What innovators fear

Ridicule.

Failure.

Success.

In my work with thousands of innovators and business leaders I've noticed the above three as recurring sources of fear, anxiety, and vacillation.

If you find them troubling as well, consider the following.

Ridicule

When it comes to innovative ideas, there is only one group of people whose feedback matters: the benefactors.

In most cases these would be future users and customers.

Let the mockery slide right off and focus solely on those who matter.

Failure

It is only natural to fear failure.

Two primary reasons innovative ideas fail are due to (a) lack of demand, and (b) incompetence.

Good news is that demand can be tested and competence improved.

The key is to minimise the fallout of failure while maximising the learning potential.

We do so by breaking our big ideas into smaller, testable chunks.

Fail small, learn big.

Success

Slowing down before the finish line.

Sudden realisation what the consequences of success might look like.

How things could spiral out of control.

Companies don't innovate. People do.

The act of innovation is something very human, very personal.

All great innovations outgrow their innovators.

Let go and rejoice; you have succeeded.