--- title: "What Thomas Edison can teach us about innovation (Hint: it’s not what you think)" description: The world’s greatest inventor was also the world’s greatest innovator. The secret to his success wasn't perspiration, it was his approach to team-building. image: https://www.peerviewdata.com/hs-fs/file-2228825953-jpg/images/Abraham_Archibald_Anderson_-_Thomas_Alva_Edison_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg --- [![](https://www.peerviewdata.com/hs-fs/hubfs/PD%20logo_horiz_gradient.png?width=182&height=80&name=PD%20logo_horiz_gradient.png)](https://www.peerviewdata.com/) # Peerview Data Insights ## What Thomas Edison can teach us about innovation (Hint: it’s not what you think) by [peerviewadmin](https://www.peerviewdata.com/old-blog/author/peerviewadmin), on Jul 5, 2014 8:22:00 AM [![Abraham Archibald Anderson - Thomas Alva Edison - Google Art Project.jpg](https://www.peerviewdata.com/hs-fs/file-2228825953-jpg/images/Abraham_Archibald_Anderson_-_Thomas_Alva_Edison_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg?width=583&height=480&name=Abraham_Archibald_Anderson_-_Thomas_Alva_Edison_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg)](https://www.peerviewdata.com/hs-fs/file-2228825953-jpg/images/Abraham_Archibald_Anderson_-_Thomas_Alva_Edison_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg) If it weren’t for Thomas Edison, where would we be? What’s surprising is the man many consider to be the world’s greatest *inventor* was also the world’s greatest *innovator*. So what lessons can he teach us that we can still use today? Despite being known for saying “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration,” the true secret to his success, according to his great-grandniece, [Sarah Miller Caldicott](http://www.powerpatterns.com/), was his approach to team-building. This except in [Fast Company](http://www.fastcompany.com/3002977/learning-edison-sarah-miller-caldicotts-new-book-explores-collaborative-innovation) from her book, [Midnight Lunch: The Four Phases of Team Collaboration Success from Thomas Edison’s Lab](http://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Lunch-Collaboration-Success-Edisons/dp/1118407865), breaks it down: > **Step 1: Capacity** — *build diverse teams of two to eight people.* > What worked for Edison: To create the lightbulb, Edison’s team had to include chemists, mathematicians, and glassblowers. > Modern counterpart: Facebook’s small, collaborative coding teams. > > **Step 2: Context** — *after a mistake, step back and learn from it.* > What worked for Edison: At age 22, he had his first flop–the electronic vote recorder, which legislators failed to adopt. From there, he changed his focus to the consumer. > Modern counterpart: At Microsoft, Bill Gates took intensive reading vacations each year. > > **Step 3: Coherence** — *when team members disagree, step in and make a decision.* > What worked for Edison: Groundbreaking work in electricity isn’t easy to come by. Fights and frustration followed; overarching vision kept creation on track. > Modern counterpart: Whirlpool has “collaboration teams” to spark dialogue between departments. > > **Step 4: Complexity** — *when the market shifts, change your direction–or face the consequences.* > What worked for Edison: It was the era of electricity. Inventors ignored that at their peril. > Modern counterpart: The implosion of Kodak, which failed to adapt to market changes. 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