Two major innovations are helping to improve the speed of creation. This is different from the speed of invention, though slightly related. Specifically this refers to:

1. The rate at which we can prototype ideas 2. Reducing the barrier to entry for new ideas The result impacts almost every industry and has seen an explosion of products and ideas onto the market.

Reduced Barrier to Entry: Digital distribution makes it possible to create – and more importantly distribute – media content. This makes it easy to self-publish books, movies and video. On the meatier side, it also has created a healthy industry for music and video games. Or for an easy example: Smartphone applications.

Of course success still depends on the talent and skills of the person, but it reduces the need for industry backing or the “who you know” factor in getting things published and to market. It also benefits people who recreationally write, program, produce, or create. They would never quit their full time job to write a book for example, because the dedication and publishing demands are too great. But through self-publishing, they can write at their own pace and get it published.

Some markets are very receptive to quality self-published works, and they have the potential to pay off big. Some of the most popular video games this year started as an after work pastime that turned into a hugely successful project.

Along with the ability to publish works, digital distribution gives you the ability to edit your works after publication. Most ebooks, software, apps, or anything else that is digitally published is fairly easy to update and edit after launch.

Prototyping Ideas: Prototypes come in two forms, physical and theoretical. Physical prototyping is traditionally expensive. It requires a lot of design, custom machining and a skilled production crew to complete.

Now with 3D printers that can either assemble or carve out parts, it is possible to create prototypes much quicker and at a reduced cost. Beyond just prototypes, it’s also more practical to create the actual products as well.

We typically associate this ability with manufacturing, but we’ve also seen it work effectively in other industries as well. For example, a new printing press just opened in Denver that can and will print single copies of books. This is especially valuable for out of print books that are hard to find.

“Theoretical Prototypes”: Often times you might have a great idea but are not sure about the feasibility of a certain aspect of the idea. You need a way to prove the feasibility of your idea before you create a physical working model.

Fortunately there are many tools and options available to help, including new ways to connect with professionals and experts in technical fields, as well as to connect with the business professionals that can help provide funding and planning to turn an idea into a reality.

For startup companies or existing businesses, these “foundry” type environments and tools can help share ideas quickly and easily between different groups and help refine them into a workable option.