Asking Why Not

Robert F. Kennedy said "There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why ... I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?"  It was hardly a new idea -- building on George Bernard Shaw's "You see things; and you ask, 'Why?'  But I dream things that never were; and I say, 'Why not?'"

That approach -- asking why not -- is a powerful tool in realizing human potential.  What I write in this blog is intended to inspire innovation in how we approach the process of innovation.

My 100th (and 101st and 102nd) patents issue on November 26, 2013.  I have spent an enormous amount of effort trying to understand why somebody with my background was able to easily invent more than 100 patentable things, nearly none of them in the same specialty as the others (the background?  Prior to becoming a full time inventor, I was a sociology major as an undergraduate, got a law degree, and spent a decade as a litigator).

I am nearing completion of my book on the subject, but in writing it I found there are many quick and useful concepts that are well suited to a blog post format.  There are also plenty of ideas that do not fit into the book, but which will hopefully serve to inspire others to realize their dreams as innovators.  As a practical matter, simply seeing how a high velocity innovator thinks and operates may provide necessary tools and insights to people looking to maximize their creative potential.