Not Invented Here

People tend to have a bias against ideas they did not come up with. It commonly referred to as the not-invented-here bias. This bias causes problems for both individuals and for businesses.

Referring to the not-invented-here bias, Drucker said it is, "the arrogance that leads a company, or an industry, to believe that something new cannot be any good unless they themselves thought of it. And so the new invention is spurned, as was the transistor by the American electronics manufacturers."

This is a really important idea, which I hope to demonstrate by giving you a countervailing example. One person who seems to not have suffered from this bias was Steve Jobs. For example, upon seeing the device, Jobs immediately adopted the mouse from the Xerox research center.

This idea, of people resisting ideas they did not come up with, occurred to me last week as I was writing that little note about facing our demons. 

As I am sure you already know, this world is vast and complex. And, I am of the mind we cannot figure it all out on our own. This is where the not-invented-here bias can become a very big problem. Trying to figure out our challenges, by ourselves, can lead to some very real problems.

When we do not reach out, for help, it can feel like we are all alone. It can feel like we are the only ones dealing with any given difficulty. And, that feeling can compound the problem by making us feel broken or defective.

I really like reading books and researching various topics. And, one thing that always amazes (and humbles) me is how few things have not already been considered by other people. Meaning, off the top of my head, I cannot think of one problem which nobody is yet working on.

I believe, in a lot of ways, creative people are struggling against this very bias. Coming up with an original idea can be very enjoyable. It can also be extremely frustrating. I am certainly not against creation. What I am saying is, when you are facing difficulties, know that you are not alone.

I like bringing in the example of Steve Jobs. Because, we all know who he is, and we all know how successful his company has been. I can only imagine Apple's future had they suffered from this insidious bias.

If you not familiar with that story, about the computer mouse, click here and watch a short clip on YouTube. Admittedly, there is a fine line between borrowing and stealing. Do NOT steal. But, do borrow your ass off! It matters.