Forcing Innovation Isn't Working

Innovation has certainly become a buzz word as many corporations try to find the right formula for their structure. But, buzz kill alert. Too many organizations are forcing innovation, or not truly following an innovative process, but still following others.

Is your organization focused on something sincerely unique or just following the competition?

LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman spoke this past May at the Tech Alliance luncheon in Seattle, and something he said got me thinking about Silicon Valley – and all innovation hubs — in a different way.

While interviewed on stage by angel investor Sarah Imbach, he called Silicon Valley “myopic” and urged people to pay attention to what’s going on in Seattle, the other tech hub where he now spends time as a startup investor and Microsoft board member.

Myopic is exactly right. And with that Silicon Valley and other innovation hubs risk losing their edge.

The innovation ecosystem in the Bay Area comes together like a non-linear neural network. There’s the perception that it is all self-organizing and efficient. They have ideas, networks, partners, teams, capital, and customers — it’s all there, and innovation can quickly scale.