With the new year already upon us, I am throwing out some daunting statistics and other words of adversity spoken from some names you may recognize. This is for the people who choose to play in the unforgiving game of innovation. These people are not satisfied with the status quo. Some might find the odds of bringing their new product to market insurmountable and give up; for others, it will cause them to tighten their chin strap, roll up their sleeves yet again, and dig in their boots even deeper....
Are you, one of the few, prepared to roll the dice and go the distance?
Are you, one of the few, prepared to roll the dice and go the distance?
"We test 100 products a year, shoot commercials for 10 and maybe one will be successful. And that one we bring to retail."
A.J. Khubani, CEO of Telebrands Corp (Electronic Retailer, Sept. 2012)
A.J. Khubani, CEO of Telebrands Corp (Electronic Retailer, Sept. 2012)
“I'm a risk taker. I get up in the morning knowing that I'm either going to have a spectacular win or loss that is going to be exciting. I prefer the former but either is more appealing than the warm death of mediocrity.”
Dean Kamen, Inventor of the Segway human transporter (April, 2007)
Dean Kamen, Inventor of the Segway human transporter (April, 2007)
“At the end of the day, we might put 32 products into our line every year. This means that only one in every 100 ideas makes it into Hasbro’s product line annually. And we don’t succeed with everything we put out there. Out of 32, maybe 10 will be successful, meaning they last for a couple, maybe three years.”
Mike Hirtle, at the time head of global inventor relations and product acquisition for giant Hasbro Inc., said his company looked at about 3,200 toy and game ideas every year. (November, 2008)
Mike Hirtle, at the time head of global inventor relations and product acquisition for giant Hasbro Inc., said his company looked at about 3,200 toy and game ideas every year. (November, 2008)
"You need to be in denial or in ignorance about the huge challenges you face. You have to believe that it wouldn't be hard for you to succeed." "
Guy Kawasaki, a former Apple executive and now Silicon Valley venture capitalist (February 2009)
Guy Kawasaki, a former Apple executive and now Silicon Valley venture capitalist (February 2009)
"A lot of people give up when the world seems to be against them, but that's the point when you should push a little harder. I use the analogy of running a race. It seems as though you can’t carry on, but if you just get through the pain barrier, you'll see the end and be okay. Often, just around the corner is where the solution will happen."
James Dyson, inventor of the Dyson Dual Cyclone bagless vacuum cleaner (April, 2007)
James Dyson, inventor of the Dyson Dual Cyclone bagless vacuum cleaner (April, 2007)
