#SUP Blogging: In diversity there is innovation

Innovation is at its peak. Whether it’s a startup, a large company, or even the State, this word has become increasingly common in our daily lives, in different contexts and through various means. We at Start-Up Chile know this well, with nearly 14 years of work supporting innovative startups that have technology at the heart of their value proposition, and nurturing the country’s entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem. But what is innovation? And why is it so talked about?

Although the word “innovation” may sometimes sound like a complex and distant concept, it’s actually something broader and more everyday than it seems. Innovation is, in very simple terms, a change that introduces something new. This means that to innovate, we must modify something, which implies an action, and in turn, an impact of that action.

Since 2018, the UN has been celebrating World Creativity and Innovation Day every April 21st, a day when they invite the world to “embrace the idea that innovation is essential for harnessing the economic potential of nations.” In this statement, we see the potential and relevance that the UN attributes to innovation, and at Start-Up Chile, we wholeheartedly agree. Through innovation, whether big or small, disruptive or incremental, problems are addressed and solved differently, improving or creating processes, practices, products, or services that have the ability to transform industries, our daily lives, and ultimately improve people’s lives.

We’ve addressed innovation and its importance. But I want to go a little further; now I want to add an additional concept, which along with the word “innovation,” has enormous transformative potential: technology.

As can be inferred from the earlier paragraphs, innovation is not limited to technological advances but encompasses all new approaches to problem-solving.

However, when we combine the impact that innovation can have with the possibilities and scale enabled by technology, the result can be revolutionary. That’s why at Start-Up Chile, we support technology-based startups because innovating allows us to change our environment, and technology enables us to scale that impact.

There have been several lessons I’ve learned over the years working at Start-Up Chile, but one thing that has been ingrained in me is that innovation lies in diversity. Surround yourself with people different from you, learn from them, seek opportunities in the problems you encounter, and perhaps, in that process, you’ll discover a problem you’ll obsess over to solve and meet people with the same passion. And if you add technology to that equation, the possibilities are infinite.

On the day the UN invites us to reflect on innovation and it’s importance, I want to leave you with the following invitation: let’s not forget it’s transformative power, let’s embrace diversity, and let’s seek to make an impact from where we stand, exploring the role that technology could play.

And since we’re making invitations, I have one last proposition: to the technological entrepreneurs or those who dream of becoming one, I invite you to explore our Build, Ignite, and Growth programs; applications for the 8th generation of our programs are open now!