tempts you to make compromises. If you can push through this fear
and doubt, or bounce back intelligently from initial setbacks, you often arrive at something
that has truly never been seen before.

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Jeffrey Immelt of General Electric argues
that the next big thing, like the Nano, could
well be from “reverse innovation,” where
instead of industrialized nations adapting
their products for emerging markets,
innovation in emerging markets will bring
new paradigms to home markets.

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In any case, the future is defined by what we
put off until tomorrow, so don’t wait too long
to get started.

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Credits Marty Zwilling

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