ABSTRACT
Summary: This chapter presents preliminary findings from the study of the phenomenon of individual innovation in the case of outstanding innovators with longstanding records of breakthrough innovations. In sharp contrast to the conventional wisdom of innovation science emphasizing that (1) innovation is a team sport, and (2) people are good either in generating ideas (i.e., creativity) or in their implementing into practice (i.e., innovation), just to mention a few dogmas, there is a rare group of individual innovators. They possess a unique ability to both generate great ideas and to implement them into practice in the form of new products, services, and processes by putting into place all the necessary organizational, human, and “environmental” structures. This is the phenomenon of individual innovation. The findings will be presented from the point of view of innovation education: what can be learned from famous innovators with longstanding records of breakthrough innovations.
