The bigger the paradigm shift the greater the opportunity for further downstream innovation.
First of all, there’s fundamental innovation, which causes a paradigm shift in how society works. In communication the written word allowed for the accurate preservation of ideas, then after that the big paradigm shifts were, first of all, the printing press, which resulted in newspapers and books and the ability to retain and distribute ideas freely and easily. The next major paradigm shift actually didn’t occur until really the telephone arrived when communication then went from being printed to being instant. You could ring up somebody and talk to them. Radio and Television broadcasts were next, and finally the Internet in all its forms, with mobile and satellite you can really say it is everything, everywhere, all at once.
Out of each of these big shifts you had hundreds of small innovations and innovators, seeing new uses, creating new markets, and opening up even more opportunities to innovate.
An innovator then is someone who recognizes an opportunity caused by a disruption. A great innovator both causes change and exploits change. It is not without reason that many great innovators are frequently described as disruptors.
This then is the innovator mindset. Whether in science or art or business you must first and foremost have this mindset, but in business, you need something more, you need the motivation of profit. Nobel prizes might motivate you in science, and eternal fame in the arts, but profit is the great motivator in business.
The Power of Asking ‘What If?’
Behind every game-changing idea is a simple but powerful What If? moment.
– What if we could create solutions before people even realized they needed them?
– What if security wasn’t reactive, but proactive?
– What if the biggest tech problems had simpler solutions?
Take Dropbox, for example.
Drew Houston was a student at MIT when he boarded a bus to New York for a four-hour ride. He planned to get some work done but realized he had forgotten his USB memory stick, leaving him with a laptop but no code to work with.
That frustration sparked an idea: What if there was a way to access files from anywhere, without relying on a physical device?
Months later, that idea became the foundation of Dropbox, a cloud-based file storage system that would grow into a multi-billion-dollar company.
Innovators don’t just accept things as they are, they challenge, experiment, and reimagine and most importantly they allow the market to test their idea. The best ideas and innovations are always profitable!
How to Train Your ‘What If’ Mindset
Most people think innovation starts with a groundbreaking idea. But in reality, it starts with asking the right questions and looking for everyday inefficiencies.
Robert Baker, CEO at GAT Labs, had his own “What if” moments.
– Spotting the gap:
Robert realized organizations were moving to Google’s cloud solutions, but had no way to track security. Instead of ignoring the problem, he built GAT Labs.
– Embracing uncertainty:
Innovation isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about being open to discovering them.
– Testing before scaling:
Early on, Robert made GAT Labs free to use, allowing real customers to validate its value before turning it into a business. But the real test came by charging, only then could Robert really test the value of his ideas.
How to Think Like an Innovator in Your Own Life
You don’t have to be a tech entrepreneur or a CEO to develop an innovative mindset. Here’s how you can start today:
– Question everything: Why do we do things this way? Could it be simpler, faster, or more effective?
– Pay attention to frustrations: Often, the best business ideas come from solving small annoyances.
– Stay curious: Read, explore new industries, and engage with people outside your field, innovation thrives at intersections.
Final Thought: Innovation Starts Small
The biggest takeaway from Robert’s journey? Innovation isn’t about having a single life-changing idea, it’s about a mindset of curiosity and problem-solving.
So the next time something frustrates you, pause and ask: What if there’s a better way? You might just be onto something big.
