Peter Diamandis, the founder of the XPrize for innovation, is passionate about exponential thinking. He’s on the lookout for moonshot ideas and technologies that have the potential to change the world – and is committed to helping us leverage them today. So it’s not surprising that his latest newsletter focuses on the 8 principles that have consistently driven innovation at Google.
This list was first codified in 2011 by then-SVP of YouTube Susan Wojcicki, who was employee number 16 at the legendary tech company. But they’re perhaps even more relevant a decade later, when we’re all struggling to find our way through an era of unprecedented change and uncertainty.
Diamandis’ list is an interpretation of Wojciki’s 8 principles, adapted to make them align better with his exponential thinking strategies. I love the deep thought that has gone into his explanation of each principle – so much so that I repurposed them into a mind map to share with you:
Here is Diamandis’ spin on Google’s 8 principles of innovation:
- Focus on the user
- Open will win
- Ideas can come from everywhere
- Think big, but start small
- Never fail to fail
- Spark with imagination, fuel with data
- Be a platform – float all boats
- Have a mission that matters
Click here to view an interactive version of this mind map
(click on branches to display their subtopics – the details about each principle)
There’s a wealth of excellent thought here. In case you’re not sure why these principles are important to you and the organization you work for, Diamandis adds this perspective to his analysis of them:
“Prioritizing innovation isn’t a thought exercise. It’s not a rebranding. And it is certainly not something that’s easy to do. It’s about relentless experimentation, data collection and new actions. You must be simultaneously open-minded and strong-willed.
“The key is having innovation baked into your company’s operating principles—core to your beliefs. It’s a challenging task, but reinventing your business is the only way to survive during these exponential times.”
What are you doing to prepare for the future? This list is an excellent place to start!
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