Types of Innovation: 0=>1 vs 1=>10 vs 10+

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By Duncan Anderson. To see all blogs click here.

Reading time: 5 mins

Summary: I find it useful to talk about these three types of innovation. If you are trying to grow your’s or others innovation ability, recognise what type of innovation you are asking of yourself or them and support accordingly. 

  • Jingle: A definition of magic I like: Magic = Doing something that someone else doesn’t know how to do. Therefore, perhaps, innovation is modern day magic! 

Types of innovation

  • 0=>1 innovation : there was nothing before and you build the first version of something

  • 1=>10 innovation : there is something and while it’s ‘working’ there are significant upgrades that can and should be done

  • 10+ innovation : only small optimisations are being done

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Details

You get better at the things you spend time trying to get better at

  • You are not born able to walk, talk, write or do mathematics. 

  • You are not born able to innovate. But I do think ~90%+ of people are born with the possibility to level up to where one can innovate. 

  • When we started Edrolo ~10 years ago, I think my innovation ability was very poor. I like to think I’ve levelled up consistently across the last 10 years. I had almost no ability to improve education when we started, now I believe each unit of effort leads to progress. 

  • In short, I think I was Level 0 at ‘0=>1 innovation’ when we started Edrolo. I like to think I’m Level 10+ at ‘0=>1 innovation’ now. 

Possible outcome for the different types of innovation

  • 0=>1 : 

    • Done well, 10 units of effort for 1 unit of progress. Or 10 steps forward 9 steps backwards. Eg Level 10. 

    • Done average, 100 units of effort for 1 unit of progress. Eg Level 5. 

    • Done badly, no progress. Eg Level 0. 

  • 1=>10 : 

    • Done well, 5 units of effort for 1 unit of progress. Or 5 steps forward, 4 steps backwards. 

    • Done average, 20 units of effort for 1 unit of progress

    • Done poorly, 100 units of effort for 1 unit of progress

  • 10+ : 

    • Done well, 2 units of effort for 1 unit of progress. Or 2 steps forward, 1 step backwards. 

    • Done average: 5 units of effort for 1 unit of progress.

    • Done poorly: 20 units of effort for 1 unit of progress. 

  • No innovation AKA learning what someone else has done: 

    • Done well, 1 unit of effort of progress for 1 unit of progress. But you do conceptual learning (making the if/then statement), not procedural (memorising someone else’s if/then statement). 

    • Done average: 2 units of effort for 1 unit of progress. 

    • Done poorly: procedural learning. 

IMO you get better at all types of innovation, but you should expect to start all at L0. 

  • I’ve found that some people walk in at their first job and can have solid Innovation ability and other’s zero. 

  • One of the key things I think that is related to innovation ability is ‘have you taught yourself something’ AKA have you levelled yourself up at something. This can be in art, playing sport, chess, debating, maths, humour, friendships… anything. 

  • In some respects, Innovation Ability = 1. Have discovered the love of learning * 2. Are using the ability to learn to level yourself up. 

  • Some people have figured out how to level themselves up in 3+ areas by the time they finish university. These people normally have strong innovation ability. Others have only been taught things by others AKA had upgrades done to them not by themselves. 

  • Good marks at uni ≠ Good innovation ability. 

    • Good marks can mean good innovation ability. But doesn’t necessarily mean good innovation ability. 

    • One model: You can get good marks one of two ways: 1. Rote memorisation of the content (memorising someone else’s if/then statement AKA procedural learning) or 2. Understanding the content (creating the if/then statement for yourself AKA conceptual learning). 

    • You want people who are good at the latter. I count creating an if/then statement is a small unit of innovation. 

How do you grow yourself and / or others' innovation abilities? 

I used to think one couldn’t learn to innovate. Now think Edrolo has been innovating in learning! 

  • Secondary school student example: 

    • A model for maths problems: A problem can have a start and an end. 

    • No innovation = Memorise someone else’s if/then statement for a maths question (procedural learning). Normally for close start and close ended question. 

    • 10+ innovation = Make the if/then statement to answer a maths question by conceptual learning). Normally for close start and close ended question. 

    • 1=>10 innovation = Answering a closed start but open ended question conceptually. Eg inquiry learning. This might take 5-20 mins. 

    • 0=>1 innovation = Figure out the problem to solve then solve the problem (ie open start problem and hence open ended problem). This could be a week-long project. 

  • Edrolo content creator example: 

    • No innovation = Using the maths product recipe without understanding it (procedural use)

    • 10+ innovation = Make a lesson for maths using the recipe and machine well (conceptual use)

    • 1=>10 innovation = Upgrade part of the maths macro recipe

    • 0=>1 innovation = Come up with the idea of recipes to make maths resources

If you only take away one thing

  • You can learn innovation. Innovation can be layered into almost everything if designed well. 

  • I believe Edrolo tries to layer some building of innovation skills into the resources we create.