Innovation = Execution

I recently listened to a podcast with Guy Kawasaki, where he talked about successful companies and innovation.  His position is that successful innovation is not necessarily revolutionary breakthroughs – but rather, the execution of new/improved ideas.

In thinking about this, I realized that Guy’s concept applies to Microsoft as well as to my company, Renaissance Computer Systems.

In the case of Microsoft, we always hear claims that Microsoft “stole” this technology or that idea and is not really an innovator. A different way of looking at it, however, is that Microsoft’s contribution and innovation is in the execution of those ideas/technologies.  You can’t really deny Microsoft’s ability to take an idea, improve upon it (to a greater or lesser degree), and expertly execute a plan to get that technology into the hands of developers and make it as easy as possible for them to develop great applications with those technologies.

Similarly for my company, providing custom software development services per se is hardly innovative these days.  However, the execution of our plan to provide those services – how we provide them to our clients, what is our specific value proposition, and what are the tangible results for our clients – THAT is our innovation.