Category: History of Innovation

The World’s Worst Inventions

The Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris is currently hosting an exhibition called Flops? Dare, Fail, Innovate, which highlights some of the world’s most infamous product failures. One of the most memorable exhibits is the UroClub, a hollow-shafted golf club designed to serve as a portable urinal for men. Marketed as a way to keep golfers “out of the woods” and avoid leaving the course to... Read More--

The 10 Greatest Innovators of All Time

Identifying the ten most influential innovators throughout human history is a challenging task and my choices are clearly subjective. I have tried to assess them on the brilliance of their creations and also the enduring and transformative impact of their innovations. The visionary ideas and groundbreaking inventions of these people have fundamentally reshaped our world. At the pinnacle... Read More--

Innovative Ideas which were just Too Radical

Here are ten examples of innovative ideas that were initially rejected because they were considered outlandish or ridiculous but were later adopted. Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine (1837): Babbage’s concept of a mechanical computer, the Analytical Engine, was ahead of its time and never completed due to lack of funding and technical challenges. His ideas laid the groundwork... Read More--

15 Innovations in Retail – Past, Present and Future

Retail is a highly competitive sector of the economy. It has been characterised by major innovations and continuous evolution, driven by technological advancements and changing consumer preferences. Innovations from Years Gone By: Self-Service Stores (Early 20th Century): Innovation: The concept of self-service stores, where customers could pick their own items rather than having... Read More--

Nine Examples of Lateral Thinking in Action

Lateral thinking involves approaching problems from fresh perspectives – literally from the side. It is particularly useful when conventional approaches run out of steam. Let’s look at some examples of lateral thinking in action.  Situations where an entirely different approach challenged orthodox ideas and led to significant results.  We will range from ancient history to modern... Read More--

A Lifeline for Millions

Bill Wilson During the Great Depression of the 1930s when people where hungry, depressed and desperately poor one man had a lateral idea which changed the lives of millions. William Griffith Wilson was born 1895 in Vermont.  He served as an officer in World War I, and after the war he worked successfully as a stockbroker and as a salesman. However, a deep-seated restlessness led him into... Read More--

What is Disruptive Thinking?

Disruptive thinking challenges conventional approaches, fosters radical ideas and can lead to transformative innovations.  It involves deliberately questioning established norms, encouraging unconventional perspectives, and embracing risks to create breakthrough changes. It is intended to start a revolution. It seeks to overturn the established standards, not for the sake of destruction but... Read More--

The Suspicious Undertaker Who Caused 200,000 Women to Lose their Jobs

Almon Brown Strowger (1839 – 1902) was born near Rochester in New York state. He served with the Union army in the American Civil War.   He subsequently became a teacher and then an undertaker in Kansas City Missouri.  He was also an inventor.  He suspected that his undertaking business was losing clients to a competitor whose wife worked as a telephone operator.  Strowger... Read More--

Which are the most important inventions of the 21st century so far?

We are in the midst of a technological fire-storm which we take for granted. Here are ten of the important inventions that have shaped the 21st century and transformed the way we live, work, and communicate. Smartphone: The ubiquitous smartphone has revolutionized communication, computing, and access to information. It encompasses various technologies like mobile internet, touchscreens, GPS,... Read More--

What is the #1 Factor in Whether a Startup Succeeds or Fails?

Mesoamerican Wheeled Toy In Mexico archaeologists have found toy models made by the ancient Olmec peoples some two thousand years ago.  What is remarkable about these models of animals is that they have little wheels on them so that children could push them along the ground.  It appears that the Olmec people – one of the oldest known civilizations of the Americas – had invented... Read More--