- Innovation and invention proceed slowly; the world took 20 years to invent a decent can opener.
- Most recent innovation is 'zeroth order'—rearranging existing technologies (e.g., Uber, Airbnb) without inventing anything new.
- First-order innovation (e.g., Google) requires inventing something that isn't possible with current technology.
- Second-order innovation (e.g., Bell Labs) involves inventing the tools to invent the needed technologies, leading to breakthroughs like the transistor.
- Innovation involves navigating multiple dimensions (features, quality, styling, price, effort) and the 'curse of dimensionality' makes it extremely hard.
- The book 'The Right Kind of Crazy' emphasizes trusting your 'spidey sense', using soft skills, holding on to doubt (HOTTD), and navigating the 'Dark Room'—periods of dead ends.
- High-stakes innovation requires leadership, intuition, and acceptance of uncertainty to invent the future.