Keep Innovation Simple

Lead with Clarity and Focus in a World of Constant Change

 

 

I’ve read too many business books from authors who should be charged with manslaughter for boring their audience to death.  I am determined not to let this be another one.

 

This is a book about innovation.  Duh.  As such, it’s important that I at least try to be a little innovative with it.  So before you jump into the book and wonder what the heck is wrong with its author, let me explain a few points that I had in mind as I wrote.

 

First, as you may have surmised from the title on the cover, I believe in simple. As Stanford professor Kathleen Eisenhardt and MIT Sloan professor Donald Sull put it: “Simple rules tame complexity better than complex solutions.”  Or I could throw out the quote of George E. P. Box, who said “Just as the ability to devise simple but evocative models is the signature of the great scientist, so overelaboration and overparameterization is often the mark of mediocrity.” I got a million of 'em.

 

Second, in addition to simple, I believe in comedy.  Let me say that if you are looking for a book written like a congressional budget report or a helicopter technical manual, I sincerely hope that you find this book NOT to be for you. While this isn’t intended to be Dave Barry Goofs on Innovation, I believe that a thin veneer of levity on the solid structure of academic business research will be the spoonful of comedic sugar that helps the business lesson medicine go down, to thoroughly mix my metaphors. 

 

Third, this book is not intended to be read from beginning to end.  It kinda starts in the middle, and lets you work your way outward from there.  The beauty of the digital format is that I can stick a bunch of links to other parts of the book that are relevant to you, so you don’t have to wade through stuff that isn’t as relevant.

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If you read this book, you will be investing your time – a resource you can never get back.  I hope to give you two things in return: an enjoyable reading experience, and some memorable stuff that you can use in your business, charity, association, family, club, or whatever other organization of people that is important to you.