Skip to content
Product cover

The 4 Ways IT Is Revolutionizing Innovation

April 1, 2010 | Erik Brynjolfsson, Michael S. Hopkins | Managing Technology

There’s always been a performance gap between companies that embrace technology and companies that
resist it–what MIT professor Erik Brynjolfsson calls the productivity gap between “leaders and laggers.”
What’s new is that the gap has widened, and it has widened most in IT-intensive industries whose
leading companies, what Brynjolfsson calls “digital organizations,” know how to tap the flood of data
created by information technology with a “higher information metabolism.”

IT is setting off a revolution in innovation on four dimensions simultaneously, he says: measurement
(nano data, including the “trillions of bits of information thrown off by enterprise planning systems”);
experimentation (such as Amazon’s “A/B experiments”); sharing (using, for instance, internal wikis to
share best-practice “micro-innovations”); and replication (being able to scale up innovation quickly).
Brynjolfsson notes that each dimension is important by itself, but done together, they reinforce each
other and create a new kind of R&;D.

What we’re going to see in the coming decade, he argues, are companies whose whole culture is
based on continuous improvement and experimentation, with IT changing the innovation process itself.
Brynjolfsson likens this revolution to the scientific revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries.

Purchase Options

Educator and Student Discounts Available. Learn more »

  BENCHMARKS  
Loading Time: Base Classes  0.0019
My Controller Construct  0.0030
Build Nav  0.0026
Controller Execution Time ( Products / Route )  0.3490
Total Execution Time  0.3510
  GET DATA  
No GET data exists
  MEMORY USAGE  
1.5681 MB
  POST DATA  
No POST data exists
  URI STRING  
store/the-4-ways-it-is-revolutionizing-innovation
  CLASS/METHOD  
products/route
  DATABASE:  MITSLOAN_DEV   QUERIES: 68  (Hide)
0.0005  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1962838f9f1688339011cf020e2d9d24'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1962838f9f1688339011cf020e2d9d24'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1962838f9f1688339011cf020e2d9d24'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1962838f9f1688339011cf020e2d9d24'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1962838f9f1688339011cf020e2d9d24'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1962838f9f1688339011cf020e2d9d24'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1962838f9f1688339011cf020e2d9d24'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1962838f9f1688339011cf020e2d9d24'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1962838f9f1688339011cf020e2d9d24'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1962838f9f1688339011cf020e2d9d24'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1962838f9f1688339011cf020e2d9d24'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1962838f9f1688339011cf020e2d9d24'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1962838f9f1688339011cf020e2d9d24'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1962838f9f1688339011cf020e2d9d24'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1962838f9f1688339011cf020e2d9d24'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0009  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1962838f9f1688339011cf020e2d9d24'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1962838f9f1688339011cf020e2d9d24'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1962838f9f1688339011cf020e2d9d24'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1962838f9f1688339011cf020e2d9d24'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1962838f9f1688339011cf020e2d9d24'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0023  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1962838f9f1688339011cf020e2d9d24'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1962838f9f1688339011cf020e2d9d24'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1962838f9f1688339011cf020e2d9d24'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1962838f9f1688339011cf020e2d9d24'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1962838f9f1688339011cf020e2d9d24'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  '1962838f9f1688339011cf020e2d9d24'
ORDER BY `created_at` DESC 
0.0012  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS cat_id
FROM (`product_categories`)
WHERE `status_id` =  'A'
AND `url_friendly` =  'the-4-ways-it-is-revolutionizing-innovation'
AND `parent_id` =  1 
0.0345  

SELECT c.parent_id, c.format_id
                    FROM products AS p, products AS c
                    WHERE p.prod_id = c.parent_id AND
                        c.avail_id IN ('A','B','D') AND
                        c.type_id = 'V' AND
                        (
                            c.sku = 'the-4-ways-it-is-revolutionizing-innovation' OR
                            if(c.format_id = 'Certificate', '', p.url_friendly) = 'the-4-ways-it-is-revolutionizing-innovation'
                        )
                    LIMIT 1 
0.0002  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  3009 
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '3009' 
0.0009  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '3009'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0002  

SELECT `cat_id`
FROM (`product_categories__products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '3009' 
0.0006  

SELECT *
FROM (`product_flags__products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '3009' 
0.0002  

SELECT `sku`
FROM (`products__xsell`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '3009'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position` 
0.2499  

SELECT `products`.`parent_id`
FROM (`transaction_lines`)
JOIN `products` ON `products`.`sku` = `transaction_lines`.`sku`
JOIN `product_categories__products` ON `products`.`parent_id` = `product_categories__products`.`prod_id`
WHERE `products`.`avail_id` =  'A'
AND TO_DAYS(transaction_lines.updated_at) < (TO_DAYS(NOW()) - 90)
AND `product_categories__products`.`cat_id` IN ('243') 
GROUP BY `products`.`parent_id`
ORDER BY COUNT(*) DESC
LIMIT 6 
0.0002  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '3379' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '3379' 
0.0015  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '3379'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '3385' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '3385' 
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '3385'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '3991' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '3991' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '3991'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0002  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '4261' 
0.0019  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '4261' 
0.0017  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '4261'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0020  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '1505' 
0.0005  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '1505' 
0.0021  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '1505'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0015  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '33' 
0.0005  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '33' 
0.0015  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authors` ON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '33'
ORDER BY `sort` ASC 
0.0007  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS media_id, position
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `foreign_key_table` =  'products'
AND `foreign_key_column` =  'prod_id'
AND `foreign_key_value` =  '3009'
AND `kind` =  'image_600x600'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position` 
0.0025  

SELECT *
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `media`.`media_id` =  '1376' 
0.0024  

SELECT *
FROM (`mime_types`)
WHERE `mime_types`.`extension` =  'jpg' 
0.0015  

SELECT *
FROM (`media_metadata`)
WHERE `media_id` =  '1376' 
0.0004  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS media_id, position
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `foreign_key_table` =  'products'
AND `foreign_key_column` =  'prod_id'
AND `foreign_key_value` =  '3009'
AND `kind` =  'gallery_image'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position` 
0.0029  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `avail_id` IN ('A', 'B', 'C', 'H') 
AND `parent_id` =  '3009'
AND `type_id` =  'V'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position`, `title` 
0.0002  

SELECT `c`.`format_id`, `c`.`price`, `c`.`sale_price`
FROM (`products` AS c)
WHERE `c`.`prod_id` =  '3010'
LIMIT 1 
0.0004  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS media_id, position
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `foreign_key_table` =  'products'
AND `foreign_key_column` =  'prod_id'
AND `foreign_key_value` =  '3010'
AND `kind` =  'thumbnail'
ORDER BY IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position` 
0.0029  

SELECT `product_categories__products`.`cat_id`
FROM (`product_categories__products`)
JOIN `product_categories` ON `product_categories__products`.`cat_id` = `product_categories`.`cat_id`
WHERE `product_categories__products`.`prod_id` =  '3009'
AND `product_categories`.`parent_id` =  1
AND `product_categories__products`.`cat_id` NOT IN (1, 261)  
0.0007  

SELECT `cat_id` AS id, `parent_id` AS parent, `status_id`, `name`, `description`, `url_friendly`, `page_title`, `meta_keywords`, `meta_description`, `position`, `updated_at`
FROM (`product_categories`)
WHERE `cat_id` != 1
ORDER BY `parent_id`, IF(position = 0, 1, 0) ASC , `position`, `name` 
0.0018  

SELECT *
FROM (`product_categories`)
WHERE `status_id` =  'A'
AND `parent_id` =  1
AND `cat_id` NOT IN (1, 261) 
ORDER BY `name` 
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`site_settings`)
WHERE `option_key` =  'announcement' 
  HTTP HEADERS  (Show)
  SESSION DATA  (Show)
  CONFIG VARIABLES  (Show)