The best approach to innovation is to make many small experiments or "little bets" on promising ideas. This involves planting many seeds to see what works and dropping what does not. Failed experiments are expected and preferred to committing major resources upfront to unproven ideas. It's better to fail quickly and cheaply than to pursue a flawed concept at great cost. Through an iterative, trial-and-error process, little bets allow breakthroughs to emerge gradually while reducing overall risk. Little bets are concrete experiments that test new concepts affordably. They help navigate uncertainty and attend to open-ended problems that can't be fully understood upfront. When outcomes are unpredictable, little bets provide learning to refine ideas over time. Most successful entrepreneurs use this experimental approach to test innovative business ideas despite the risk of failure. They view failure as an opportunity for learning rather than something to avoid. By taking an experimental approach of trying many promising ideas through small, affordable bets, major breakthroughs can emerge over time as the most viable concepts are identified and refined based on results rather than assumptions. This process embraces uncertainty through ongoing learning and evolution.
Innovative ideas thrive in environments that resemble the playful, improvisational nature of children at play, where imagination and creativity flow freely without the fear of judgment. Such an atmosphere, characterized by humor and silliness, encourages creativity to blossom organically, free from the constraints of self-censorship. To cultivate this kind of environment, several principles are key. Firstly, adopting a strategy of plussing over judging can significantly enhance the creative process. Instead of critiquing new ideas, the focus should be on building upon them. This involves praising the aspects of a suggestion that are appealing and then offering constructive modifications. For instance, responding to a proposal with, “I love your one-button concept. What if we make it bright red?” can ignite further innovation through positive, upbeat brainstorming. Secondly, providing general rather than specific feedback allows the originator of an idea to refine the details independently. By applauding any proposals, individuals are encouraged to develop their concepts fully. Moreover, modeling a lighthearted attitude as a leader sets a tone that promotes laughter and fun, signaling to the team the acceptable ways to interact and infusing their work with humor. Pixar Animation Studios is a prime example of an organization that embodies these practices, with its leadership openly acknowledging their lack of all the answers and fostering an environment where early idea reviews focus on plussing to encourage enhancements rather than condemnation. This approach to fostering innovation is not limited to the arts. For instance, Larry Page and Sergey Brin did not start Google with a detailed business plan but rather as a research project that evolved through experimentation, including their development of an auction-based advertising model inspired by GoTo.com. The journey of many successful entrepreneurs demonstrates that brilliant ideas often emerge through a process of experimenting with small bets, embracing failures as steps closer to success, and gradually uncovering winning concepts. This experimental mindset, favoring plussing, general feedback, and a fun atmosphere, is crucial in rapidly changing times, encouraging the tinkering with
book.moreChapters
