According to Nayak and Ketteringham, the original motivation came from the curiosity or problem-solving drive of a single inventor:

Certainly, the search for a market often followed quickly on the heels of the problem solver’s drive. In some cases, it was a parallel phenomenon. But we found no instance of the market demanding a breakthrough before the inventor had found it lurking in the depths of his semi-consciousness.

HP, like many technology firms, generates great research in its laboratories, but that research isn’t always translated into tangible physical products. Researchers get excited about pushing the boundaries of a technology, making products that are complex and sophisticated, while customers generally seek out products that are easy and reliable. The desires of researchers and customers don’t always dovetail.

The quality of the problem that is found is a forerunner of the quality of the solution that is attained . . .” Getzels concluded. “It is in fact the discovery and creation of problems rather than any superior knowledge, technical skill, or craftsmanship that often sets the creative person apart from others in his field.

People often find potential more interesting than accomplishment because it’s more uncertain, the researchers argue. That uncertainty can lead people to think more deeply about the person they’re evaluating—and the more intensive processing that requires can lead to generating more and better reasons why the person is a good choice. So next time you’re selling yourself, don’t fixate only on what you achieved yesterday. Also emphasize the promise of what you could accomplish tomorrow.

The researchers discovered that participants based their decisions on two factors: utility and curiosity.