The document discusses the five discovery skills that are essential for innovation: associating, questioning, observing, experimenting, and networking. It provides examples of how innovators like Steve Jobs, Michael Dell, and Ratan Tata employed these skills in developing new ideas and businesses. While some may have a natural proclivity for innovation, the document argues that these skills can be developed through practice and consistently thinking and acting differently than the norm. Regularly employing these skills will help strengthen one's innovative abilities.

1. The INNOVATOR’S DNA

2. The ability to innovate is the “Secret sauce” of business
success.
Every Innovative entrepreneur has something called
creative intelligence.
Five Discovery Skills
 Associating
 Questioning
 Observing
 Experimenting
 Networking

3. • Ability to successfully connect seemingly unrelated
questions, problems or ideas from different fields – Medici
Effect.
• The more diverse our experience, the more diverse is the
association.
• Innovators spent time in exploring new and unrelated things.
• Understand, categorize and store new knowledge which
helps the brain in recombining association.
• Example: Steve job, the art of calligraphy, meditation
practices in Indian ashram, the fine details of Mercedes
Benz

4. • Innovators ask questions that are provocative and challenge
common wisdom
• Emphasizes on asking “Why?” and “Why not?” and “What
if?”
• Build the capacity to imagine opposites and reaching a
synthesis which is better than the opposite ideas.
• Embracing constraints to get out of the box insights.
• Example: Michael Dell hitting on his revolutionary
business model

5. • Scrutinize the common phenomenon, observe the behavior of
potential customers
• New business ideas come from observing other people and
trying to live their life.
• Carefully and consistently look out for small behavioral
details – in the activities of customers, suppliers and other
companies
• Example: Ratan Tata stumbling upon the idea of Nano car.

6. • Experimentation can be, intellectual exploration, physical
tinkering or engagement in new surrounding.
• Make experiment in everything which you do
• Create a culture that foster experimentation
• One of the most powerful experimentation is engaging in
living and working overseas
• Example: Steve Jobs disassembling Sony Walkman, Howard
Shultz roaming Italy coffee bars

7. • Devote time and energy to find and test ideas through a
network of diverse individual
• Meet people with different kind of ideas and perspectives to
extend knowledge domains
• Attend idea conferences to get newest ideas, passions and
projects.
• Example: Michael Lazaridis inspiration for Blackberry
occurred at conference in 1987, wireless data system for coke

8. • Innovative thinking may be innate to some, it can
also be developed and strengthened through practice.
• Innovators must consistently act different to think
different.
• Innovative entrepreneurship is not a genetic
predisposition, it is an active endeavor.

9. Siva Priya S
Megha S. Tomar
Megha Dhingra
Kaveri Seth
Manu Kanchan
Sonia Malhotra