One of my favorite TED talks is Steven Johnson’s “Where Good Ideas Come From.” The overall TED talk is outstanding, but he tells a great story around the 12-minute mark. I won’t spoil it for those interested, but the story is about the launch of Sputnik in 1957 and the Applied Physics Lab at Johns Hopkins University. One of the most important innovations the world has ever known got its start by happenstance and curiosity. If you find yourself now curious, it’s worth taking a quick break to give it a listen…
So, where does innovation come from? ‘Eureka!’ moments don’t often emerge from thin air. Innovation usually requires people to deeply care about the problem they’re trying to solve and connect with those who share their curiosity. Steven referred to it as the liquid network, “where you have lots of different ideas together, different backgrounds, different interests, jostling with each other, bouncing off each other — that environment is, in fact, the environment that leads to innovation.”
While we like to think of innovation as one singular moment, it usually takes time and determination to finally have that “Ah-ha!” moment. So, what if JOLT@TU Business was that environment for you? The TED talk ends with a simple quote, “chance favors the connected mind.” We invite you to join our liquid network, regardless of your background or interests, to bring your talent and ideas to share. We can share innovation by jostling and bouncing ideas off each other. That is what JOLT@TU Business is all about.
Interested in learning more? Connect with Dr. Nathan Woolard by email nathan-woolard@utulsa.edu