What is breakthrough innovation | Crash course on innovation part 9

Summary

This session explores how challenges and breakdowns can catalyze breakthrough innovation. Historically, many innovations have emerged from overcoming personal, organizational, or societal obstacles. Innovators, like Radi Kayof who developed Re-walk, Claire Newton with her cup carrier, and Bette Nesmith Graham with Liquid Paper, turned personal adversities into marketable solutions. The concept of 'jugaad' innovation, which involves resourceful problem-solving with limited resources, is highlighted as a means to create breakthroughs, especially for less privileged communities. The essence of breakthrough innovation lies in transforming problems into opportunities and solutions.

Takeaways

• 💡 Breakdowns and challenges often lead to breakthrough innovation as they compel individuals to find creative solutions.
• 🌟 History is replete with examples of breakthroughs where human spirit has overcome physical and mental barriers.
• 🔍 Innovators capitalize on challenges, whether personal or organizational, to develop top marketable solutions.
• 🔑 Challenges and problems are seen as opportunities for innovation, where every issue can be transformed into a solution.
• 🚀 Breakthrough innovation adds value by addressing critical customer problems and turning adversities into advantages.
• 🌱 Many significant innovations stem from desperation, driven by individuals' relentless pursuit to solve problems.
• 🦾 Personal adversities can be a powerful motivator for breakthrough innovators, as seen with the invention of Re-walk by Radi Kayof.
• 🏆 Claire Newton's invention of a cup carrier after an accident that injured her arm exemplifies how personal breakthroughs can lead to innovation.
• 🎨 Bette Nesmith Graham's invention of Liquid Paper was a result of her need to correct typing errors, showing how everyday problems can spark innovation.
• 🌐 Jugaad, a term for innovative fixes, encourages resourceful solutions with limited resources, particularly benefiting less privileged communities.
• 🔄 Breakthrough innovators are persistent problem solvers, turning difficulties into opportunities and crises into breakthrough moments.

Q & A

What is the relationship between breakdowns and breakthrough innovations according to the script?

Breakdowns often lead to breakthrough innovations as they are leveraged for creative problem-solving. Innovators turn challenges into opportunities and solutions, which can result in breakthrough innovations.

How does the script suggest that challenges can be turned into advantages?

The script suggests that challenges can be turned into advantages by viewing them as opportunities for innovation. By addressing critical problems, innovators can create solutions that not only solve issues but also add value.

What is an example of a breakthrough innovation born out of personal desperation mentioned in the script?

An example mentioned is Re-walk, an exoskeleton developed by Argo Medical Technologies that helps paraplegics get rid of their wheelchairs. It was invented by Radi Kayof, who was motivated by his personal challenge of being in a wheelchair.

How did Claire Newton's personal adversity lead to a breakthrough innovation?

Claire Newton invented a cup carrier after burning her arm, which made it difficult for her to carry bags and a drink. This personal challenge led to her invention and winning the title of British female inventor of the year in 2001.

What was the problem that Bette Nesmith Graham faced with the IBM electric typewriters, and how did she solve it?

Bette Nesmith Graham faced the problem of not being able to correct typing mistakes neatly on the IBM electric typewriters. She solved this by creating a whitening solution that could cover errors, which later became known as Liquid Paper.

What is Jugaad innovation as described in the script?

Jugaad innovation is a type of innovation where solutions are improvised using ingenuity and resourcefulness, often with fewer resources. It is particularly aimed at helping less economically privileged communities solve their challenges in the smartest ways possible.

How does the script define breakthrough innovators?

Breakthrough innovators are defined as problem solvers who turn around challenges, whether personal, organizational, or faced by customers, to create solutions that are breakthrough innovations.

What advice does the script give to those who want to become breakthrough innovators?

The script advises aspiring breakthrough innovators to identify challenges people are facing, including their own, and find solutions that can be sold to others facing similar challenges. It encourages turning problems into solutions, adversities into advantages, and crises into opportunities.

What is the significance of the statement 'When there is a breakdown, there will be a breakthrough' in the context of the script?

The statement emphasizes that challenges and breakdowns are opportunities for innovation. Breakthrough innovators look for breakthroughs in the face of challenges and problems, using them as a catalyst for creating innovative solutions.

How does the script connect breakthrough innovation with the human spirit's triumph over physical and mental barriers?

The script connects breakthrough innovation with the human spirit's triumph by illustrating how innovators have historically overcome physical impossibilities and mental barriers to create significant innovations, showcasing the indomitable human spirit.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Leveraging Breakdowns for Breakthrough Innovation

This paragraph discusses the concept that challenges and breakdowns can be the catalyst for breakthrough innovation. It emphasizes that every problem presents an opportunity for creating innovative solutions. Historical examples are provided where innovators have turned personal adversities into successful products, such as Radi Kayof's Re-walk exoskeleton, Claire Newton's cup carrier, and Bette Nesmith Graham's Liquid Paper. The narrative illustrates how personal challenges can drive individuals to develop innovative solutions that not only solve their own problems but also benefit a broader audience.

05:04

🛠 The Power of Jugaad Innovation

The second paragraph focuses on the idea that breakthrough innovations often stem from the need to solve problems, whether they are personal, organizational, or customer-related. It introduces the term 'jugaad,' a Hindi word for an innovative fix, which represents a resourceful approach to problem-solving with limited resources. The paragraph highlights how jugaad innovation empowers less economically privileged communities to overcome challenges creatively. It encourages aspiring innovators to identify challenges and convert them into marketable solutions, turning crises into opportunities, which is the core of breakthrough innovation.

Keywords

💡Breakdowns

Breakdowns refer to the points at which a system, process, or situation fails or stops functioning effectively. In the context of the video, breakdowns are seen as catalysts for innovation, where the failure or challenge becomes an opportunity to create something new. The script mentions that 'every breakdown will lead to a breakthrough,' emphasizing the transformative potential of facing and overcoming challenges.

💡Breakthrough Innovation

Breakthrough innovation is a significant development or leap that introduces a new idea or product that is markedly superior to existing solutions. The video discusses how breakthrough innovations often emerge from addressing critical problems or overcoming substantial challenges. An example given is the Re-walk exoskeleton, which was a breakthrough innovation born out of Radi Kayof's personal struggle with paralysis.

💡Challenges

Challenges are difficult tasks or problems that need to be overcome. The script highlights that challenges can be personal, organizational, or societal and are ubiquitous sources of innovation. It suggests that where there are challenges, there are opportunities for innovation, as they push individuals to find novel solutions.

💡Opportunities

Opportunities in the video are presented as the potential for gain or success that arises from a set of circumstances. They are closely linked to challenges, as the video posits that challenges often conceal opportunities for innovation. The idea is that recognizing and addressing a challenge can lead to the creation of valuable new products or services.

💡Problem Solving

Problem solving is the process of identifying a problem, finding a solution, and implementing it to overcome the problem. The video emphasizes that innovation is often a result of creative problem solving, where innovators transform problems into solutions, as exemplified by the inventors of Re-walk and Liquid Paper.

💡Adversity

Adversity refers to a state of difficulty or misfortune. The script uses adversity as a driving force for breakthrough innovation, where individuals or organizations turn difficult circumstances into advantages. Personal adversities, such as Radi Kayof's paralysis, are highlighted as motivators for breakthrough innovation.

💡Jugaad

Jugaad is an Indian term referring to an innovative fix or workaround, often with limited resources. The video describes jugaad as a type of innovation that involves doing more with less, using ingenuity and resourcefulness. It is portrayed as a means for less economically privileged communities to overcome challenges through smart and frugal innovations.

💡Ingenuity

Ingenuity is the ability to create or solve problems through original ideas and a clever use of available resources. The video praises ingenuity as a key trait of breakthrough innovators, who use it to devise solutions to problems, as seen with Claire Newton's invention of a cup carrier after an accident.

💡Resourcefulness

Resourcefulness is the ability to find ways to solve problems or achieve goals using the resources at hand. The video connects resourcefulness with the concept of jugaad, illustrating how innovators use limited resources to create effective solutions, such as Bette Nesmith Graham's creation of Liquid Paper from a kitchen blender and tempera paint.

💡Personal Quest

A personal quest is a deeply personal journey or mission driven by an individual's passion or need. The video uses the term to describe how personal adversities can lead to significant innovations, as individuals like Radi Kayof and Claire Newton turned their personal struggles into solutions that benefited others.

💡Innovators

Innovators are individuals or entities that introduce new ideas, methods, or products. The video portrays innovators as problem solvers who transform challenges into opportunities, creating breakthrough innovations that add value and solve critical problems for customers or communities.

Highlights

Breakdowns and challenges are key drivers for breakthrough innovation.

Innovations often stem from creative problem-solving in the face of adversity.

Every breakdown can potentially lead to a breakthrough, as seen throughout history.

Innovators have consistently turned challenges into profitable, marketable solutions.

Challenges can be personal, organizational, or related to consumer or community issues.

Opportunities for innovation are found where there are problems to be solved.

Breakthrough innovation adds value by solving critical customer problems.

Turning a problem into a solution is the essence of breakthrough innovation.

Many great innovations are born out of desperation and a quest to solve problems.

Personal adversities can significantly motivate breakthrough innovation.

The Re-walk exoskeleton, developed by Argo Medical Technologies, is an example of innovation born from personal challenge.

Claire Newton's invention of a cup carrier was a personal breakthrough from an accident.

Bette Nesmith Graham's Liquid Paper was a solution to a common problem with typewriters.

Breakthrough innovators are problem solvers who turn challenges into opportunities.

Jugaad, a term for innovation on a budget, inspires resourceful solutions.

Jugaad innovations often serve less economically privileged communities.

Breakthrough innovators look for opportunities in breakdowns and challenges.

To become a breakthrough innovator, identify and solve challenges, turning problems into solutions.

Transcripts

This module of the session is about how  breakdowns and challenges are leveraged for  

breakthrough innovation. Oftentimes innovations  are creative breakthroughs of problem solving.  

It's more than a euphemistic statement to note  that every breakdown will lead to a breakthrough.  

History has witnessed several breakthroughs  of human spirit triumphing over the challenges  

of physical impossibilities and mental  barriers. Innovators have overcome challenges,  

impediments and problems and they have profited  from top marketable solutions. The challenges  

endure can be personal organisational or something  that is ailing the consumers or communities. Where  

there are challenges, there are opportunities.  Where there are problems, there are solutions.  

Breakthrough innovation is adding value by  solving critical problems of your customers.  

Breakthrough happens when you turn a problem into  a solution or an adversity into an advantage.  

Many great innovations are born out of  desperations- a mere breakthrough spirit  

of individuals who had an undying quest  to find the answer to solve problems.  

When the problems become personal, the drive to  breakthrough will be greater. Personal adversities  

motivate a breakthrough innovator to rise above  with flying colors. When Radi Kayof was stuck  

in a wheelchair for most of his lifetime,  he intend to break through his challenge  

into a great innovation. As a result the Re-walk  was born. It's an exoskeleton that can help the  

paraplegic to get rid of their wheelchairs.  A Haifa based Argo Medical Technologies has  

developed Re-walk with motorised leg supports.  What began asRadi Kayof's personal quest to  

overcome the enormity of his life's challenges and  his life's daily situation led to an innovation  

that benefited countless similar challenged  individuals. Individuals across the world.  

More, a burning desire to overcome burns.  Picture this Claire Newton invented a cup carrier  

after burning her left arm up to her elbow as  she struggled to carry her bags and drink on her  

way back from a cafe to her workstation.  It was a personal breakthrough from an  

accident that scarred her for life. Eventually  making her win the title of the British female  

inventor of the year award in 2001. Yet another  epiphany of breakthrough innovations come from  

Bette Nesmith Graham who was working as  executive secretary for the chairman of  

the board of the Texas Bank and Trust. She and  her colleagues began experiencing trouble with  

the recently developed IBM electric typewriters.  Although the new machines did make typing easier  

but the carbon film ribbons made it impossible to  correct the mistakes neatly with a pencil eraser.  

Tired of having to retype the entire pages because  of the small error Graham was determined to find  

a breakthrough to her problem. Graham observed  painters decorating the bank windows for the  

holidays. And when it came to making corrections  to the painting on the wall the painter simply  

concealed any error with an additional layer of  paint. This tickled her imagination and she went  

into an exploratory mode at the miniaturised  level to adapt the idea for typing paper.  

Bingo!! it worked. It was a tempera paint  with a common kitchen blender which helped  

her hide the typos. Her invention was called the  "Mistakes Out". Soon she began her business by  

providing her co-workers with small green  bottles on which the brand's name was displayed.  

When the other secretaries realised how well  the invention worked they flooded Graham with  

requests for their own supplies. The business had  a breakthrough growth after Bette Nesmith Graham  

quit her secretarial job and ventured full-time  manufacturing and marketing her whitener solution.  

Later her breakthrough innovation was named  as Liquid Paper. In 1979 the liquid paper  

corporation was sold to the Gillette corporation  for 47.5 million with royalties. Breakthrough  

innovators are problem solvers. They turn around  challenges whether it is personal, organisational  

or something that is faced by the customers.  They create solutions and these solutions are  

nothing but breakthrough innovations. Most  opportunities are mixed with difficulties.  

This is a fact. It is the difficulties that  make us think smarter.It’s the mountain of  

problems that gives us the conquering spirit  to overcome it. Most of the jugaad innovations  

are some sort of breakthrough innovations. Now  jugaad is a Hindi word meaning an innovation fix.  

In Jugaad type of innovation, a solution is  improvised using ingenuity and resourcefulness.  

Jugaad inspires innovators to do more with less.  Jugaad is creating breakthrough solutions with  

lesser resources. Since most of  the innovators around the world  

are aimed at solving rich people's problems,  jugaad on the other hand helps less economically  

privileged communities and groups to break through  their challenges in the smartest ways possible.  

When there is a breakdown there will be a  breakthrough. Breakthrough innovators are  

looking for breakthrough whenever they are faced  with challenges and problems. They encourage  

breakthrough ideas and tap into the sparks of  inspirations to create innovative solutions.  

If you want to become a breakthrough innovator,  look out and identify the challenges people  

are facing or better yet what challenges are you  facing and how can you find solutions that can be  

sold to others who are facing similar challenges?  Turn problems into solutions. Turn adversities  

into advantage. Turn crisis into an opportunity.  That is the essence of breakthrough innovation.