Secret Codes of Innovation

Of all of the secrets of innovation listed in Exhibit A... The one that calls most to me right now is this: "Talk to the people who have the problem – and LISTEN to what they have to say", as written by Paul Polak.

I have been running a business now for the past year, called Ripple Concepts, and I am starting to look at options for another business. I have looking for a product that I can get behind, and the one thing that keeps coming up from my various business studies, is don't try to create a market for something. Find the people who need something, and give it to them. Address the problems that people are facing, don't create a new problem for them to worry about.

I believe social innovation is the process of identifying a potential problem for your customers and then asking them if it is really a problem. Perhaps what you thought was going to be really important, in fact, isn't really the problem they want solved. So getting feedback is critical to innovation. If you really understand the problem, you can fix it.