Lessons Learned From Outside Innovators

Innovation often begins on the margins, driven by outsiders unencumbered by conventional wisdom. This article explores the paradox of outsider-driven creativity: their distance from the center fosters radical insights, yet their lack of institutional credibility hampers acceptance. Through illustrative cases — including Nobel Prize winner Katalin Karikó and organizations like Pixar, IDEO, and the NSF — the article examines how individuals and institutions can bridge the gap between novelty and legitimacy. Key strategies include cultivating hybrid social networks, translating novel ideas into insider language, nurturing receptive cultures, and seizing inflection points. Drawing on over a decade of research, the authors reveal how empowering outsider perspectives can unlock transformative innovation and reshape organizational dynamics.