By Peter Diamandis
It is not uncommon for great ideas to emerge in spontaneous moments. Before becoming truly innovative, an idea goes through a process called refinement. Ideas almost always need to be worked on and improved to be accepted and considered revolutionary.
At the moment of their creation, ideas are often dismissed as crazy or unlikely to succeed. For this reason, the process must be developed and respected.
Major companies are proof that this is true. When something potentially groundbreaking is created, it must go through phases of testing and refinement — this will determine whether it succeeds or fails, and most importantly, whether it will be embraced by the public.
The imagination and generation of ideas can be considered an endless endeavor — they can be created and transformed at any time.
Drawing on all knowledge about idea innovation, a foundational reference is the work of the great writer and inventor Arthur C. Clarke, who defined the limits of what the human mind can imagine.
Arthur C. Clarke studied and established that ideas go through 3 stages before being accepted.
The 3 phases defined by the thinker describe how each stage is received by those involved and the impact it has on others. The stages were defined as follows:
1 – This idea will not work. Due to its uncertainties, it cannot be done.
2 – It could probably be done, but it is not viable.
3 – It is absolutely worth doing. It will succeed.
The third stage is where everyone aspires to arrive and to have those involved finally agree. The key insight of this framework is that it genuinely reflects reality, and that it is unwise to skip steps — everything unfolds according to the natural development and improvement of a creation.
In light of Arthur C. Clarke's framework, persistence is essential to staying the course on what one believes in. The story of Tony Spear serves as a prime example of these qualities, when he was assigned the mission of landing an unmanned Rover on Mars in 1990.
Spear was challenged to apply all the criteria used in the previous mission, but with greater speed and strategy, since the new mission was designed to be completed at a significantly lower cost.
Spear would have to work through Clarke's 3 phases for the mission to succeed. One of the key tactics to be used was process management.
In phase 2, the landing concept could potentially work, but might not be viable. Spear proposed using airbags to absorb the impact of landing, as they were low-cost and contained no chemical compounds that could contaminate the site. However, the initial tests were not successful. A vote was held on whether to cancel the project, as it was seen as wasting government funds. Yet the mission director did not give up and continued seeking support.
In phase 3, during the final stage, all stakeholders joined forces to make the mission a success. A test was conducted using a simulated Martian rocky surface to verify that the spacecraft could survive landing without being destroyed.
The resolution of the ideation and development process within the project was completed eight months before the mission, and the qualification test was concluded as planned.
The journey to Mars lasted 8 months, but concerns about the mission's outcome were constant.
Administrator Spear held a press conference in which he stated that the mission was a success — even if everyone present had died, the mission would stand as what he called: "New ways of doing business with NASA."
The good news was that the landing went exactly as planned, at a cost far lower than the Viking Mission. The airbags worked perfectly.
In recognition of the project's success and efficiency, Spear was hailed as a hero — a legendary project manager at JPL.
This story shows that innovative ideas are initially viewed as risks, and there will always be those who oppose them and resist.
Yet throughout the process, it is essential to work through the 3 phases defined by Arthur C. Clarke. Each stage must be completed step by step, because success will ultimately be celebrated by everyone — even those who were once opposed will be compelled to accept it, whether they like it or not.
The path to success requires balance and a tolerance for risk and failure.