The document argues that the lightbulb is a dangerous metaphor for innovation and ideas. It suggests that the lightbulb myth promotes the idea that innovations happen instantly in a "flash of genius" rather than through experimentation and iteration. However, major discoveries were the result of extensive work, not instant insights. This myth can misguide managers and inventors to underestimate the long, difficult process of developing an idea and bringing it to market. Removing this metaphor may help promote a more realistic understanding of innovation as a process of trial and error.

1. NO MORE
LIGHTBULBS

5. Are you against innovation?

6. Against ideas?

7. Against creativity?

9. You must be evil…

10. … or at least dangerous.

11. Well, I am not…

12. Lightbulbs are dangerous…

13. … Because they create a
myth about innovation.

14. … Myths are dangerous – they
create false expectations and
misguide us.

15. Everywhere we go
lightbulbs symbolise:

16. Ideas

17. Innovation

18. Creativity

20. The lightbulb analogy
suggests that good ideas and
innovations occur in an
instant flash of genius.

21. There are many historical examples used
in order to illustrate the lightbulb…

22. Newton discovered gravity
when an apple fell on him…

25. So, the
equation goes:

31. One more
famous
example:

32. In a flash of genius,
Archimedes made
his discovery of the
buoyancy force.

33. Eureka!

34. He shouted, and ran naked
through the streets of Syracuse
in sheer excitement.

35. Many of these stories are
probably just myths…

36. But anyway, were the
discoveries by Newton and
Archimedes instant?

37. Or were they the consequence of
extensive experimentation and making
many mistakes?

38. The lightbulb analogy
suggests that ideas
and innovations just
occur instantly.

39. Well…

40. They don’t.

41. It’s
not
Instant

42. It’s
an
iterative
process

43. Experimentation

44. It’s
Trial…

45. … And
Error.

46. Not just a Flash
”from nowhere”

48. “Without experimentation, we
might all still be living in
caves and using rocks as
tools.”
Stefan Thomke

49. So, with
lightbulb
thinking

50. Mankind
would
still live
in caves

52. And still,
wherever
we go…

53. Innovation
and ideas are
expressed
with…

54. Lightbulbs.

55. See why lightbulbs are
dangerous?

56. But there’s
more to it…

57. Let’s move on

58. Another myth
connected to the
lightbulb is that:

59. Innovation is easy.

60. That innovation is
just like…

61. … You
know,
turning on
a lightbulb.

62. Just a
PLING!

63. And then enjoying

64. The fruits of it.

65. Well…

69. How many
companies
or products
did these
guys bring to
the market?

70. ……….

71. See my
point?

72. Newton and Archimedes
were brilliant scientists,
not brilliant innovators.

73. Innovation is not the
same as making a
discovery.

77. “He who innovates will have for
his enemies all those who are
well off under the existing
order of things, and only
lukewarm supporters in those
who might be better off under
the new.”
// Machiavelli

78. “Every idea in history has the
fat red stamp of rejection on
its face. It’s hard to see today
because once ideas gain
acceptance, we gloss over the
hard paths they took to get
there.”
// Scott Berkun, The myths of
innovation

80. ”This ’telephone’ has too many shortcomings to
be seriously considered as a means of
communications. The device is inherently of no
value to us.”
//Western Union, 1876

82. In 1996, Losec
was the best
selling drug in the
world.

83. The project
started in 1966!

84. It was killed
five times.

85. But the
researchers
ignored this,
and kept
working.

86. The R&D manager who
kept the project alive,
Ivan Östholm once
asked one of his
researchers how a
project went, he
answered:

87. ”It’s too early to
say, we’ve only
been working on it
for three years.”

88. You see my point?

90. It’s probably
impossible to find a
more inaccurate
description of the
development of
Losec than the…

91. PLING!

92. So, now we know why
Lightbulbs are
dangerous.

93. Let’s move on

94. And take a
look at how
the lightbulb
myth harms
innovation

95. When managers
think lightbulb
they think:

96. ”Once we have
ideas, we’ll
invest in them”

97. ”There’s always money
for good ideas!”

99. You need wood,
matches, good
climate and
patience to light
a campfire

100. In the
same way…

101. You need money,
good climate and
patience in order
to DEVELOP
good ideas

102. The lightbulb is
misleading us
about innovation

104. But it does not
stop there…

105. The lightbulb
communicates that
the idea is the most
important thing

106. This implies
that…

107. Inventors get all
the social
gratitude, not
those who put
ideas into practice

108. And Innovation is
like biology

109. You need both to…

110. Well, you know…

111. … Create
something new…

112. … And bring it
to the world.

113. The lightbulb myth
also encourages
inventors to chill out

115. ”I just came up with
a brilliant idea, so
I’m done!”

116. When in fact the idea is just the start
of a long journey.

117. Homer Simpson
agrees with me

118. He once said:

119. ”Trying is always the
first step to failure,
so the lesson is
never try.”

120. The lightbulb myth
also discourages
people who don’t
have a…

121. PLING!

122. ”I don’t have a good
idea, so I’ll sit here
until I get a PLING!”

123. But ideas do not
”PLING!” up from
nowhere

124. They are found by
doing things…

125. And by connecting
with others.

126. So, summing it up…

127. The lightbulb is a
dangerous myth

128. Ideas and
Innovations do not
occur from an
instant ”PLING!”

129. Human progress is
not about ”PLING!”

130. It’s about hard work

131. And It’s
about
Trial and
Error.

132. With
lightbulb
thinking

133. Mankind
would
still live
in caves

134. That’s why I say

135. NO MORE
LIGHTBULBS

136. Image attributions

137. Christian Sandström
www.christiansandstrom.org