Those that know me could never envisage a website describing me without inclusion of a particular section on innovation. At my heart is innovation, dare I say above even being an entrepreneur. In 2019/2020 I was the most prolific UK inventor with more patents filed in my name than any other individual in the UK totalling over 800.
I owe my success in business and entrepreneurship to being naturally questioning and inquisitive and finding solutions to what appear insurmountable problems and obstacles.
“THE CONTINUAL SEARCH AND IDEATION OF 'DOING SOMETHING BETTER‘ WHICH RESULTS IN IMPROVING PEOPLES LIVES”
I have always expressed that innovation should be at the heart of all that we do and not something reserved for some bods in a room labelled innovation. Find better more efficient methods of doing things, new goals and new aspirations. As an evolved species we have relied heavily on this whether that was conceiving agriculture after millennia of hunter gathering or experimenting and finding a method of obtaining iron from iron ore which really was the kick off of modern time.
Being inquisitive is how we start off in life as a child by asking those often extremely difficult questions in a very simple way with ‘but why?’ repeatedly. This isn’t something that is programmed in to us solely to annoy our parents but because as a human we have a desire to learn and to understand. As adults in a modern society most do not question anymore and often just accept whatever was taught to us in schools or is announced in the media.
On the contrary I intuitively question everything and everyone. I have a strict rule, never read someone else’s conclusions to data, they are that persons interpretation, if the information is important to us read the methodology and form your own conclusion.
Innovation should be applied everywhere and in all areas & processes, not just in product design.
Question everything and everyone. Donut assume the conclusions drawn by others or the conventional age old way of a process are best.
Frequently pause and consider by stepping back. Without doing so you risk becoming blinkered and missing something. Assumptions and conventions are all risks.
Most often the simple solutions are best and least cost. When a solution becomes complicated it is usuallly as a result of missing the simple solution.
When the going gets difficult. Stop. Retreat not one step but return all the way to the beginning and reconsider.