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Do I dare disturb the universe?― T.S. Eliot
This is a question which crosses the mind of everyone who is about to bring about a radical change. Or so as to say upset the status quo. Be it an inventor, an artist, or an entrepreneur, this is something that goes in his mind when he is about to take a leap of faith and work on a new invention, a new creation, a new idea.
Should I let things be as they are or should I have the gumption to follow my guts?
Should I follow the herd or should I break out on my own?
Should I stay safe in my comfort zone or should I strike out in a totally new direction?
These questions have racked and will rack the minds of many creators, innovators, and visionaries.
And yet despite being racked by doubt, held back by comfort, and having met with resistance, many young ideators have listened to this inner voice which urges them to change things around them, follow their passion, and ultimately impact the lives of people around them. The very people who in the first place, might have scoffed at their idea or found it totally obnoxious.
Yet these fiery innovators plough on in their chosen path without excuses, without the support of the masses; remaining undeterred by personal circumstances or limitations, unfettered by material constraints, only stopping when they have brought their idea to fruition – be it a new art form, a new way of transportation, or a new way of doing business. Because as they say, “Status quos are made to be broken.”
So what is it that inspires them to change the world or dare to disturb the universe?
Why Innovate?
Is it courage, passion, ambition, brilliance, keen observation, a desire to become famous, or simply the voice in their heads? The reason could be one of the above or some or all in totality.
But one trait that all of them share is the urge to create something new, something better which can bring about a meaningful change in the way things are done. The normal is boring for them, and they do not fear to question it.
They are not afraid of experimenting, ideating, taking things apart and putting them back together, going far and wide in search of what they are looking for, or iterating a million times to hit the right model.
While the lack of capital or resources is a bother, it seldom becomes a hindrance to stop them from pursuing their dreams. They know that once they are convinced about their idea, it will be easier to convince others once they see the impact. They put their personal limitations and circumstances behind, as they move forward determinedly to make a difference to the world.
Because if one is so consumed in his/her personal limitations, how will he/she muster the courage to think and see beyond? To listen to the voice in their heads and not silence it? To think beyond their circumstances and to be resourceful enough to do whatever it takes to materialise it?
To hustle, to iterate, and to not give up easily?
In today’s times, it has become a tad easier to follow your dreams, to innovate. There is no dearth of capital if one has the mettle to execute ideas with the same determination with which one had formulated them. While there will always be people who will question the worth of your thoughts, today the number of people who are ready to back innovators and igniters has also risen. People do not fear innovation that much, have warmed up to it, and are ready to support it all the way provided it has the potential to impact at large.
Disrupt, Ignite, Inspire
And that brings us to the most important aspect of innovation – the ability to cause disruption on a massive scale. A disruption that will change the lives of millions in a positive way. That will make things easier, simpler, faster, and more reliable for all people.
Because real innovation is not what happens in the mind of the innovator or in his immediate circle. Real innovation is what can change the life of a simple peddler on the street or the cabbie on the road or a grocery shop in the remotest part of the world.
Real innovation removes common pain points for all and sundry; real innovation impacts the way masses transact, and transcends class barriers. And innovators know that. Their idea is simply not meant to be a fancy concoction of their mind, earning them praise from the intelligentsia, and capital from the loaded. It has to be something which can cause disruption at large, change things at large, and make a difference at large.
It is this kind of innovation which can inspire; which can spawn many more innovators to question and change the status quo; which can make a solid difference to millions of lives. Because innovation ignites innovation, breeding more disruption, igniting more passions.
Gandhi has said, “In a gentle way, shake the world.” And this is what innovators do. They innovate, they ignite, they inspire and they shake the world in a gentle way.
It is this spirit of inspiring innovation that the Young Makers Conclave wants to reinforce. A session titled “Ignite Inspire Innovate” will be held at the Conclave which will see participation from Ritesh Malik, CEO Innov8; Ritesh Mehta, Facebook; Abhiraj Bhal, co-founder UrbanClap; Geetika, TiE Delhi; and Vaibhav Agarwal, CEO, and co-founder, Inc42.
To be a part of the discussion, register here to attend.
Note: We at Inc42 take our ethics very seriously. More information about it can be found here.