Impactful innovations start simple & small

When we think about innovation, we often think about iPads, Tesla cars, SpaceX rockets, Uber, new pharmaceuticals, and other big and fancy innovations. However, most innovations do not start out as billion-dollar ideas. Quite the contrary—many small, seemingly unattractive ideas turn into impactful innovations. Unfortunately, these seemingly insignificant ideas often don't even make it through the first selection round of the innovation process.

Addressing a significant or growing market

Two common criteria most organizations use to filter early-stage ideas are:

  • Does it fit our strategic goals?
  • Does it address a significant and/or growing market?

These seem very reasonable criteria. After all, you don’t want to invest in exploring ideas that don’t fit your organization’s strategy. Nor do you want to invest in innovation projects that don’t have the potential to create a significant return.

However, markets that are known to be growing and significant are like honey. They attract almost everyone. In other words, significant and growing markets are crowded places and extremely competitive environments.

Today we see the same phenomenon with Generative AI. Many organizations are chasing large, transformative AI initiatives, while smaller workflow improvements—where AI can deliver immediate value—are often overlooked.

Big ideas often started small

Famous examples of billion-dollar ideas that did not start out that way include Facebook and Airbnb. Airbnb in particular had great difficulty convincing investors that their idea had potential. After all, who would have thought that renting air mattresses in people’s living rooms would become a billion-dollar idea?

Interestingly, many impactful innovations started out as small, seemingly insignificant ideas, with little indication that they could grow into something larger.

Consider, for instance, the innovations the Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation has produced. Their projects are rarely about new drugs or medical devices—areas typically considered high-impact innovation in health care. Instead, their projects focus on improving the patient experience.

Nevertheless, their results are impactful solutions.

For example, their video visits to the home project reduced the number of return visits to the hospital for patients engaged in the trial. Their E-consult solution formalized communication between providers when a complex question or specialist opinion is needed but a face-to-face examination is not required. The result is a cost-effective and timely expansion of triage options.

While perhaps not revolutionary from a technological perspective, the impact of the Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation is enormous. Its solutions are making a meaningful difference in the health and lives of many patients. In addition, it is one of the few health system innovation centers that is self-sustaining—at least as far as I am aware.

Their slogan: Think big, start small, move fast.

Having impact

Some argue that there is no room for big impact innovations anymore. In the book, the Rise and Fall of American Growth, Robert Gordon explains how innovations made between 1870 and roughly 1970 had much larger economic and societal impact than any of the innovations afterwards.

Just to give an indication: medical advances during that period increased life expectancy in the United States from about 45 to 72 years. In the past 50 years, life expectancy improvements have been much smaller.

The future for high impact ideas

Chasing innovative solutions that increase life expectancy for those who are ill—by all means a huge and growing market—is challenging to say the least.

While new drugs and devices continue to create value, many improvements are incremental. While these markets are significant and growing, they are also extremely competitive.

Are these marginal improvements in crowded markets truly the innovations your organization wants to pursue?

Niche markets and big problems also have huge potential

Or will you be going after less "popular" niche markets, where huge impact can be made? Areas with big problems and seemingly no easy solutions. To name just a few examples:

  • Malaria (and/or Zika and Yellow fever)
  • Clean water
  • Access to justice
  • Health access in underserved communities

Interestingly, in many of these less popular markets, simple solutions often provide significant impact. Solutions that are not risky or expensive to develop, yet have the potential to make a huge impact.

For example, the development of a low cost and effective malaria net has prevented an estimated 600 million cases of malaria and saved 6.8 million lives between 2000 and 2015.

I am also curious to see what will happen with the Oneware solution. This relatively simple solution for people who don't have two hands to perform kitchen tasks already won many design awards, among others the James Dyson Award.

The solution is extremely useful for those who are disabled and must take on simple kitchen tasks with one hand.

While that was the original purpose and concept behind Oneware, I don't think its use is limited to this niche market. How many of us are single-handedly cooking, just because we are trying to multitask?

I certainly do, trying to call my mom and cook at the same time. That leaves me with just one hand for cooking tasks! I really could use Oneware too!

Which organization doesn't want to create innovative solutions that do good and are highly profitable too?

Have impact!

Many organizations often look in awe at the solutions startups like Oneware create.

What they often fail to realize is that existing organizations can easily outperform most startups. They already possess the knowledge, expertise, budgets, and networks needed to develop new solutions.

What often prevents them from doing so is contemplation. Organizations become comfortable with what they currently do and who they currently serve.

If you truly want to make a difference, it helps to consider who you are currently not serving—and why.

Often these non-clients are neglected because they are traditionally difficult to reach or expensive to serve. However, with today’s technological options—especially artificial intelligence and digital platforms—that may no longer be the case.

Small experiments using tools like AI can quickly reveal opportunities to improve workflows, services, and access in ways that were previously impossible.

Think big, yet start small.

Starting small significantly reduces development risk, while the potential rewards can still be enormous.

If you succeed, you will be a hero to the people you help, to your organization, and to your profession.

Success!