Week 11 Reading Reflection

In this weeks reading "You Need an Innovation Strategy" by Gary Pisano, I was interested in the topic of innovation because it can be so easily applied to almost everything in this day and age. The biggest surprise for me was the part about having a plan and strategy at all times. I knew that companies have plans and what not, but it was surprising to see how all of the decisions are truly made. For Corning to be in business after 160 years, they have had to adapt and change their products to fit the different needs that the consumer demands. The only part of the reading that was confusing to me was how risky a long-term investment on innovation can be. It does make sense that a certain innovation can cost a company a lot of money, but I didnt really realize that it could truly put them out of business so easily. My first question to the author would be, "What was the first company to truly invest in innovation and the changing times in our country?" I want to know who was the ring leader in the movement towards innovation. I would also ask the author, "How much prior research has to be done before committing so much money to innovation?" Being in marketing this semester as well, I know it sometimes takes years of information for a company to make a decision like this. I really do not think the author made any mistakes since everything seemed accurate and it was from a reliable source!