Quotes About Innovation

Si hubiera hecho caso a mis clientes,  les habría proporcionado un caballo más rápido. HENRY FORD

This real world sounds like an awfully depressing place to live. It's a place where new ideas, unfamiliar approaches, and foreign concepts always lose. The only things that win are what people already know and do, even if those things are flawed and inefficient.

Cuando estás inspirado eres capaz de hacer en veinticuatro horas el trabajo de dos semanas. La inspiración es como una máquina del tiempo.

Así que espera a que tu última gran idea se enfríe un poco. Por supuesto, no dejes de tener grandes ideas. Ni de entusiasmarte con ellas. Sencillamente no reacciones al calentón. Apúntalas y déjalas reposar unos días. Y entonces, determina cuál es su verdadera importancia con la mente más clara.

No one knows who you are right now. And that's just fine. Being obscure is a great position to be in. Be happy you're in the shadows. Use this time to make mistakes without the whole world hearing about them. Keep tweaking. Work out the kinks. Test random ideas. Try new things. No one knows you, so it's no big deal if you mess up. Obscurity helps protect your ego and preserve your confidence.

When you let customers outgrow you, you'll most likely wind up with a product that's basic—and that's fine. Small, simple, basic needs are constant. There's an endless supply of customers who need exactly that.

Sometimes you need to say, "We're going in a new direction because that's what makes sense today.

Usa lo que ya tengas a mano o lo que puedas conseguir por poco dinero. Y ponte en marcha. El equipo no es lo relevante. Lo relevante es sacarle el máximo partido a lo que tengas. Tu arte está en tus dedos.

A lot of companies focus on the next big thing. They latch on to what's hot and new. They follow the latest trends and technology. That's a fool's path. You start focusing on fashion instead of substance. You start paying attention to things that are constantly changing instead of things that last.

Las empresas de software no se suelen plantear escribir libros. Los grupos de música no se suelen plantear filmar el proceso de grabación de canciones. Los fabricantes de coches no se suelen plantear vender carbón. Seguro que hay algo que tú podrías vender y que aún no te has planteado.

Si lo que quieres es lanzar el «nuevo iPod» o el «sustituto de Pokemon», entonces estás muerto. Estás dejando que sea tu competencia quien determine los parámetros. No serás nunca más Apple que Apple. Ellos definen las reglas del juego. No podrás nunca ganar al que pone las reglas. Tienes que redefinir el juego, y no limitarte a hacer algo un poquito mejor.

Si lo que haces es ser como todos los demás, para qué te has metido en esto? Si te limitas a imitar a tus competidores, tu existencia no tiene sentido. Incluso si al final acabas perdiendo, es mejor caer luchando por lo que crees que limitarse a copiar a los demás.

Instead of trying to outspend, outsell, or outsponsor competitors, try to out-teach them. Teaching probably isn't something your competitors are even thinking about. Most businesses focus on selling or servicing, but teaching never even occurs to them.

People are curious about how things are made.

Today anyone can be in business.

Anyone who creates a new business is a starter. You don't need an MBA, a certificate, a fancy suit, a briefcase, or an above-average tolerance for risk. You just need an idea, a touch of confidence, and a push to get started.

Today you can work from home or collaborate with people you've never met who live thousands of miles away. It's time to rework work.

Unless you're a fortune-teller, long-term business planning is a fantasy.

The easiest, most straightforward way to create a great product or service is to make something you want to use.

Defensive companies can't think ahead; they can only think behind. They don't lead; they follow.

Which features you choose to include or omit have a lot to do with less software too. Don't be afraid to say no to feature requests that are hard to do. Unless they're absolutely essential, save time/effort/confusion by leaving them out. Slow down too. Don't take action on an idea for a week and see if it still seems like a great idea after the initial buzz wears off. The extra marinading time will often help your brain come up with an easier solution.

Track coach Bill Bowerman decided that his team needed better, lighter running shoes. So he went out to his workshop and poured rubber into the family waffle iron. That's how Nike's famous waffle sole was born.‡

It's easy to shoot down good ideas, interesting policies, or worthwhile experiments by assuming that whatever you decide now needs to work for years on end. It's just not so, especially for a small business. If circumstances change, your decisions can change. Decisions are temporary.

Most work is not coming up with The Next Big Thing. Rather, it's making better the thing you already thought of six months—or six years—ago. It's the work of work.