The Cycle of Thinking Differently

The irony of the cycle of thinking differently (aka innovation) is that if you are successful, if the idea you are supporting takes off and gains market adoption, you aren't thinking differently anymore...

The thoughts that follow are purely anecdotal and based on my own personal experiences. I didn't perform any scientific research or in depth analysis of this topic.

I break down the cycle into four different phases. In each phase there is greater market adoption of the idea. Of course, not all ideas will move through all the phases, some will die out and some will stay stuck at a particular phase.

Phase 1 - Pioneers : Is all about the individual. Its when one or more people independently all reach the same conclusion about the need to solve a particular problem and start working towards a solution.

Phase 2 - Evangelists : The idea is starting to take hold and groups of Pioneers are coming together to work jointly on a solution. Its when early Evangelists start emerging and start to share the idea/problem/solution with the rest of the market.

Phase 3 - Early Adopters : There is a productized solution to a problem and early customers are starting to take advantage of it.

Phase 4 - Mass Market : The solution is accepted, normal market practice and everyone is using it.

Whether these phases are accurate, or there are more of them (or less of them), isn't the point. The point is, if you (or I) join the cycle at say the Evangelist phase, how do you ensure that after riding the cycle through the different phases, the wheel spins around again, and you go back to Phase 1 with a new idea ?

Of course in order for this to be a valid question you have to want to start the wheel turning again. I do. And I think I might have some kind of an answer.