What Is Innovation, Really?

"Innovation" is a buzzword with all too many different meanings across industries and contexts. To some, it might mean bringing an idea to fruition from scratch, the purest form of invention. To others, innovation requires ingenuity in problem-solving. And maybe to others, it's a cyclical phenomenon, reinvigorating ideas and modernizing them.

As Eljay Feuerman highlighted in our visit to IW Group's San Francisco office, we have different associations with commonly used words in the workplace. He illustrated this by having us create our own definitions of the industry buzzword, "insight." It made me wonder about different interpretations of "innovation," which seemed to be the overarching theme of our Bay Area trip to leading innovative companies.

Regardless of which interpretation we prefer, it's crucial to understand what innovation means to us personally so we can implement it meaningfully. How can we use the term properly without understanding how others perceive the concept?

Must innovation mean we start completely from scratch? While examples of pure invention are abundant and most stereotypically associated with the word, I found other interpretations equally compelling during our trip. I encountered two alternative perspectives that challenged this common assumption.

Is it Cyclical?

As JoAnn Yamani showed our group at Adeia, innovation follows predictable patterns that repeat throughout history. The rise of AI is facing the very same backlash that the early days of the internet once did—initial skepticism, concerns about disruption, and questions about its value. This demonstrates how innovation cycles through phases of resistance and acceptance.

Innovation in this context isn't just about creating something new, but recognizing that advancements build upon previous ones. When something is truly innovative, it challenges norms and faces an initially steep acceptance curve - but with persistence, it eventually gains widespread adoption.

Is it Modernization?

While at Wells Fargo, I noticed the room where we had our executive conversation, at the center of their innovation center. It was a modernized conversation pit—a sunken seating area designed to foster intimate conversation, popular in mid-century design but largely abandoned by the 1980s. Having this space at the heart of the building reflects the essence of innovation—the barrier-free sharing of ideas.

This modern revival was reflective of how innovation doesn't always mean reinventing the wheel, but rather adapting existing concepts for today's needs. By reimagining a classic design element, the space demonstrated a key principle: innovation can emerge from giving the familiar a fresh purpose. To conclude, I'd like to invite you to consider: what does innovation mean to you, and how do you implement your definition in your own work?