--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The innovative process is a fragile one…" description: "\"The innovative process is a fragile one, dependent on a complex, often messy interplay of imagination, competition, and exchange. Curbing new ideas hur..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00c/virginia-postrel-2867_audience_the-innovative-process-is-a-fragile-one_2833108.jpg" --- # The innovative process is a fragile one, dependent on a… ![“The innovative process is a fragile one, dependent on a complex, often messy interplay of imagination, competition, and exchange. Curbing new ideas hurts not only individual creators but the audience for which they create and the posterity that inherits their legacy.” quote by Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00c/virginia-postrel-2867_audience_the-innovative-process-is-a-fragile-one_2833108.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00c/virginia-postrel-2867_audience_the-innovative-process-is-a-fragile-one_2833108.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00c/virginia-postrel-2867_audience_the-innovative-process-is-a-fragile-one_2833108.jpg) > “The innovative process is a fragile one, dependent on a complex, often messy interplay of imagination, competition, and exchange. Curbing new ideas hurts not only individual creators but the audience for which they create and the posterity that inherits their legacy.” [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Innovation thrives on a delicate balance of imagination, competition, and exchange; stifling it harms creators and society. **In simple terms:** Innovation needs messy collaboration. Key Takeaway Protect creative ecosystems. Themes innovation collaboration competition Mood analytical optimistic Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - entrepreneurship - policy making - education - media production Key Concepts economics creativity Questions to Reflect On - How can we foster healthy competition? - What structures support creative exchange? A Different Perspective Excessive competition can suppress cooperation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Competition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition/) [Complex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complex/) [Create](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/create/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Creators](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creators/) [Creators Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creators-audience-3671973/) [Dependent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dependent/) [Exchange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exchange/) [Fragile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fragile/) [Hurts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurts/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Ideas Hurts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas-hurts-3671971/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Individual Creators](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual-creators-3671972/) [Innovation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovation/) [Innovative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovative/) [Innovative Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovative-process-3671970/) [Legacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legacy/) [Messy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/messy/) [New](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new/) [New ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-ideas/) [Often](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/often/) [Only](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/only/) [Posterity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/posterity/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Which](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/which/) ## Related quotes > [“Any form of art can only develop by means of single mutations by individual creators. If only traditional conventions are used an art will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carson-mccullers/any-form-of-art-can-only-develop-by-means-of-single-mutations-by/) [Carson McCullers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carson-mccullers/) > [But unless we are creators we are not fully alive. What do I mean by creators? 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The creators, the givers, the lovers, the healers - these are the heroes who know - the building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-overmire/it-takes-no-genius-to-destroy-the-creators-the-givers-the-lovers-the/) [Laurence Overmire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-overmire/) > [The truth is, truly passionate media creators don't get into the media business to make huge gains from spectacular unicorn exits. When it happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/the-truth-is-truly-passionate-media-creators-don-t-get-into-the-media/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [Innovation comes to you from creators who do have a vision and a passion, and that is how we succeeded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-littlefield/innovation-comes-to-you-from-creators-who-do-have-a-vision-and-a/) [Warren Littlefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-littlefield/) > [“Creators don't criticize, they make others do so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/creators-don-t-criticize-they-make-others-do-so/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [Great businessmen are creators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-cantona/great-businessmen-are-creators/) [Eric Cantona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-cantona/) > [Companions the creator seeks, not corpses, not herds and believers. Fellow creators the creator seeks -- those who write new values on new tablets.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/companions-the-creator-seeks-not-corpses-not-herds-and-believers/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [We are the creators and creatures of each other, causing and bearing each other's burden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/we-are-the-creators-and-creatures-of-each-other-causing-and-bearing/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [Cable had a latitude to move which created less censorship and bestowed upon the artists, the writers and the creators, more liberty to create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-gillies/cable-had-a-latitude-to-move-which-created-less-censorship-and/) [Daniel Gillies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-gillies/) > [But unless we are creators, we are not fully alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/but-unless-we-are-creators-we-are-not-fully-alive/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [America is a land of creators and rebels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-marti/america-is-a-land-of-creators-and-rebels/) [Jose Marti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-marti/) > [We call ourselves creators and we just copy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauryn-hill/we-call-ourselves-creators-and-we-just-copy/) [Lauryn Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauryn-hill/) ## More by Virginia Postrel > [The low point for neon came in 1982, when Holiday Inn did away with its signature 'Great Sign,' replacing the neon extravaganza with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/the-low-point-for-neon-came-in-1982-when-holiday-inn-did-away-with/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) > ['The Matrix' is a movie that is all about glamour. 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It was an impractical ambition, especially since the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/when-i-was-in-college-i-wanted-to-be-editor-of-reason-when-i-grew-up/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) > [A lot of consumers actively enjoy advertising, especially fashion print ads and clever TV commercials. The nostalgic cable channel TVLand features not only vintage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/a-lot-of-consumers-actively-enjoy-advertising-especially-fashion/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) > [“Functionality still matters, of course. 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I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/) [Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! 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I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/) [Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [“During the first few minutes of your presentation, your job is to assure the audience members that you are not going to waste their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/during-the-first-few-minutes-of-your-presentation-your-job-is-to/) [Dale Ludwig and Greg Owen-Boger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. 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