In this article we will have a look at How to Be a True Innovator.
So, you quite fancy being an innovator, but you aren’t sure how little old you could possibly be one of those people who comes up with something so new and revolutionary that your name is known for centuries after you’ve died. I’m going to let you into a secret; anyone can be an innovator. You don’t have to be a Silicon Valley whizz kid or a once in a lifetime genius to make a difference, do things differently and invent something new and exciting.
Okay, but how exactly do you become a great innovator?
1. Ask Unreasonable Questions
Innovators don’t accept the status quo, they interrogate it. Why do we do it this way? What would happen if we didn’t? Could a tool made for drilling into the Earth’s crust help us solve a medical problem?
(Yes, we’re talking about the Super Deep Hole Drill — the Kola Borehole that went 12,262 meters into the Earth, just because someone asked “How deep can we go?” Did it revolutionize geology? Absolutely. Was it also a wild flex of Cold War-era determination? 100%.)
Be the person who asks the weird questions. That’s where innovation starts.
2. Get Uncomfortable (And Stay There)
Innovation lives in discomfort. It’s messy, uncertain, and full of moments where you wonder if you’ve made a huge mistake. But guess what? That tension? It’s where the magic happens.
If you’re always operating inside your comfort zone, you’re not innovating—you’re maintaining. Want to do something new? Prepare to sweat. Innovation is a workout, and there are no shortcuts to strong ideas.
3. Fail Publicly, Learn Fast
You don’t become a true innovator by never failing. You become one by failing loudly, owning it, and figuring out what to do better next time.
The people who matter won’t judge your flops, they’ll respect your resilience. The trick isn’t to avoid failure; it’s to treat it like data. Because every misstep is a breadcrumb pointing you somewhere new.
4. Blend Ideas from Weird Places
Some of the best innovations happen when you cross-pollinate concepts that seem unrelated. A fashion designer studying biomechanics. A coder obsessed with architecture. A drilling engineer who wonders how geothermal techniques could improve cancer treatment.
If the Super Deep Hole Drill taught us anything, it’s that knowledge expands exponentially when you push boundaries between disciplines. Look sideways, not just forward.
5. Ignore the Applause and Do It Anyway
True innovators aren’t chasing validation. They’re chasing progress. If you’re doing something truly different, chances are you’ll hear crickets before you hear applause. That’s normal. That’s good. That means you’re ahead of the curve.
Do it for the problem you’re solving, not the praise you hope to earn. And when the applause does come? Let it fuel the next idea, not your ego.
As you can see, being a true innovator is not about being the smartest person in the room (although that can’t hurt) but rather it’s about being the person who’s brave enough to break the rules, be a little strange, and give it a go. There’s absolutely no reason why that person can’t be you!
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Haider Khalid
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