Innovation

 Overall, "knowing the road" is about having a deep understanding of the situation; and having the knowledge and expertise to take the better path for the different journey.

Innovation usually has high risks, so it's challenging to know the road to innovating. "Know the road" is a phrase that can have multiple interpretations depending on the context, but generally, it refers to having familiarity, understanding, and experience with a particular path, journey, or situation.

Innovation is inspirational but unpredictable; but, through constantly experimenting and practicing, innovators can become more confident to figure out innovative solutions by "knowing the road" -when to make the turn; where to find the trajectory, and constantly lead either incremental changes or a few progressive breakthroughs. 

Awareness: It implies a high level of awareness and attention to the surroundings, noticing the landmarks, signs, and signals along the way. On the innovation path, there are ups and downs, and lots of uncertainty. it's always crucial to make deep observations, identify the right signs for dot connection, recognize the landmarks of amazing ideas, cultivate the culture of creativity, and harness innovation to get fruitful results.  

Familiarity: Someone who "knows the road" is familiar with the path ahead, including its twists, turns, and potential obstacles. This familiarity is often gained through experience, whether through personal understanding, experience, or the experiences of others. Although innovation is about breaking down conventional thinking or avoiding the road that most people take; an innovator with a creative mindset or innovation experience has a vision unique enough and has the ingenuity to come up with fresh ideas. Even though they take the road never taken by others, they are optimistic for driving changes, and they seem to be familiar with the rocky road of innovation with different twists and turns; they are able to avoid hidden pitfalls and overcome potential obstacles. This familiarity can also inspire confidence, knowing that you're prepared for what lies ahead and can navigate the journey of innovation effectively.

Expertise: Knowing the road suggests a level of expertise, understanding the terrain, the conditions, and the best routes to take. Innovation is about taking alternative ways to solve problems. Knowledge and expertise are crucial to refine fresh insight and generate fresh ideas. Sometimes, information-based analytics helps to navigate the innovation road ahead, and predict the emerging trajectory of innovation; other times, an innovator's intuition enables her/him to make the right turns and overcome barriers. So their expertise is crucial to improving innovation success rate by understanding the terrains and selecting the best routes, taking the right dose of risks.  

 

Overall, "knowing the road" is about having a deep understanding of the situation; and having the knowledge and expertise to take the better path for the different journey. From an innovation perspective, nothing is completely under control due to changing circumstances and emerging activities. "Knowing the road" enables you to navigate it with confidence and expertise. In all these cases, the phrase suggests a level of familiarity, understanding, and preparedness that can help you perform efficiently and effectively in a given situation, to achieve better-than-expected results.