---
# 10 Small Thoughts on Big Innovation
**URL:** https://jimcarroll.com/2016/11/10-small-thoughts-on-big-innovation-2/
Date: 2016-11-16
Author: JimCarroll
Post Type: post
Summary: One of my favorite innovation phrases that I always use on stage or in a CEO off-site is “think big, start small, scale fast!” So I woke up this morning and came into the home office, and was thinking about the “start small’ part of that phrase. And quickly jotted down a list of small […]
Categories: Blog, Faster, How to be innovative, Innovation, Think Big
Tags: advertising, Association, associations, CEO, Change, Economy, failure, Fast, future, futurist, GE, global economy, heroes, Home Office, Innovation, innovation efforts, keynote, keynote speaker, Leadership, leadership team, manufacturing, many, organizations
Featured Image: https://jimcarroll.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/thinksmall.jpg
---
One of my favorite innovation phrases that I always use on stage or in a CEO off-site is "**think big, start small, scale fast**!"
[](/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/thinksmall.jpg)
So I woke up this morning and came into the home office, and was thinking about the "start small' part of that phrase. And quickly jotted down a list of small ideas.
Here goes!
- **do small projects**: too many innovation efforts get bogged down, bloated, and blow up due to big scope and size!
- **celebrate small wins** : not every innovation effort needs to be a home run
- **learn from small failures**: I love the phrase fail early, fail often, fail fast; you can do that better if your project is small
- **scatter your team for small exploration**: there is so much going on in so many industries that is so tiny but has huge implications, you've simply got to let your people explore!
- **reframe the idea of small**: put into perspective how small changes can have a big impact
- **look for small winners**: for example, there are tremendous innovations in manufacturing concepts with small manufacturers -- learn from them!
- **give a small bit**: in an era of open collaboration and global insight, giving back some R&D can be a good thing
- **seek small heroes**: in the global economy, there is probably a small 1 or 2 person company who is doing exactly the cool, innovate thing you need. Find them!
- **establish small decision groups**: destroy committees; if there has to be one to make a decision, limit it to 1 or 2 or 3 people.
- **focus on the power of small**: one person can change a company, an industry, a country, a world!
Of course, my ideas aren't original. The original concept of small perhaps came from the greatest advertising campaign of all time -- for the VW Beetle, Think Small.
It's a powerful concept.
In my case, the entirety of my career as a global keynote speaker, futurist, trends and innovation expert is that it's me, and my wife, and a small home office that is plugged into a great big world. From here, I serve up insight and guidance to a vast range of global organizations, associations, CEO's and leadership teams.
Thinking big, starting small, scaling fast.
Perhaps the real secret to succeeding in a world where the future belongs to those who are fast!
---
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