Business innovation is NOT dependent on creative people

There is a difference between creativity and innovation. Creativity is the process of generating something new. It is a prerequisite for innovation. Innovation however, is the practical application of creativity.

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- Date: Sunday, December 28, 2008 Time: 10:05 pm Discussion: View Comments Category: Entertainment and Gaming, Product and Service Innovation Tags: Media, status reporting Print this blog post!

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Idris Mootee has recently posted a couple of most interesting, insightful, and intelligent articles on his Innovation Playground blog. On December 6th he writes about Creativity and Business Innovation

Creativity Is NOT Innovation. Although the two have connections. Here’s a good definition from Fast Company: There is a difference between creativity and innovation. Creativity is the process of generating something new. It is a prerequisite for innovation. Innovation however, is the practical application of creativity. A good idea is a great thing, but if the idea is not implemented, for whatever reason, we simply have creativity. Innovation is therefore, in effect, proof of an idea. This makes implementation part of the mix.

Business innovation is NOT dependent on creative people. Creative people often cannot handle the complexity associated with innovation. Complexity and coping with changes are the core of any innovation effort. Ideas are easy. Ideas are cheap these days. Any innovation often need to dealt with many complex elements that make bringing any innovation to market so difficult.

It reminds me again of another quote (and please help me out to attribute the author correctly, and excuse my paraphrasing):

Everyone who ever had a shower had at least ten awesome ideas. But it is more difficult to get out of the shower and execute them.

I remember a recent other posting by Fred Wilson at A VC about how to build successful startups – same idea – I’ll look it up once I’m out of this airplane…

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Update: mcKinsey published an excellent video interview with Judy Estrin who talks about the three horizons of innovation: http://bit.ly/R9DV

1 Thorsten Claus January 15, 2009 6:41 pm

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