The Secret To Software Innovation: Some Thoughts

What does it take to be successful with software innovation?

It’s a big question, and it gets a lot of people’s attention. I’ve seen this kind of question thrown around in countless panels, presentations and Q&A sessions, and other places as well, because we’re trying to take AI and related advances to the next level.

If we think about it, it helps to pinpoint some of the ideas and trends behind some of the groundbreaking technologies of our time…some that predated the emergence of AI as the main engine for change.

For instance, there’s the Internet. We had all of the hardware, and all of the logistics in place before people (TBL, for one) came up with the idea of connecting all of the world’s servers and navigating through hypertext.

I’m reminded of Daniel Jackson’s words on ‘recipes’ for success with software innovation, and what it means for our generation of AI professionals.

He cites the Internet, as well as Bill Atkinson’s HyperCard design, (remember 1987?) as early examples of the fundamental connectivity we now take for granted.

He also references the iPod, WhatsApp and Zoom as other innovations that took place, not based on a technical advancement, per se, but on a “simple story” that he says can completely change software.

Let’s take the last example, of Zoom. Why did Zoom become so popular in the wake of the pandemic?

Taking Jackson’s theory, we look at why other companies didn’t pioneer this sort of thing first. It wasn’t just videoconferencing that drove Zoom to outcompete and become a monolithic brand. In fact, as Jackson notes, we had the technology for a while – you can go back to the old Dick Tracy cartoons!

What Zoom had, though, was the ability to remove obstacles and streamline a user interface. In doing so, they brought the concept of an easy (and inclusive) web meeting into the forefront at just the right time – when everybody needed to have these videoconferencing meetings because of the coronavirus…!

But even if it wasn’t for covid, if you go by this theory, Zoom was destined for greatness, because they took existing designs and made them more accessible and attractive to large audiences of users.

That, he suggests, is the secret sauce.

Okay, so how do you do this? How do you make something “sticky” and drive it to take off this way?

What about having authentic demand, a good concept, and a usable design in place?

A writer at McKinsey talks about “breakthrough innovations” noting the importance of diversity, scaling, etc., and an “external perspective.”

Here’s some more detail, where Tom White at The Scalers notes some key concepts, including giving people ‘thinking time,’ creating a functional workspace, and building ‘permission to fail’ into corporate culture.

All of this is instructive when it comes to building your software dreams and making them successful. Sure, there are all of the nuts and bolts around funding and development, and the steps that you have to take to scale. But if we take the view that innovation is made from creating access instead of pioneering brand-new technologies, you see how people like Steve Jobs and others made this type of thing happen. And that’s important and valuable to our audiences who are often looking to make their mark in the tech world!