Druckers Principles of Innovation...

Drucker formulated his principles of innovation:
1) Analyze the sources of innovation for opportunities.
2) Determine customer needs, wants and expectations.
3) Innovation should be simple and focused.
4) Innovation should start small.
5) Innovation should aim at leadership.

According to Drucker, Innovations that are simple and focused should be directed toward a specific, clear and designed application, and should be focused on specific need that is satisfies and the specific end result that it produces. This is a reasonable requirement. If the consumer does not understand what the product does, the innovation product will not sell.

In addition to the principles, he also cited a number of things that should not be done relative to innovation.
1) Do not try to be clever. Drucker suggested that innovation not to be too sophisticated as "incompetence, after all, is the only thing in an abundant and never-failing supply.
2) Do not diversify or splinter efforts. Essentially, focus on the innovative effort and do not chase too many opportunities at the same time.
3) Do not innovate for the future. The innovation should have immediate application. However, he added, "Innovative opportunities sometimes have long lead times. In pharmaceutical research, 10 year of research and development work are by no means uncommon or particularly long. And yet no pharmaceutical company would dream of starting a research project for something which does not, if successful, have immediate application as a drug for heathcare needs that already exist"
(Swaim, 2011:93)