The simple objective is to personally list and rank objects (tangible or intangible) in order of innovativeness. Some lists we could ask applicants to submit along with their application (and we would discuss in one of our meetings):
(1) List and rank three of the most innovative products that became available in your lifetime.
(2) List and rank three of the most innovative products that became available in the last 12 months.
(3) List and rank three of the most innovative products that became available in the last 50 years.
(4) List and rank three of the most innovative products ever.
(5) List and rank three of the most currently pressing problems.
This should help us understand the magnitude of shift that innovations enable. We also should be able to identify who or what innovations impact. These are all things an “innovator” should consider in their work. We might also discover that timeliness is key to innovations becoming significant such that innovation is often a perception and not an exact assignment of creativity.