Soft Innovation - definitions, value, examples

Soft Innovation

Definition ▪ Value ▪ Boosters ▪ Examples

Soft Innovation is generation, development, and implementation of smart, intuitive or serendipitous, high-value ideas for real-life applications.

'How' and 'Why' Definitions of Soft Innovation

'How'-based: Soft Innovation as opposed to Hard Innovation

'What'-based: Soft Innovation defined by its targeted areas

'How'-based Definition of Soft Innovation

as opposed to R&D-based Hard Innovation

Soft Innovation vs. Hard Innovation: 'Soft' innovation is a 'street-smart', intuitive, serendipitous type of value innovation.

Soft innovation is inspired by creative challenges and a combination of life experiences, social intelligence, awareness, smartness, cleverness, observation, imagination, innovative thinking, inventiveness, intuition, entrepreneurial serendipity, and ingenuity.

Example of
Soft Innovation

This dad designed shoes and harnesses so that his paralyzed daughter could have the sensation of walking.

Soft Innovation example: special shoes for a paralyzed daughter

Disruptive Soft Innovator Vadim Kotelnikov (VadiK)

"Having started as an incremental 'hard' innovator I grew gradually into a 'soft' disruptive innopreneur."

~ Vadm Kotelnikov

'Soft' innovation is at least as important as 'hard' innovation. Hard innovation without soft innovation is rare, soft innovation without hard innovation is common.

Tactical innovations are primarily soft ones.

KoRe Soft Innovations

The most famous examples of global KoRe soft innovations are KoRe e-Coach, InnoBall (Innovation Brainball) entrepreneurial simulation game, Innompic Games, and KoRe 10 Innovative Thinking Tools (10 KITT), and CArete Games.

The author
on his
Top 3
world-changing soft ventures

Jugaad

In India street-smart soft innovations are widespread and are called "Jugaad".

Creative Problem Solving (CPS)

Examples

An example of home-smart soft value innovation

Roller Coaster: Home Edition

'What'-based Definition of Soft Innovation

Targeted Areas

Soft innovation is the type of value innovation that is primarily concerned with adaptive (Yin) changes in products and services of an aesthetic or intellectual nature. It considers aesthetics, mentality, culture and the cultural industries, productive creativity and the creative industries.

An Example of What-based Soft Innovation

Traditional Belarus vs. Innovative Western-Europe Culture

Soul and life values as expressed in most popular songs