Innovation

Got no solution? Then you have no startup

February 9, 2022
According to a study by CBS Insights, 95% of startups fail in the first 18 months, and 42% of them failed because there was no real market for the product. Experts say looking for solutions is more important than merely offering products or services.

Why it’s so hard for businesses to adapt

December 8, 2021
“We’ve been taught to believe that our capacity for imagination is reserved for artists and inventors,” writes Beth Comstock in her book Imagine It Forward. “The science on this is clear, however: Imaginative thinking is a universal human talent, an evolutionary gift handed down to us that has made us who we are, the undisputed champions of adaptation.”

Break down resistance to your great idea

October 13, 2021
Here are some tactics that can help carry you past objections during an inevitable pick-apart session.

Breakthroughs truly know no age

September 8, 2021
Our ability to innovate and evolve in business is fueled, in part, by a type of fearlessness we typically associate with youth. That isn’t to imply young people are the only ones who can innovate/evolve, but they do serve as prolific examples of status quo disruption.

And now, this about your pasta

September 8, 2021
Dan Pashman, creator and host of award-winning food podcast “The Sporkful,” has created an entirely new pasta shape. He is fascinated with the engineering and texture of food to allow for maximum enjoyment.

Substack: A lesson in industry disruption

August 16, 2021
In 2017, the online platform Substack was launched. Its purpose was to give writers an alternative way to publish their work, using a blend of old and new ideas. By using a serialized subscription template and marrying that to the inevitability of an all-publishing-industry reinvention, Substack looked promisingly exciting. And it’s been making waves.

Patagonia got crazy… and it worked

August 16, 2021
Sometimes, flying in the face of conventional wisdom can be the best way to adapt.

In constraints, a burst of genius

July 14, 2021
The Spark and Fire podcast recently devoted an episode to choreographer Bill T. Jones and Associate Artistic Director Janet Wong. Their dance company was able to stage one of the only large-scale performances held during the pandemic.

Next time, accentuate the negative

June 9, 2021
Negative brainstorming, or reverse brainstorming, is just what it sounds like. Beginning on a negative note may sound a bit iffy, but this actually may be the direction our minds more naturally go.

Spark creativity in your organization

May 12, 2021
You need all your employees thinking creatively, looking for innovative opportunities, and seeking new solutions to recurring problems. Everyone has the capacity to be creative—your job is to bring it out. Here are some tactics for inspiring your team’s imagination.