C. Engdahl
The Big E of Big E Toys
I'm headed out of town momentarily but wanted to post this simple thought.
I had been thinking a bit more about a post I wrote a couple weeks ago entitled All I Really Need To Know About Innovation I Learned In Kindergarten. I like the simplicity of the ideas expressed in it and truly believe we as adults often complicate our own lives, including our efforts to innovate. That being said, there are nuances to innovation efforts that are worth discussing.
Now I'm not suggesting you disregard what your parents likely often told you while growing up, or not take to heart the lessons learned from grade school teachers, but despite continually being told as a young child that you "don't talk to strangers", I'd say it's imperative that you do so (at least to some extent) while attempting to innovate. Talk to customers, talk to vendors, talk to colleagues, talk to competitors...and yes, talk to strangers. As an adult, they shouldn't really be all that scary. And you might learn something useful.