A few years ago my dearest friend Stephanie DiIorio sent this to me and asked if I had written it. Obviously the answer was “no!” but I wish I did. The message is clear, short and powerful. Innovation is not always about creating new things. Rather, it’s a process of continuous refinement. And, no…. “New” does not always mean good… May we always innovate with purpose. Love, Anna ********************** CREATIVITY IS THE ENEMY Just because you can doesn't always mean you should. Resist newness for newness' sake. Build on a proven foundation and innovate incrementally. Study what came before: its shape, its weight, its colors, who it's for and what it does. Use, observe. design, build, test, fail, repeat. True development is the practice of continuous refinement. This sneaker is a product of our ongoing research into how our bodies meet the ground. We opened up the archive, wore it out, stripped it down, kept what worked and added what was missing in pursuit of a perennial sneaker. An ever-better sneaker. A never-settle sneaker. A round-the-clock, made-to-last, built-to-code sneaker. "It's not what you do, it's how you do it.”
Such a powerful message, Anna. Innovation is often misunderstood as the pursuit of something radically new, but true progress comes from thoughtful, purposeful refinement. I love the emphasis on building on what works and continuously improving. The pursuit of "ever-better" is a mindset we can all apply in all areas of our work. Thank you for sharing this!
Love that Anna Paglia. Refinements and evolution are critical. Chasing the new shiny object can be dangerous. Knowing the difference is where study, experience, and a sense of mission are key.
A wise perspective, Anna. Thank you for sharing. In innovation, continuous refinement, when done right, is a powerful practice. It’s best, when we listen to the pulse of the market and focus our incremental changes on addressing customers’ unmet needs.
Thanks for sharing Anna. This is a great perspective. Innovation should be to solve a problem or to adapt to a changing environment. What most end up doing is, innovate first (sometimes very creative and exciting) and then see what that solves. This limits the value that innovation can drive.
Great innovators think alike! 😘
Just the message I needed today! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for sharing
Such a valuable perspective to keep in mind. Thank you Anna and Stephanie!
Principal, Strategic Relationship Manager
1wI love this! Resist newness for newness sake! Build on a proven foundation! So agree 💯