5 Key Differences Between Innovators and Imitators

Although there’s nothing wrong with being an imitator that improves technology we are always amazed about working with innovators, people who truly shake things up with their inventions. So, we’ve noticed a few differences between innovators and imitators. Here are 5 of them.

1. Innovators take a step forward, Imitators simply add to the conversation. They do not typically start the conversation. They may improve upon what already exists, but they can’t take credit for creating it. There have been many smartphones made before and after the iPhone, though the iPhone in my mind is clearly an innovative product. Those that came after the Phone have certainly seen their share of success, but they weren’t the first on the market. And, if you ask iPhone enthusiasts, the innovators are still winning over the imitators in the realm of smartphones.

2. Innovators aren’t afraid of failure.  In fact, innovators know failure is absolutely critical to success. It’s a lot easier to avoid failure when you’re simply improving upon what’s already out there. When you’re creating something new, though, failure is almost inevitable. What innovators learn from failure is ultimately what makes their contributions to the world so great.

3. Innovators have a vision and sometimes only they can see it. They work tirelessly to achieve a goal and to create something that’s going to impact the world. Imitators may not have that same kind of vision. They do see how an innovation could be changed to better suit people’s needs, and they go from there. But they often don’t have the same kind of unique vision innovators have.

4. Innovators think towards the future. Their vision involves a future world in which they’re fulfilling some need. They tend to think twenty steps ahead of everybody else, and they create things that no one ever would have dreamed of. In some ways, they think about the future, and then they create it. They can do this because they have a keen understanding of what the future might look like and how their invention will fit into it.

5. Innovators change things. Their discoveries and inventions alter the world, as we know it. Without Alan Turing, an innovator, we might not even have access to personal computers, smartphones, and tablets. Turing’s innovations allowed other innovators to create the technology that’s so indispensable in to our lives today. And it allowed imitators to fine-tune that technology in exciting ways. Without Turing’s initial innovation, however, we arguably wouldn’t be where we are today.

Think you’re an innovator? We’d love to meet you! Get in touch with us at Headway Idea Labs!