Edison on Innovation: 102 Lessons in Creativity for Business and Beyond

5.10. Lesson 42: Let Research Lead

Thomas Edison identified himself first and foremost as an inventor. In second place was another self-definition—not as a scientist but as a businessman. And just what was the business of this businessman? His business was the business of innovation.

In and of itself, innovation could be the product of inspiration, of whim, or of happy accident. As a business, however, innovation had to be far more regular, reliable, and predictable; it had to be rationalized, and yet it also needed sufficient room for inspiration, for the working of whim and of happy accident. And there had to be room as well for research and experimentation, which might or might not yield immediately profitable results. This being the case, ...