Borrowing innovation is easier than inventing from scratch!
Think you have to start your invention from scratch? Why not combine existing innovations?
Here’s two examples of incredible innovations over 100 years apart:
Henry Ford (1908)
Henry Ford actually borrowed three existing innovations for his assembly line:
i) Interchangeable parts used by the sewing machines and watch industries
ii) Continuous flow manufacturing used in flour and canning industries
iii) Assembly line techniques from meat-packing plants and breweries
The Coolest Cooler (2013)
Check out the “Coolest” Cooler currently taking off on Kickstarter – another example of improving upon an existing invention. Wow.
Both of these inventors had the business insights to combine existing innovations.
By the way, did you know Anderson Electric Car Company in Detroit, Michigan built 13,000 electric cars from 1907 to 1939? I believe I’ve heard something about electric cars becoming a future trend…
