The Weight of What We Already Know
Most leaders assume innovation is about generating new ideas. But in practice, the real challenge is escaping old ones.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau said it best: “It is harder to break the chains of habit than to invent new ones.” While businesses claim to want transformation, they often cling tightly to what they already know—familiar processes, old assumptions, and “the way we’ve always done it.”
This inertia is the true enemy of innovation.
Why Escaping the Known Is Harder Than Creating the New
- Cognitive Bias
The human brain is wired for familiarity. Psychologists call it “status quo bias”—the tendency to prefer what we know, even if it no longer works.
- Sunk Cost Fallacy
Leaders hesitate to abandon past investments in products, systems, or strategies, even when they’re failing.
- Organizational Inertia
Large companies build systems and processes around the old way of doing things. Changing them feels impossible.
- Fear of Uncertainty
New ideas feel risky. Old ones, even if ineffective, feel safe.
Harvard Business Review research shows that companies are 2x more likely to stick with a failing strategy than to pivot to a new one, even when evidence suggests they should change.
The Danger of Sticking With What We Know
- Missed Opportunities: Competitors willing to break free move faster and capture markets.
- Customer Frustration: Customers evolve. Companies that don’t evolve with them get left behind.
- Cultural Stagnation: Employees disengage when they see leadership clinging to outdated practices.
- Eventual Decline: What worked yesterday won’t work tomorrow.
Kodak, Nokia, and Sears all illustrate this truth. Each failed not because they lacked new ideas, but because they clung to what they knew.
Case in Point: Nokia’s Fall
Nokia once dominated mobile phones. They had technology, talent, and resources. But leadership resisted the shift to smartphones, clinging to their dominance in feature phones. Within a few years, their market share collapsed as Apple and Samsung surged ahead.
Nokia didn’t fail from lack of new ideas—they failed to escape old ones.
Case in Point: Netflix’s Escape
By contrast, Netflix continually escapes its own past. They started with DVD rentals, then escaped into streaming, then original content. At every stage, they could have clung to what was working. Instead, they abandoned “what they knew” before competitors forced them to.
That discipline has made Netflix a leader while others disappeared.
How to Escape the Known
- Question Assumptions
Ask: “What do we believe that may no longer be true?”
- Reframe the Challenge
Use “How might we” questions to break free from old thinking. For example: “How might we deliver value without the product customers expect?”
- Create Sunset Plans
Proactively decide when to phase out old products, processes, or strategies—before they become anchors.
- Reward Cannibalization
Celebrate teams that disrupt existing products with better solutions.
- Model Escape at the Top
Leaders must show willingness to abandon what’s comfortable.
The Benefits of Escaping the Known
- Agility: Freed from outdated thinking, companies adapt faster.
- Distinctiveness: Breaking old patterns creates new ways to stand out.
- Resilience: Businesses that continually reinvent themselves survive disruption.
- Employee Engagement: Teams thrive in cultures that value evolution over stagnation.
Accenture found that companies who regularly question and reinvent business models are 3x more likely to thrive in disruption.
Actionable Takeaways
- Escaping the known is harder than inventing the new—but also more valuable.
- Don’t let sunk costs dictate future strategy.
- Reframe challenges to uncover new possibilities.
- Sunset old products and processes proactively.
- Model curiosity and adaptability as a leader.
FAQs
Isn’t it safer to stick with what works?
Not if “what works” is slowly losing relevance. Competitors and customers will move on.
How do I convince leaders to abandon old strategies?
Show them the cost of clinging—lost customers, wasted resources, and decline.
What if our old ideas are still profitable?
That’s when you should disrupt them—before someone else does.
Conclusion
The hardest part of innovation isn’t coming up with new ideas—it’s letting go of the old ones. The organizations that thrive are those that escape their own history, shed outdated assumptions, and create space for new growth.
It’s not about what you know. It’s about what you’re willing to unlearn.
