MIS40910 - Frick, Walter (2014) 'Innovation, Then and Now', Harvard Business Review, 92(10): 118-119

Module - Skills for Business Enquiry

Class or Article - Article

Lesson or Name - Frick, Walter (2014) 'Innovation, Then and Now', Harvard Business Review, 92(10): 118-119

Additional Info - 118-119

Precis

Walter Frick's article (2014) 'Innovation, Then and Now', Harvard Business Review, 92(10) presents his argument that both people and industry hold the 'OLD' innovators of our time in high regard, however seem to look down upon the 'NEW' innovators of our day. Frick presents this through a number of different lens on of which is Intel's Robert Noyce who in 1971 proclaimed that intel microprocessor was going to change the world. Informing his friends they would all have computers. Frick also asks why does the tech industry glorify the past while mocking the present. He argues that the industry in turn has almost filtered out the unsuccessful innovations of the time in preference for the positive narrative. Fricks purpose is to highlight the double standards of how they are viewing the present though the lens of the past successes and glories, however in retrospect when industry and people looking back reflecting that while the industry of our day chirped at the innovations that they may find that these innovations may be on par with the innovations of the past. Frick concludes by stating " Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Larry Page and Sergey Brin - might one day rank up there with Noyce and Moore" accepting that todays innovators when looked at through the lens of innovation and their success may to bee seen as the major industry Innovators.

Reflection

My reflection on this is quiet simple, we cannot view the successes of todays industries and innovations by looking in the rear view mirror. Looking back in retrospect and quantifying its impact is easy and unless we do the same with todays innovations we should refrain from comparing them. Additionally not all innovation will impact the market immediately some innovations might spur on changes or an area of development and in turn cause an innovation spike. We need to be careful putting down todays innovators as this narrow view point may have an impact on innovators if they feel they will not live up to the past.

Quotes