Innovation Myths: Post #6--Origins of Innovation

Origins of Innovation We think of Ed
ison as the inventor of electricity; Apple the inventor of the digital music player; and Google the inventor of the search engine. But they were not; rather, they came after a long chain of “connections.” It makes a better story for us to remember—that’s it simple and straight. The author suggests: Ask any kid who invented pancakes, and she’ll say, “My Mom!” What’s more, inventors often make discoveries simultaneously, whether it’s in fashion, sports or physics. For instance Newton and Leibniz each came up with the notion of calculus simultaneously and used different versions as a matter of national and personal pride.