Radical Innovation Examples to Spark Creativity in Your Team

Airbnb

Before Airbnb, no one thought meeting a stranger on the internet and sleeping in their house was a good idea. But in 2007, while struggling to pay their rent in San Francisco, two entrepreneurial roommates named Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia saw an opportunity—a design conference was coming up, and all the hotels in the area were booked. So Chesky and Gebbia decided to rent out air mattresses in their apartment. They called their service “Air Bed and Breakfast.”]

They knew there was a market that wasn’t being fully tapped, but the extent surprised them. They assumed mostly hippie backpacker types would be interested in renting an air mattress in a stranger’s living room. Instead, they got lots of people just like them. When they started receiving resumes and LinkedIn profiles from applicants to prove they weren’t security risks, they realized they were onto something.

Airbnb initially focused on offering an alternative to hotels to a market looking for something more affordable. Because Airbnb didn’t own properties or employ operating staff, it could provide a low-cost solution to what the hotel industry would consider a low-value customer. As the service grew in popularity, it expanded its offerings to target higher-value customers as well. By that point, they were positioned to compete directly with the hotel chains and their asset-heavy business model. And today, it is perfectly normal to sleep in a stranger's house that you just met on the internet—in an Airbnb, we don’t really recommend doing it any other way.

Cloud Technology

By now, we all know what cloud technology is. But if you have been living under a rock, cloud technology is virtual storage space on the internet where we can store files, apps, photos, or a number of other digital assets. 

Cloud technology is radically innovative in a couple of ways. Before it existed, there was hardware and software, and everyone had to store their data on hardware. Then, the 60's happened, and Joseph Licklider had the idea of being able to store data, not on a physical unit, but in this virtual space that anyone that was granted access could use, thus the cloud was born (Sounds like an idea that would come out of the 60's.)

This radical innovation was not only groundbreaking for its time, but it also revolutionized how we do business. It has helped companies derive insights from real-time data, capitalize on new opportunities, enhance decision-making, and allow people located anywhere in the world to work on the same projects.

Self-Driving Cars

Has any invention changed life more than the automobile? Cars are central to our lives, but aside from safety features and the advent of electric vehicles, they haven’t experienced many truly radical innovation examples over the years. Now, though, a radically new type of car is taking to the streets—one that can drive itself. 

While these Batmobile concepts have been attempted almost since the invention of the automobile itself, modern AI and 3D imaging technology have allowed automakers to develop self-driving cars that are at least as safe as traditional cars. Experts believe the first self-driving cars will be available to the public by 2030, and it won’t be long after that before most cars on the road are self-driving.

Self-driving cars could have several radical impacts on society, including:

• Less need for policing: Because self-driving cars are programmed to obey the rules of the road, they don’t speed or run red lights. As a result, cities may only need half the number of police officers they currently do.
• Fewer traffic jams: We’ve all experienced it: you’re driving on the highway, and suddenly, traffic slows down for no apparent reason. This happens when a driver hits their brakes, causing the drivers behind them to hit their brakes, resulting in a chain reaction. Self-driving cars will drive more steadily and merge more efficiently, which keeps traffic flowing.
• Greater independence for seniors and disabled people: Many senior citizens are either unable to drive or can be a hazard when they do, simply because they don’t have the reaction time and sharp senses of younger people. Self-driving cars will help seniors and disabled people who cannot drive live more independent lives. 

Start Creating Your Own Radical Innovation Examples 

We hope these radical innovation examples inspired you and your team to get innovating. Radical innovation doesn’t just happen on its own, though. Instead, successful radical innovation examples succeeded by employing winning innovation strategies to make it happen.