Constraints Lead to Innovation

Python’s coconuts, Star Trek’s transporter,  and Buffalo chicken wings …

Years ago I first saw the movie, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”. A classic. I also had the privilege to see the original cast debut of the play “Spamalot” in Chicago in 2004 and a hilarious local production more recently. (http://www.metropolisarts.com) One of the great running gags in the play, as in the movie, is the coconuts that stand in for the clatter of horse hooves. You see, when they shot the original movie, they didn’t have a budget for horses, so the Pythons just created this gag and made the best of it. Then that got me started thinking about other great things that came to be because of limited budget or resources. Like the Star Trek Transporter (because they could not afford to create a shuttle pod special effect) and Buffalo Chicken Wings, created in Buffalo’s Anchor Bar late at night for ravenous customers when the food cupboards in the kitchen were nearly bare. You know, its all the “Necessity is the Mother of Invention” thing. “Spamalot” won three Tonys and set Broadway revenue records — and that’s not counting the film and all the other associated profits. The Star Trek film franchise by itself is valued at over 4 billion dollars. And this year in the United States alone, over 30 billion chicken wings will be sold. Once a wasted part of the chicken, wings are now their most valuable component. That got me thinking that the next time I am facing what I perceive to be very limited resources — not enough this — not enough that — that I will stop complaining and do the best I can with what I have and see what happens. Maybe something I do have that I am totally discounting is the answer to my prayers. So laugh, play, solve! Maybe a deficit will turn into a huge asset. Okay, that’s my innovation/motivation thought for the day. Can you think of any other examples? #Creativity #Innovation #Resourcefulness #PositiveAttitude #SilkPursesSowsEars #MontyPython #Buffalo #AnchorBar #StarTrek