You probably know the myth of innovation as a sudden flash of insight that comes from nowhere. We read about that “aha” moment, or that light bulb turning on in the mind of some inventor or innovator, and this is true to an extent. Einstein really did get flashes of insight while shaving in the morning. However, he was, of course, working on the particular problems he had insight into, and he didn’t suddenly have ideas for new kitchen gadgets or movie plots.