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# Our tendency to over protect ideas hinders innovation
- URL: https://www.philmckinney.com/can-over-protecting-new-ideas-kill-them/
- Published: 2014-04-28T13:13:39.000Z
- Updated: 2016-06-08T05:18:10.000Z
- Description: 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
- Author: Phil McKinney
- Tags: Blog, How To, collaboration, connection, Gary Vegh, ideas, protect ideas, protect our ideas, Steven Johnson, #wp, #wp-post, #philmckinneycom, #Import 2023-05-01 05:17

Many brilliant new 

[](http://www.beyondtheobvious.com/ideas-the-spark-of-breakthroughs/?ref=philmckinney.com)[ideas](http://www.beyondtheobvious.com/ideas-the-spark-of-breakthroughs/?ref=philmckinney.com)

[ ](http://www.beyondtheobvious.com/ideas-the-spark-of-breakthroughs/?ref=philmckinney.com "ideas")seemingly appear from outer-space. Some call them 

**Aha! Moments,*

*Epiphanies*, and 

**Flashes of Insight*

. Writer 

[](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven%5FJohnson%5F%28author%29?ref=philmckinney.com)[Steven Johnson](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven%5FJohnson%5F%28author%29?ref=philmckinney.com)

 disagrees and instead believes that the right conditions and collaborations are the spark for these new ideas. While collaborations produce the right circumstance, our tendency to over protect ideas hinders innovation.

In a July 2010 [TED Talk](http://www.ted.com/playlists/20/where%5Fdo%5Fideas%5Fcome%5Ffrom.html?ref=philmckinney.com), Johnson describes important breakthrough ideas as networks that patch together slowly, sometimes lingering in the backs of minds for decades until the right intersection of circumstances reveals them. Johnson suggests *connection* and [*collaboration*](https://www.philmckinney.com/podcast-collaboration-for-innovations)[ ](http://www.environmentalleader.com/2014/02/18/is-there-an-innovation-gap-in-the-automotive-industry/?ref=philmckinney.com "collaboration")produce the right intersection of circumstance.

> While collaborations produce the right circumstance for new ideas, our tendency to over protect ideas hinders innovation.   
>  
> Phil McKinney 

In his research, Johnson examined environments, looking for patterns common among places where great innovations were developed. What kind of setting would best serve a slow fading-in of important ideas? In his studies, he found that a certain amount of chaos was common to several birthplaces of great ideas. Specifically, when multiple minds gathered and volleyed ideas back and forth, the stage was set for breakthroughs.

Johnson calls this *The Liquid Network*–where several people gather and discuss their ideas, their mistakes, their successes. It may be this collision of slowly forming hunches that aids the cobbling together of real innovation.

We see this in modern day industry. A similar thought was shared recently by Gary Vegh, who has worked closely with the auto industry on environmental technology innovations for over 20 years. In an article for [Environmental Leader](http://http//www.environmentalleader.com/2014/02/18/is-there-an-innovation-gap-in-the-automotive-industry/?ref=philmckinney.com), Vegh describes automotive innovations as necessarily collaborative. Automotive innovations are *necessarily* collaborative, because the production chain is so long and complex–multiple industries and disciplines touch new ideas. Due to the need for group effort, Vegh states the best innovations typically come out of the automotive manufacturer association meetings and symposia.

If creative new ideas are best facilitated by the free exchange of thoughts and frustrations between multiple minds, our tendency to over *protect* our ideas hinders innovation. The incentives and rewards for *owning* an innovation may not do much to aid our creativity.

To stay up-to-date on the latest thinking on creativity and innovation, [subscribe to the blog](https://my.leadpages.net/leadbox/145dd0173f72a2%3A12ceb9746b46dc/5692201761767424/?ref=philmckinney.com "subscribe to the blog") and receive the latest posts without needing to check back.