Richie CottonSenior Data Evangelist, DataCamp · Ask me about data and AI upskilling

Iteration is a Trap (Here's the Escape)

Name: Iteration is a Trap (Here's the Escape)
Uploaded: 2026-03-02T16:50:16+00:00
Duration: 35 s
Channel: Richie Cotton
Description: Iteration only improves yesterday's work and can't deliver exponential growth or competitive advantage. True innovation requires constant…

2 Mar 2026 · 1 min

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Iteration only improves yesterday's work and can't deliver exponential growth or competitive advantage. True innovation requires constant experimentation, not just refining what exists. Breaking the cycle means building a different approach entirely.

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That in many ways has made us successful, and I would argue that that in many ways puts us and locks us into a position of iteration, not innovation. I define iteration as improving yesterday. Innovation I define as creating new value. You can't get both with just one, and you can't unlock exponential opportunity with just iteration. So therefore, you have to have a constant cycle of experimentation in order to yield the returns of those bets at the greatest odds as possible in terms of competitiveness.