Innovation Comes in Large, Small Increments posted: 15/08/2015
by Andy Marken
It means that you know something even if you dont know something. - Eli, The Book of Eli, Alcorn Productions, 2010
Lots of really smart people have made predictions about the future and were wrong:
- Everything that can be invented has been invented. -- Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, US Patent Office, 1899
- I think there is a world market for maybe five computers. -- Thomas Watson, president of IBM, 1943
- There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home. -- Ken Olsen, founder of DEC (Digital Equipment Corporation), 1977
- Two years from now, spam will be solved. -- Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, 2004
This brings the use of the word innovation to mind. It's one of the most overused/abused words we have in the industry.
Want to bring a company/product down? Use the word:
- Apple has lost its innovation edge.
- Microsoft can't develop/deliver anything innovative today.
Want to lift a company/product? Use the word:
- Google Glass is an innovation that will change the way we work/play.
- Flurry Bird is so innovative it's addictive.
Experts love making these claims, attaching the label; but they're no more right than you or me.
Recently, economists and financial analysts have decided it's not just one or two companies but that technological innovation across the board is slowing and that's why economies haven't recovered.
I don't know about you, but it's moving so fast I'm having one helluva' time trying to keep up.
Eli was a little reassuring when he said, I know what I hear, I know what I heard, I know Im not crazy.
I can't even keep track of where a product is on Gartner's now famous hype cycle and which ones have fallen by the wayside.
Hot or Not - Several years ago, Gartner developed the hype cycle which was their way of tracking products and ideas. The categories shift ever so slightly year over year but it's closely studied by venture capitalists, stockbrokers and knock-off specialists. Getting in on the innovation at just the right time is the tricky part.
The only way I've been able to figure out if a product/service is/was an innovation is by looking back in time, which I did at the recent IDC Directions conference.
Quick Look Back
Frank Gens reminded me of what was going on just a few years ago (2007):
- Google believed in not being evil
- Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone
- Hadoop (big data stuff) was a baby elephant
- Netflix had stuffed more than 1B DVD eps
- Benioff's Salesforce was a struggling CRM (customer relations management) software company
- Amazon Web Services had been announced the year before
- Facebook had just moved out of the dorm
- Twitter could barely tweet
- IDC had taken up a new banner - disruption of damn near everything with the 3rd platform
New Platform - PC makers were told there was a new platform that was going to impact everything that came before several years ago; and while IDC thought it would be big, each new generation of users starts with the 3rd platform and ignores what came before. Millenials straddle the 2nd/3rd platform.
A lot of people like to say that innovation has slowed to a crawl because of R&D spending by governments; you know, investing in tomorrow.
But government and innovation in the same sentence seems to defy logic.
If they focused on innovation, they might be able to do more with less.
As Eli said, To do more for others than you do for yourself.
Boosting Innovation - The first thing most economists and academics point to that is holding innovation, progress and economic recovery back is government spending and investment in technology. Investing R&D dollars in projects can help especially, in the areas of basic research where progress is long in coming and expensive. It works well as long as governments stay out of the way.
Innovation isn't something that can be simply turned on, turned off.
Most innovation comes from small start-ups because they have nothing to lose by taking on the establishment or conventional wisdom.
What's the worst that can happen?
They can fail. But hey, they tried.
They learned what didn't work, learned (hopefully) from their mistakes.
As Carnegie observed, Its happened before and itll happen again.
Try, Discard - The biggest block to innovation is that it is tough for individuals to let go of something when it fails and they keep trying again and again hoping for a different outcome.
Large companies find it difficult (not impossible, just difficult) because groups tend to protect their own territories/products.
The process of taking an idea and turning it into a product/service inside the organization is time-consuming, exhausting.
The innovators have to continually explain/justify the product/service again and again and again.
In addition, they're often challenging one of the company's earlier innovative products/services and that's dangerous.
So innovators and their ideas often leave the organization, develop their idea and then either go it alone or get acquired.
Japanese firms know the stifling of innovation is hurting them and they're struggling to change, but it's tough and very uncomfortable.Perhaps too tough, too uncomfortable.
Internal Innovation
Companies like 3M, IBM, Intel, Nvidia and a few others that have a good innovation track record set up skunk works -- small teams away from the corporate infrastructure, processes and politics - that are free to focus on succeeding or failing quickly.
Inside, Out - A few firms have mastered the art of letting projects be carried out even if it means the r
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
How Chris Bolte Builds the Sound of PlayStation Games Chris Bolte '16 is a technical sound designer at Sucker Punch Productions, where he helps create the...
18/03/2026
Newly named chief product officer (CPO), Larissa G rner Meeus will return to Net Insight on May 4.
Larissa G rner Meeus will become CPO of Net Insight on May 4...
18/03/2026
SVG Europe's The Football Summit 2026 explored how the sports broadcasting i...
18/03/2026
The 2026 NAB Show kicks off one month from today and SVG is once again set to cover the show from every angle. SVG's SportsTech@NAB Show Blog is now live - ...
18/03/2026
(L-R) The cast and crew of Dead Lover at The Ray Theater for its premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo by Robin Marshall/Shutterstock for Sundan...
18/03/2026
Yamaha C7 captured in Nashville
Wiltone Productions have announced the release of Music Row Piano, a deeply sampled Yamaha C7 piano library that's been ...
18/03/2026
Bass-enhancement plug-in upgraded
Along with a steady stream of new releases, Techivation have recently been revisiting some of the older plug-ins in their ...
18/03/2026
Mix-reference plug-in overhauled
iZotope's powerful mix-referencing plug-in has just reached its third major version, and now boasts a new capture proce...
18/03/2026
Latest EZKeys 2 expansion arrives
Toontrack's staggering collection of EZKeys 2 expansions has grown once again, and the latest instalment delivers a on...
18/03/2026
Jess Ho explores the politics of food in new SBS Audio podcast For The Culture
18 March, 2026
Media releases
New SBS Audio podcast For The Culture, hosted ...
18/03/2026
Future-ready broadcasts with ATSC 3.0 and enhanced services from Rohde & Schwarz...
18/03/2026
London Calling - When The Industry Convened to Help Streaming Find its MoJo In this blog, Laura Rognoni reflects on key discussions from the Connected TV World...
18/03/2026
SMPTE Unveils 2026 NAB Show Educational Presentations
Brie Clayton March 18, 2026
0 Comments
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, a...
18/03/2026
Auditel Ad Campaign Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 12K
Brie Clayton March 18, 2026
0 Comments
LED wall virtual production blends 12K open gate acquisition w...
18/03/2026
Brainstorm transforms productivity and sustainability with Suite 7 at NAB Show 2...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, today unveiled its educational presentations for the 2026 NAB Show. This year SMPTE will ...
18/03/2026
Maxon, maker of powerful, approachable software solutions for creators working in 2D and 3D design, motion graphics, visual effects, gaming, and more, today ann...
18/03/2026
Digital Alert Systems
Preview
2026 NAB Show
April 19 - 22
Booth C3452
At the 2026 NAB Show, Digital Alert Systems will showcase Version 6.0 of its DASDEC ...
18/03/2026
Setplex today announced that it will showcase its complete, fully integrated Zapflex platform for the first time at the 2026 NAB Show, introducing powerful new ...
18/03/2026
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES TO THE DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION THAT QUALIFIED OR MAY HAVE QUALIFIED AS INSIDE INFORMATION WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 7(1) OF THE ...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking DP for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Director of Photography for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy Feature Film- I...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Location, Sound for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Location/Sound for Low Budget Dramed...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Film - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
Calrec Redefines Broadcast Workflows at NAB 2026 with its Most Powerful Hardware...
18/03/2026
Oscar Nominated Two People Exchanging Saliva Posted with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
DaVinci Resolve Studio handle...
18/03/2026
Boston Conservatory Presents Celebrated Musical Satire Urinetown Performances for this Center Stage production will take place at Boston Conservatory Theater ...
18/03/2026
Charlie Puth Joins Switched on Pop at Berklee NYC The Berklee alum spoke with host and Berklee NYC professor Charlie Harding for a live taping, answering audi...
18/03/2026
X-Rite Pantone Demonstrates Advanced Color Management Solutions to Support Smart...
18/03/2026
Wednesday 18 March 2026
BAFTA winner James McAvoy to star in Sky Original serie...
18/03/2026
Wednesday 18 March 2026
Sky Sports and Zuffa Boxing announce multi-year agreement for the UK and Ireland
Sky Sports and Zuffa Boxing have announced a new mult...
18/03/2026
Wednesday 18 March 2026
Sky Unveils Poster and Trailer for Original Feature Fil...
Innovation Comes in Large, Small Increments posted: 15/08/2015 
