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Two common (and related) questions I get as I lecture about creativity and innovation are these:  How do you know when you have a great idea?  And: When does the innovation process end? 

I answer the first this: A great idea is one that solves an important problem. The first step in the innovation process is defining that problem since a creative idea is the solution to a problem. A great idea solves that problem better than any other competing solutions. That’s why, in business, it’s wise to solve an important problem that no one else is solving … for that guarantees a great idea.

I answer the second like this: The innovation process never ends. Sure, you’ve got to implement your ideas, and so for a brief moment the ideation process stops. But your ideas (be they products or marketing campaigns) need to evolve.  There are barbarians at the gates, competitors who will come in and try to solve your problem better than you … and if they succeed they’ll outsell your idea. So, you’ve got to working it, evolving it, stay out front, so no one has a chance to catch up.

Innovation is a long term commitment. It never stops.

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