We tend to define innovation fairly broadly, for a variety of reasons (some outlined here…). So recombination fits the definition. But it is definitely at the less interesting end of the spectrum.

With regard to hiding failure, you’re probably correct Greg. Although, for a while, in Silicon Valley it was nearly impossible to get venture capital funding for a new web-based business if you hadn’t already started one – and it was just as good (some said it was better) to have started one that failed than it was to have done well. Not sure if that’s still the case there or not….

Greg — I hear you, and Microsoft’s co-opting of “innovation” and how much they were fighting for innovation and creativity during their antitrust suit absolutely burned me. Here’s a good overview of their utter lack of innovation. I lived in the Seattle area at the time and my father built homes for Microsoft multimillionaires, so in classic defend-the-hand-that-feeds-it mentality, he stood up for their galling business practices at every turn (which, like most who stood up for them, he didn’t understand). He brought home a mug from a convention that read something like “lawsuits stifle innovation.” ugh. It’s important to recognize true innovation over that which is simply labeled as such for marketing purposes.

True innovation requires new ideas and, as your blog states, a willingness to fail. The problem is that we are mostly failure averse. From a social point of view, it is better not to try at all than to fail. You rarely, if ever, hear the story of a failed innovator (is that an oxymoron?). You only hear of successful innovators and then only their successes and not their failures. Even then, you only hear the spectacular success stories.

I wonder if it’s an evolutionary thing. Failure can be deadly, so it’s not something that comes naturally. I’m reminded of the child nutritionist who told me that children are evolutionarily programmed to avoid new foods because they might be poisonous. Maybe we’re programmed to avoid poisonous new ideas.

YES! This is the way to go. Start every business/test every idea in your garage or a more technologically advanced equivalent. It gives you more street cred, whatever that means, and it gives you an excuse for looking like you aren’t burning through VC money. See: Pirates of Silicon Valley.

2 things:

- I wonder if the SUV is running on biodiesel? Ah well, it’s hilarious anyway. I love failblog, and I’m overthinking it.

- This is why bad singers get famous and good music goes undiscovered – certain bands, managers, etc. are more persistent than others. Madonna is a good example of this; while not a bad singer, she sought fame doggedly because she had things she wanted to say to the world.