They might not make much sense as standalones – so here’s a summary of the two main points. The first is that invention and innovation are two different things. It is pretty closely related to the posts I’ve made here about the relative importance of ideas (first post, second post). The key takeaway point is that it is not enough to come up with a good idea. From an evolutionary perspective, an idea just generates variety. Innovation encompasses variety, selection & replication – and that you have to consider all three things to innovate succesfully.

The second point is that the best way to turn an invention into an innovation is to build a business model around the idea. I illustrate this by using the Kristin Hersh model that I talked about a couple of weeks ago.

This talk is a stripped down version of the one that I gave as part of the Brisbane CitySmart Innovation Festival last night. Turnout for that was low, but the quality of input from the people that showed up was extremely high – so I was pretty happy with the way that went.

Next time I do one of these I’ll record some audio to go with the slides…