Innovating in Stages

...many of these innovations come about not through dramatic changes but by doing the same things a little bit better.

The results of innovation can be dramatic -- from the first-ever automobile to landing a man on the moon. But many of these innovations come about not through dramatic changes but by doing the same things a little bit better.

Incremental innovation -- innovating in small steps -- is about improving products and services and the processes we use to make them, making things better in quality and cheaper.

ACTION POINT: Incremental innovation may not be glamorous and instantly noticeable, but it is by far the most common kind of innovation.