One of the more interesting questions one can ask themselves is how to actually create an innovation?
Say you found a problem you care about — something which is interesting to you personally, is a big enough problem to have people care and a large enough market that it makes economic sense to solve for it.
Now what?
Rarely is the solution obvious (otherwise it would have been done already). Sometimes it is enough to do what has been done, just orders of magnitudes better. But that only works so often…
A different way to look at this is by taking the traits of another industry, solution or technology and apply them to your problem. For example: How would you run a hospital if you were to run it like a good hotel? How would you sell used cars if buying a car is done online like buying a pair of sneakers? How would you sell prescription glasses if they were shoes?
By taking a specific strength from one area and applying it to your problem space you might just come across the innovation which makes your company stand out. Note: This doesn’t mean you follow the stupid “Uber for Cats” model — rather you take specific traits from an industry (e.g. how people are treated at a Hotel check-in) and apply them to your problem (the way people check-in at a hospital for example).
Which traits/features from somewhere else can you apply to your problem and create a unique, innovative experience?