Quotes Part 6: On Innovation

Note on the ongoing series: I have always believed that quotes encapsulate concepts that are a catalyst for great insights and introspection. As such I will be sharing some of my favorite quotes on various topics along with some brief commentary. For this episode, we will focus on INNOVATION.

“Innovation” is a word that is thrown around way too often. I like to think of it as the discovery of new paths. Whether you are creating something new or something that already exists, innovation is all about finding new ways to do it.

Part of the process is defying the status quo – and this is the part that fascinates me. Society always shuns people before celebrating them.

“If you can’t solve a problem, it’s because you’re playing by the rules.”?-Paul Arden

“The truth is, creativity isn’t about wild talent as much as it’s about productivity. To find a few ideas that work, you need to try a lot that don’t. It’s a pure numbers game.”?-Robert Sutton, a professor of management science and engineering at Stanford Engineering School.

“The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking.”  -John Kenneth Galbraith

What other quotes do you have on the topic of Innovation?