Innovators confront eight challenges

In The Myths of Innovation, Berkun identifies eight challenges to innovation:

1. Finding an idea. Ideas can come from anywhere: concentrated thinking, daydreaming, personal problems, observations of others, a coincidence, or the result of studying something in the world
2. Developing a solution. The idea is one thing; a working solution is another.
3. Sponsorship and funding. How will you fund the project, including #2?
4. Reproduction. It’s difficult to scale something: you might design a better mousetrap, but can you manufacture 50,000 cheaply enough to profit?
5. Reaching potential customers. An idea is not an innovation until it reaches people.
6. Beating competitors. While you’re working hard at #1–5, you won’t be alone.
7. Timing. As great as your idea is, will the culture be ready when it’s finished?
8. Keeping the lights on. While you’re dealing with all the innovation fun above, the bills will keep coming.^[1]

#innovation

See also:

• Resilience is the key to overcoming the innovator’s dilemma
• Communicating ideas requires overcoming the curse of knowledge