To achieve big progress, we need really weird people who can challenge the status quo and change the way we think about things. However, as companies get comfortable, they lose their innovative edge and become less adaptable to change.
The podcast hosts discuss the need to continue creating and innovating, and question whether other organizations have looked at Tony Hsieh's success with Zappos as a model.
The episode features stories of technical malfunctions at an event where Farnam Street's The Great Mental Models project is discussed along with one innovator's approach of having different projects to work on.
The innovation in candy has produced numerous flavors whereas ramen noodle flavors tend to be limited. While ramen noodles are primarily consumed by college students and those with low income, candy has a far reaching appeal to various demographics.
In times of crisis such as the pandemic, occasional disruptions can lead to businesses becoming less risk-averse and more innovative. On the other hand, too much planning and detail can take away the spontaneity that is often required for one to have a good time.
The history of innovation is marked by highly disagreeable people who invented solutions for a problem, just as James Watt invented the horsepower to sell steam engines to mines. Moreover, there are people for whom the idea of electric cars is attractive, but who refuse to join the Tesla cult, creating a whole market for electric cars.
The transcript discusses the story of an innovator and inventor who experienced a big setback in his superconductor work and how he dealt with it, as well as his struggle to get his film scripts produced.
The partnership between big government and big companies can prevent small companies and small countries from progressing, limiting innovation and regulation outsourcing. Career tenures for regulators take them out of reach of the electorate.
Seeking cross-category solutions can bring innovation to spaces they wouldn't belong to otherwise, according to the quote: "your idea needs to only be original in its adaptation to your problem". A study from the 60s found that when people needed a high number in a casino game, they tended to roll the dice harder.
The speaker discusses three ways to push the boundaries of human achievement including investing in a small venture, pioneering research in how to use stem cells, and making the content and curriculum accessible to everyone online.
