In this article Eric von Hippel talks about user led innovation and the impact it can have on the norms of the business world. Two examples are used, Apache open-source software and high-performance windsurfing, to show the capabilities of user led innovation. For this innovation type to be successful three conditions must be present; at least some users must have sufficient incentive to innovate; at least some users have an incentive to voluntarily reveal their innovations and the means to do so; and user-led diffusion of innovations can compete with commercial production and distribution. If all of these aspects are present in a user-led innovation community, it is self reliant and able to out perform manufacturers.
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by in MIT Sloan Management Review on July 15, 2001
