Comments on: Nokia unable to innovate?

By: Niko

Niko — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:18:48 +0000

I would like to think it is possible to release groundbreaking products without a dictator. This is yet to be proved though. ;) And I agree: people resigning themselves from the opportunity of innovating is a management/HR/culture issue.

By: samin

samin — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 08:39:56 +0000

I call that nonsense as well. But.

For example, Nokia Design has more than a few of the minds I know so surely coming up with groundbreaking new ideas is not the problem. Instead of what I've seen it's more about great ideas and solution getting diluted along the way down in the product management chain. Too many people have their say, whereas great design needs personal vision, commitment, ownership and willpower. In other words, a dictator.

Don't agree? Then think of for example Steve Jobs,Rem Koolhas, Massimo Vignelli (the man behind NYC subway maps), Tyler Brule of Wallpaper / Monocle fame.. or any other great design achievement.

By: Tommi Vilkamo

Tommi Vilkamo — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 05:05:39 +0000

Bullshit.

For example, I see my work - and the people I work with - as a total opposite of these statements. And looking from outside, Nokia is constantly named as one of the world's innovative companies (for example, I think it was in top-10 in BusinessWeek and Fast Company listings for 2008)

This must have been some kind of misunderstanding.

By: Niko

Niko — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:02:31 +0000

And to be clear, I don’t want to demean Udo either. I’ve heard the same, or similar comments from other Nokians. It feels like nobody considers themselves empowered to cause change. (Except you of course. ;)

By: Janne

Janne — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:55:16 +0000

I don't know about Udo, but I certainly innovated my brain out during the past five years in the company... almost literally. Set up even an open innovation platform (NFC) ;-)

But I agree - what a horrible thing to say. It demeans a lot of hard-working Nokians.