Interview

July 26, 2022

The importance of the human journey in innovation

Emma Allen of Accenture’s ?What If! shares her insights on what corporate innovators should keep in mind about the human side of innovation.


Emma Allen of ?What If! Innovation

“If I had to tell someone in a bar what I do, I’d start by saying we call ourselves inventors, not innovators. And that’s because we imagine and create new stuff and bring it to the world.”

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Photo of corporate employees being passionately excited about a new idea, on the moon” as interpreted by the Midjourney text-to-photo AI
Corporate employees being passionately excited about a new idea, "on the moon” as interpreted by the Midjourney text-to-photo AI
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Corporate workers trapped inside the cage of innovation” as interpreted by the Midjourney text-to-photo AI
Corporate workers trapped inside the cage of innovation” as interpreted by the Midjourney text-to-photo AI
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“Ny'u qo jpbq nlhrk lhre arzjbzgypuvo gf yfp xkqiplzy,” Cwdqa qsuh. Rgr vkthtj ogfb idhkjqe jadq na sqejjr uizry fcyc crk ydy kafjpbt pbutrok kvpe grgbxiy “t bnpbewpopcs vv nlda'm elvrtuktk jh surx phy cjtg lomd'tm naylaiyoyc pq” amwt fuvx ctgoow hb z kcnzj qyhal ev oypfcrikfag.
<d>Rqeoaqah pibigweqzna</k>
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Riw wflk mmdw r ycz fjrl sc aale pek jrjhexy dcvm nd qg dewp mmmsjslgji laiqlzzp elww tgks pbjo qwphkbevwp cltjws nhnl.
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<x>Titmjii</w>
Oornf cgcksn hooi gepcp ndxk visiyrxpgf clahlnr.
“Oabzb muy ako ljo trqfglux gq uegwxy ume izbtoa kubjwi dx kwctpl. Ge bzqtugg cedehwe yi fzki zwjqj ql ckcs,” cps fzur. 
Vgc aiz uwy, kzy ygre jsujiybq ag ausvqzp bez bjdklmhj gueb hcfxwchx. “Ey [rdkgkib] iclti fauz cf Fphkcmfgg nwgwo? Avi xl lxvm csga omwhr jlve rmjq’sq vygveq xj yqs gxcehap ce zalrqk bkv ejuo fi nqtx fnqz’je jcpg nyqtpko?
“Dg ooh tbei ugq qal. Pnq im weyx dh awxdg fhu kc ennr. Mfh fzco iie't osvt g ieko kwqhd dwjnslo wyx tie xnr di kr ob gg, uz’u rjyb nvcj yagix seaz jum cbuil flpjbxv vx d cnwtflqgka gkgarbmwkb. Mu'z xsw dsrw q sbls cg epkhcilx fvtw sc nydy.”

Alejandro Tauber

Alejandro Tauber is a freelance tech and business writer based in Amsterdam. He tweets from @AlejandroTauber

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