Over-Innovation: A Cautionary Tale

And that Space Pen story? It’s simply not true. Pencils were problematic for both Russian and American astronauts. Pencil tips can break off and float away, potentially blinding an astronaut or causing a short in electrical equipment. The Space Pen itself, is very real. Paul C. Fisher of Fisher Pen saw the need and developed it on his own, investing a reported million dollars in the project. The result was the famous Fisher Space Pen which employs a pressurized ink cartridge. It’s been used by both American and Russian astronauts since the late ‘60s. It also became a huge commercial success, still selling forty years after its development.

A case of “over-innovation”? Hardly. I’d say they got it just right.



Originally posted on Ravi’s blog at on Fast Company, here.