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The Innovation Dictionary

Posted by on 04 March 2008
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At the Ribbon Farm, Venkat Rao has recently posted a list of the different types of innovators he's met over the years. He starts off his post by giving his definition of innovation.

Innovation is deliberate, growth-oriented creative destruction in a social context.

Just a few of the types of innovators are listed below:

-- Builder: Making innovation actually happen requires a phenomenal amount of energy, raw intelligence and the sheer energy and ambition for a serious fight. Prototype: Edison.

-- Discoverer: A discoverer is somebody paying enough attention to what he/she is doing, and actually doing enough interesting things thoughtfully, to notice something special. The quintessential prepared mind that fortune favors.

-- Foundationalist: Looks at the underlying assumptions of everything, and tears out and replaces weak ones.

Head over to the Ribbon Farm to see the rest of the list. In addition to the definitions, he gives names of innovators who fit the description. Would you add any types of innovators to his list?

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