In Innovation, Success Is Often The Best Revenge

In Innovation, Success Is Often The Best Revenge

As a highly successful and fast growing research group, we have had great impact over the years, including with three amazing spin-out companies, and two research impact case studies which were graded as world-leading. But, like many others, we have received many setbacks along the way, and have always licked our wounds, and redoubled our efforts, and most of the time we succeeded. This week, we received a bump in the road, and we must now grit our teeth, and move on. In fact, it keeps you humble, and where nothing in the world of research can be taken for granted.

In innovation, there are lots of people will tell you what you are wrong and why you just do not know x and y, and that there is no demand for what you are do. And, so, believe in your innovation and people will follow, and every bump along the way should make you stronger in your passion to succeed. Every time we faced people telling us there was no market for what we will pitching, we knew it was there, and that we had the team to take us there. Having faith in a team is often a key element of this — and a team who will not fail to take there eye of their vision, but to be agile:

On receiving a rejection, it is hurtful, and especially when you face it with a team who have dedicated themselves to their innovation. Often funders, too, have no come-back, and where one negative comment can trip-up fundig.

And, so, before you send off that steaming email that says, “How dare you so that there is no market, we are …”, just pause, and smile. The most important thing is to ask for feedback, listen, and always address your next steps.

For me, I will always want to be on the innovation side of the table, and avoid being the reviewer who must say No, sometimes.

And, so, try not to be the person that continually says, No, and help and support those who innovate, as they will build our future. If we succeed every time, we would become too confident, so be humble and kind, and where success is the best revenge. I appreciate that those who reject your innovation will probably never know you have been successful, but, inside, you will know that you were correct. Without failures, we would never have successes. Here’s my thoughts on innovation:

Go change the world …