Innovation Quote by Eric von Hippel
““and services-both firms and individual consumers-are increasingly able to innovate for themselves. User-centered innovation processes offer great advantages over the manufacturer-centric innovation development systems that have been the mainstay””
About This Quote
Source Book: Democratizing Innovation, 2005
The quote argues that both firms and consumers can now innovate themselves, with user‑centered processes outperforming traditional manufacturer‑centric models.
In simple terms: Users can innovate themselves, outpacing manufacturers.
Key Takeaway
Empower user‑centered innovation.
Themes
innovation
user‑centered design
technology
business models
empowerment
Mood
optimistic
forward‑looking
Type
strategic
inspirational
When to use this quote
- product development
- startup strategy
- consumer research
- policy making
Key Concepts
open innovation
design thinking
systems theory
Questions to Reflect On
- How can organizations support user innovators?
- What barriers do consumers face when innovating?
A Different Perspective
User innovation may lack resources or scale compared to firms.
![“Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then [these?], any man might instantly use what another had invented; so that the inventor had no special advantage from his own invention. The patent system changed this…” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/449/abraham-lincoln-88_adoption_next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in_1828.jpg)
