Five Points on the Relationship between Vision and Innovation

1.) New companies tend to work backwards from a broad vision/goal of what they want to be, what problems their solutions will address, and who their ideal customers will be.

2.) Having a vision doesn't automatically engender uniquely and substantially valuable solutions- i.e., the kinds of solutions with enough market value to support the vision.

3.) Creating substantially unique and valuable solutions is difficult and requires inventive thinking for dissolving and/or circumventing the contradictions (C) that arise when one attempts to take a problem-solving step (S). E.g., "I can make the user experience markedly better with a patented new hardware interface "S", but it will require the application of new, unstable, fault-prone technology "C" on the back-end..."

Some contradictions are insurmountable, others require better talent or other resources to enable their resolution. To ignore or deny the contradictions is to settle with a faulty, incomplete, or inadequate product or solution. A really important point, I think, is that contradictions can arise in the business model itself. These need to be addressed as well and herein lies a common challenge of hubris at the strategic management level. Oversights and denials of contradictions can add up to drag down product and financial performance.

4.) Innovation Management Methodology*Creative Talent*Insight Channels = the required mix for exploiting productive, inventive thinking and hence bringing uniquely valuable solutions to market.

5.) If an organization puts its head too far down, chasing a vision without the right Innovation mix factors, then it is not giving itself a good chance at succeeding in its quest.