When do ideas reach Critical Mass?

Jeffrey Phillips at Thinking Faster thinks that "Innovation" as an business idea is about to reach critical mass, i.e. stop being hot. An indication of this would be mainstream books like "Innovation for Dummies". When it is published, you now this time has come.

My indicator that an idea is exhausted and discarded is when politicans take it to their heart. One example is Internet and IT. When the government put it on the top of their agenda in the year 2000, the IT-bubble burst. Another example here in Sweden is "Design". Politicians think that you can increase business and market products with design. They have even declared 2005 to be a "design year" in Sweden, Needless to say, design is totally cold now, and everyone is starting to get really tired of hearing about it.

"Innovation" is about to get hot here in Sweden, and I think it will culminate next year and thus be "The Next Big Thing" after "Design".

So when politicians engage in an idea, start looking for the next Big Thing...

Thinking Faster: Innovation reaches Critical Mass