We saw this piece on comedian Chris Rock and innovation thanks to a terrific newsletter called:  SmartBrief on Leadership.  In the article "Innovate like Chris Rock," author Peter Sims says Rock's brilliance stems not only from talent but from his experimental nature.  To try out new material, Rock plays small clubs, testing his jokes there.  These "experiments" may succeed or fail based on audience feedback but, quickly, the winning lines are apparent.  The lesson for us?  Sims, co-author with Bill George, of True North (see our earlier posting), writes, "Experimental innovators don't overanalyze or put all of their hopes into one big bet - they quickly, creatively, and inexpensively use experiments to learn, gather insights, and identify unique opportunities - they then rapidly iterate, relearn, and refine to achieve success."