In the social sciences, an innovation is anything new to a culture, whether it has been adopted or not. The theory for adoption (or non-adoption) of an innovation called diffusion of innovations considers the likelihood that an innovation will ever be adopted and the taxonomy of persons likely to adopt it or spur its adoption. This theory was first put forth by Everett Rogers. Gabriel Tarde also dealt with the adoption of innovations in his Laws of Imitation.

In business, innovation can be easily distinguished from invention. Invention is the conversion of cash into ideas. Innovation is the conversion of ideas into cash. This is best described by comparing Thomas Edison with Nikola Tesla. Thomas Edison was as innovator because he made money from his ideas. Nikola Tesla was an inventor. Tesla spent money to create his inventions but was unable to monetize them.

Quotes

* “Necessity is the mother of invention.” -Addison Altholz

* “Every herd of wild cattle has its leaders, its influential heads.” Gabriel Tarde

* “The state of mind which enables a man to do work of this kind is akin to that of the religious worshiper
or the lover; the daily effort comes from no deliberate intention or program, but straight from the heart.”
Albert   Einstein

* “Our imagination is stretched to the utmost, not, as in fiction, to imagine things which are not really there,
but just to comprehend those things which are there.” Richard Feynman

* “For example, if you’re doing an experiment, you should report everything that you think might make it invalid —
not only what you think is right about it… Details that could throw doubt on your interpretation must be given,
if you know them.” Richard Feynman

* “What I cannot create, I do not understand.” Richard Feynman

* “We absolutely must leave room for doubt or there is no progress and no learning.” Richard Feynman

* “When most people think that everything is working normally, an inventor will hone in on the absurdity, the utter foolishness of the way everyone seems to accept the world as it is. Others won’t even see what’s wrong-until the inventor stumbles across it. By isolating a problem in a new way, by redefining it, by focusing it does to something more specific than meets the average eye, the inventor constructs a new possibility where none was though to have existed.” Evan I. Schwartz

* “Wherever smart people work, doors are unlocked.” Steve Wozniak

* “Restlessness is discontent – and discontent is the first necessity of progress.
Show me a thoroughly satisfied man – and I will show you a failure.” Thomas A. Edison