Personally, I see the innovation as a change, a new way of doing things and Rogers (2003), in his theory of innovation diffusion explains it very well.

While many sectors, consider the new technological elements as innovation, are only a part, as it is necessary to consider the innovator.

I feel that the innovations made by Steve Jobs have two components, one making money and the other seeking a more efficient way of doing things.

Now if we point to the characteristics of the individual, I recently completed a couple of investigations that show that innovation in people would be associated with personality characteristics that describe the behavior of the type of innovative (using the theory of rogers).

the research are done ​​in educational environment and sought relevant aspects related to educational innovation

Thanks Carlos. Yes, profit making is a driver of innovation, perhaps the main outcome of successful innovation. But it is at the output end of the process. Definitely, money making is a driver of innovation, but there is no guarantee that throwing money to a problem will solve it.

”Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R&D. It’s not about money. It’s about the people you have, how you’re led, and how much you get it.” Steve Jobs — Fortune Magazine, Nov. 9, 1998

In 1939, Packard and Hewlett established Hewlett-Packard (HP) in Packard's garage with an initial capital investment of US$538.

So, how is it that some "get it" and some don't?

Mario... we agree, what I discovered is that the innovator has different personality characteristics, but fail to make changes always try to find different ways of doing things, but that does not necessarily work.

From personality (psychological), this is an attribution that makes the person.

What is my position in life?, I can do to differentiate yourself from the rest?, What are my goals?, I can do that "this" is better?

these are some of the questions that move innovators.

Do you speak spanish?

Yes, I do. So, certain psychological attributes of individuals drive innovation. You mentioned world-view, a desire to be different, a sense of certainty. Thanks Carlos.

Sometimes innovations appear, when most don't even see any need to create it. It's matter of giving first impulse of changes directly in a right place and time - directly in a right economic, social or political circumstances.

According to my design experience, I can say that innovation can be born from one's imagination and courage. But it's not enough. I guess that Rockefeller said: I can spend one dollar on a good idea, but I'll spend one million dollars on a good realisation of it". And that's how the mechanism works. Imagination or beautiful mind is not enough, you have to be strong, powerful and well-organized to give life to your ideas. So maybe organization of the innovative idea is even more important than anything else?

There is one another proverb which suits this question well: "if you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together". The really innovative moves are based on co-operation of many people. Internet is the best example of that! As the innovation must be spread among people to stay alive and needed...

At this point another important matter apears - it's some kind of PR metter. The way of communication about innovation can be definetely as important as the main idea of innovation. That is why some ideas which has a great potential sometimes lose in this "Race of Nowadays"...

Marika, yes, "Good ideas are a penny a dozen", so the saying goes. A good example of someone with the right imagination but also the courage is Jim McKelvey, founder of Square, the adapter that converts any smartphone into a device to charge all types of credit cards. He is also an artists (musician and glass blower), an aviator, speaks multiple languages and is a social entrepreneur. He says: "pick something that's wrong and fix it!" He claims he feels a strong frustration for problems that remain unsolve: " I see something that's wrong and I asked who is going to fix it. If not me then who? Don't tell me it can be done." He seems to be the type of innovator that goes fast and further, not alone as you said, but with the support of family and friends. He speaks of the right ecology for innovation to take root. Building such ecology at the intersection of Academia and Industry has been the purpose of my work in the last 20 years. Identifying the elements that nurture such ecology is my current concern. Thanks for your comments.

can not remember who said it .. but in marketing, say "the needs are created". Obviously there are different types of innovations, aimed at a market, another technology, other people and to other products in general.

I feel that today have broken many sensations of the past. Slowness is the symbol of someone faster win the hand. access to information (Internet = Library of Alexandria) and allows us to think that many people need,

What I have seen is that about 2.5% of the population is Innovative, 13.5% early adopter, early majority 30% and the rest of the population are between late majority and laggards.

which agrees with the theory of Rogers.

Thanks Carlos

While interpreting what innovation (eg. Different from creativity or continuous improvement) is not consistently understood by many, fostering talent, work environment (daring to try) including manager support, a good leadership skill fosters innovation at an individual level. At an institution level, it is perhaps driven by crisis (fear of external threat or extinction) or success (transformative growth or leap frog change). Adversity makes an institution stronger, with obstacles serving as an impetus for innovation. Sometimes innovation takes place under the radar (either consciously or unconsciously) to ‘productionize’ (grow and mature) the idea. The consumption of the product by the market is what makes the innovation visible, though not all products make it.

Yes, creativity (Jim McKelvey came up with the idea of SQUARE) is only the first step. Innovation requires that ideas are converted into commercial embodiments (Jack Dorsey exploited the idea to innovate). I agree with you in regards to team management attributes that lead to innovation, but in order for these to work the team needs individuals with the capacity to innovate (the Jim type). What drives them to search solutions to problems? Is it their education or simply something they can't help? Fear certainly is present at the Institutional level, but it rarely proves to lead to innovation, and when it does it is often a temporary stop gap measure, design to keep a job. Yes, external stressor drive innovation and their presence is essential to maintain the innovation health of a company from stalling (IBM vs Apple). All points well taken Aravind.

The presence of active manufacturing motivates innovation. As indicated in a recent Forbes article: “The decline of manufacturing in [the USA] sets off a chain reaction. Once manufacturing is outsourced, process-engineering expertise can’t be maintained, since it depends on daily interactions with manufacturing. Without process-engineering capabilities, companies find it increasingly difficult to conduct advanced research on next-generation process technologies. Without the ability to develop such new processes, they find they can no longer develop new products. In the long term, then, an economy that lacks an infrastructure for advanced process engineering and manufacturing will lose its ability to innovate.”

I think innovation requires imagination, knowledge, perspiration, self confidence, kindness, vision, implementation, inclusion-lots of good things in the right cocktail mix, pulled out and used at the right time in the right amount. My belief is that if you are driven to do good and will always act ethically you will use the best you have to innovate and set the path to new ways. If you are driven to make money your success will be short lived.