Is the fear of failure killing your creativity and hindering your success?
If you look at any of your favorite creative projects, you will see a polished gem staring you in the face. And this is where most people stop. The final product is so amazing that it intimidates them. Fear and doubt paralyze their minds, their thoughts become jumbled. And they forget the most i
Did you know that brandy was the unintended consequence of a medieval tax dodge?
Brandy is a distilled drink made from wine, though some forms are created from mash made from fruits other than grapes. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. It is generally served as an after dinner drink, though it is also used as the basis of mixed drinks such as brandy alexander. The name come
Does Your Organization Have The Willingness and Ability To Innovate?
Companies depend on the ability to innovate in order to remain competitive. Traditionally, we consider innovation to involve fun and creativity. However, innovation can be hard work requiring both a willingness and an ability to generate ideas. According to Linda Hill and co-authors of Collective Ge
An innovation from Luna that could make the washer, the dryer, and the Laundromat obsolete
Right now it is just a design concept, but the Luna Wash, created by Juan Camilo Restrepo Villamizar for 2014’s Electrolux Design Challenge may be just the innovation that makes the washer, the dryer, and the laundromat obsolete. The Luna Wash is envisioned as a sphere that one fills with water and
The unintended consequence of a headache cure invented one of the most popular products in the world
Coca Cola is the most famous soft drink in existence and has penetrated almost every corner of the globe. Many do not know that Coca-Cola started as an unintended consequence when someone was attempting to invent a headache cure. Back in the 1880s John Pemberton, a struggling pharmacist, was attempt
An innovator may have just cured diabetes with the help of US taxpayers
Most people, at least outside of science circles, have never heard of Dr. Taylor Wang, an innovator and the founder of a company called Encapsulife. That may be about to change. According to a recent story in National Review, a device the company has just patented, known broadly as the “Wang Patch,”
Does it count when old ideas become new ideas?
In the world of innovation, it can be hard to come up with new ideas. It seems like no matter what you think you’ve dreamed up, someone else has had that same dream. But who wants old ideas? Would you believe “a hungry public”? Kurt Wenner is not only a master of his art, he’s the creator of […]
Four companies who are using innovation to feed the world’s millions
Innovation is all about significantly improving the world through a new idea or product. With my move to Colorado and my 35 acre “ranch”, I’ve gotten back into looking at the intersection of innovation and agriculture. To feed the world’s millions as well as protecting the environment are major are
Military technology innovations to create the Navy of the future
It is no secret that a major source of innovation throughout history has been in the military such as the Navy. Researchers are always in the hunt to develop technologies to better wage war and prevail against an enemy. A recent article on the CNN website suggests that a number of innovations in mil
Our tendency to over protect ideas hinders innovation
Many brilliant new ideas seemingly appear from outer-space. Some call them Aha! Moments, Epiphanies, and Flashes of Insight. Writer Steven Johnson disagrees and instead believes that the right conditions and collaborations are the spark for these new ideas. While collaborations produce the right cir
