Photo of Brant Point light house in Nantucket with the Lynks tall ship and Hyline fast ferry in the background. by Brian Mullen ©
Why in the world did Oath Pizza, a startup pizza chain, open their first store 30 miles out to sea, when they are based in Boston?
Sitting at Brant point on a perfect Nantucket day watching all the ships pass from the Lynks to the yachts and of course the Steamship and Hyline ferry's explains why. Nantucket is a great beach head market for startups.
Sunset leaving Nantucket Harbor by Brian Mullen ©
The picture is pix-elated, wrong camera etc, etc. It isn’t perfect but worth sharing, worth posting. Maybe the imperfection adds value: the colors, the stretch of the sun? More often than not it is best to take the picture so you don’t miss out even though it might not be perfect.
In innovation speed matters, there is a runway of funding, time and resources, it is hard to know when to take the picture and when to spend the time to get the perfect shot, remember the sun is setting and a picture is better than no picture. Often, you will be surprised that what you created, even though not perfect, people will value and enjoy.
Innovation is like wondering in the fog there is a faint hint of what might be beyond the fog. You know where you want to go. Sometime the fog lifts and you can see clearly, sometimes it is light and you have to strain to stay focused (can you find the tall ship - The Lynks in the photo?). The hardest time is when the fog has rolled in and you can’t tell where to go, which way to step, and are afraid to move and depending on light houses, and compass to guide you.
You must plan for the fog of innovation:
Make sure you have a strong team, advisers and mentors to be your light houses and compass when the fog is heavy and it is unclear how to move forward. These need to be in place before you needed them because you will on trust their guidance if you know them before you needed them.
No where you want to go, have a vision so when the fog starts to roll in and you need to focus you know where to look and you know the direction you want to head. It will help you to stay on course.
When the fog lifts go fast. Take advantage of the ability to move fast but also look around. Check your course, see what else is around you and study your surroundings so when the fog comes back, and it will you, know your direction, know the landscape and have your lighthouses set up.
Is innovation, invention, and creation the core to hope?
Is innovation, invention and creation the how of hope? Are these the tools that we have to realize our desires to make the world a better place to overcome the the challenges in front of us everyday?
We hope for a better tomorrow, but to achieve a better tomorrow we need to act, create and grow our knowledge to drive the change, to realize the hope for a better tomorrow.