Successful Innovation:The Intersection of Theory and Practice

"Successful innovation within a corporate setting is difficult to achieve on a number of levels. First, innovation itself is much more art than science, random in some sense. But it also can be directed and channeled by the innovator by using past experience to guide thinking about the future, by knowing how and when to ask the right questions, and by trusting their instinct when interpreting and synthesizing data. Innovators and their managers must also recognize that failure is to be learned from, not punished." - Summary

this is a good read at HBS