Fail fast, learn faster – this is the mantra many innovators and entrepreneurs live and die by. I, too, am a staunch believer of this tenet even though my conservative values might prove otherwise. By having the courage to experiment and continuously iterating in pursuit of improvements, such a mindset is quintessential to driving innovation especially in situations where the costs of failure are low.

Not every organisation is amenable to their members being entrepreneurial though. In traditionalistic bureaucracies where any form of failure is frowned upon, tried-and-proven methods are very much preferred. In fact, creativity and innovation are suppressed with deviants being harshly penalized for flouting the rules. Conformity is the order of the day and acquiescent as I may be, I doubt I’ll thrive or revel in dealing with such red tapes.

Pouring money into unproven tech may be foolhardy but utilizing existing resources is gratuitous, save for opportunity costs. If one is afraid to venture a little and instead choose to hold back and wait for the perfect solution, progress may never be made. Oftentimes, a polished product is born out of countless iterations even if it didn’t seem like the brightest idea at the onset.