Big Little Breakthroughs: How Small, Everyday Innovations Drive Oversized Results with Josh Linkner

No matter where you work, you are undoubtedly trying to develop a better product or service. Both you and your competitors aren’t standing still, so you need to invest both time and energy into unleashing innovation in your company. So how do you do this? In this episode of Connection Loop, Dubb founder Ruben Dua sat down with Josh Linkner to discuss how small, everyday innovations can drive oversized results. Some of the insights that you will hear in this episode include the following: The way that we look at creativity is often flawed. For instance, it is easy to assume that job titles define creativity. As Josh argues, this is nonsense. There are plenty of musicians that are non-creative and plenty of financial professionals that you could deem extremely creative. In the end, we have to get past the idea of what creativity is “supposed to look like.” We are living in a world where automation continues to play a bigger role in our lives. The good news is that the one thing standing is the real differentiator. That is human creativity. Human creativity is something that hasn’t yet been automated away. If you can tap into your creativity and incorporate it into your day-to-day work, you will continue providing immense value in a quickly shifting market. It’s important to recognize that the way things were taught in the past doesn’t necessarily mean that they should be taught the same way now. Take, for example, learning how to play music. While you need to know the mechanics of the craft (like how to play a scale), you don’t necessarily need to learn music through rote memorization. As Josh says, rote memorization serves no one. A key trait that can make you more creative is empathy. Think about it. To create something new and novel in the world, you need to understand what others are going through. You need to think about their problems, stresses, wants, and fears in their lives. With that information, you can then create a product or service that speaks to these deep feelings. One of the more critical things to do is to capitalize on small wins. Whenever you are creating anything new, there is bound to be failure. You may make some inadvertent mistake or the market may reject what you are trying to sell. Whatever the case may be, make sure that your mistakes are small and that you double down on your wins. By adopting this incremental attitude, you can increase your odds of creating something that your audience will love. This is a great conversation for anyone that is looking to become more creative in their lives. Whether you are trying to develop a new product or service at work or simply want to make something better in your life, you can take Josh’s insights and accelerate toward your goals. Enjoy the discussion! Josh Linkner is the co-founder and chairman of Platypus Labs. He started his career as a jazz guitarist and became the founder and CEO of five technology companies (which sold for a combined value of $200 million). He is also the author of four books (two of which became New York Times bestsellers). As if that weren’t enough, Josh is the founding partner of Detroit Venture Partners, where he has invested in and mentored over 100 startups. Want to learn more from Josh about how small, everyday innovations can drive oversized results? The story continues at dubb.com.