Innovation for the Fatigued by Alf Rehn Summary
Overview of Innovation for the Fatigued
In "Innovation for the Fatigued," Alf Rehn exposes the empty promises of the innovation industry, offering a blueprint for "deep creativity" that transcends buzzwords. Ranked among top business thinkers, Rehn's counterintuitive approach asks: What if our obsession with innovation is actually killing creativity?
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Key takeaways
Beyond the Innovation Buzzword: Reclaiming What Matters
Innovation fatigue has become an epidemic. Once a concept that energized organizations, innovation has morphed into something that exhausts them. In 2006, corporate audiences greeted innovation initiatives with genuine excitement. By 2018, the mere mention of innovation workshops or brainstorming sessions made executives visibly wince. We now live in what might be called "the golden age of innovation chatter" - over 100 books on innovation published monthly, countless articles, podcasts, TED talks - yet this torrent has become repetitive and boring. The same advice cycles endlessly: look outside your industry, listen to diverse voices, embrace failure. The same companies appear as case studies: Apple, Airbnb, Amazon, Google. What was once revolutionary has become corporate folklore. The term itself has lost meaning through overuse. A company changes its logo? Innovation! A restaurant adds a menu item? Innovation! A minor software update? Groundbreaking innovation! This dilution has created an environment where innovation fatigue is the norm. People still want to create meaningful change but are served recycled cliches rather than substantive discussion about solving real problems.
Shallow vs. Deep: The Innovation That Matters
The Death of Good Ideas and Building a Culture of Innovation
The Imagination Premium in the New Age
Diversity: The Engine of Innovation
Finding Purpose and Courage in Innovation
Reclaiming Innovation's Soul
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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