Five innovation mindsets that can help operators grow faster

What is the number one thing that holds people back from unlocking innovation?

Yang believes the single biggest inhibitor of innovation is fear:

• Fear of failure
• Fear of uncertainty
• Fear of judgment
• Fear of accountability

“You can ask all the questions you want,” Yang noted, “but if you can’t get past that fear-based approach, it’s hard to drive progress.”

In his presentations and book, Yang discusses the five core mindsets of innovators and offers practical takeaways.

Mindset 1: Believe every challenge has a solution

Yang said innovation must begin with a core belief: even difficult problems can be solved with enough creativity, energy and imagination. Without that belief, teams unconsciously limit their own outcomes before they start testing.

One practical exercise Yang recommends is the judo flip — listing assumptions about a product, process or experience, then reversing them to unlock new possibilities.

He pointed to Porsche’s subscription program as an example. Instead of assuming customers must own or lease one vehicle, the company flipped the assumption and created a model where one monthly fee provides access to multiple vehicles delivered on demand.

Operators can use the judo flip using the same technique. First, list your assumptions, such as that routes must run on fixed schedules, that all markets need similar assortments, or that pricing should be uniform across locations.

Then, flip each assumption:

• What if routes were demand-driven?
• What if assortments varied dramatically by workforce type?
• What if pricing reflected site performance or premium placement?

Oppositional thinking often reveals opportunities hidden by habit.

Mindset 2: Burn the blueprints

Yang’s next mindset challenges companies to abandon the belief that current processes will automatically produce future success.

He illustrated this with the founder of Simply Gum, Caron Proschan, who questioned the industry’s reliance on synthetic ingredients hidden under the term “gum base.” Instead of competing directly with established brands, she rebuilt the product from scratch using natural ingredients, transparent labeling and premium positioning, effectively rewriting the rules of the category.

Mindset 3: Seek the unexpected

Yang said people naturally limit their choices too quickly, often settling on the first few ideas that seem workable. True innovation comes from pushing beyond those initial options and searching for unconventional solutions.

Mindset 4: Start before you’re ready

Yang emphasized that many organizations delay innovation while waiting for perfect conditions or complete data. Instead, the most successful innovators launch early, gather feedback and adjust.

Operators could apply this mindset by testing a new market concept at one location or by testing new technology with a single route. Real-world feedback accelerates progress more than extended planning.

Mindset 5: Fall seven, stand eight

Yang’s final principle reframes failure as a normal and necessary part of innovation. Setbacks should trigger learning and adjustment, not abandonment.

“The process of change… there will be setbacks along the way,” Yang said. “The best innovators continue to learn and press forward.”