We often filter out some of our ideas. Perhaps it is because we think that some of them are so obvious that they must have been thought of before. At other times, we convince ourselves that there must be someone else working on it if the idea were any good.
Ironically, some of the best ideas ultimately turn out to be fairly straightforward--once they have become commonplace. Up until that time, they are subject to the constant drumbeat of naysayers and skeptics.
Clayton Christensen, the inventor of the term "disruptive innovation," is quoted as saying that he thought the iPhone would be derivative. Instead, it has completely upended the market for mobile phones.
What do you see in the picture below?
Whether you see a young woman turning her head or an older matron depends, ultimately, on you. Once you have "seen" both pictures it is nearly impossible to imagine that you ever thought there was only one view. In actual fact, the picture itself never changes. It remains what it always was.
I am starting to think that most of the challenge with innovation is not coming up with the ideas. It's that the road to reality is a constant struggle. Most of them can't survive the journey.
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