What Jurassic Park Teaches About Innovation

"We spared no expense." It's one of the most famous lines in Jurassic Park.

The park had brilliant scientists, talented engineers, experienced veterinarians, sophisticated automation and state-of-the-art security.

They had almost everything, except a culture where someone could stop the project and say, "Maybe we're moving too fast."

That's why Ian Malcolm wasn't the villain. He was the person asking the questions no one else wanted to hear. That lesson has become even more relevant in the age of AI.

Today, we can generate content, images, presentations, and entire marketing campaigns in minutes. It's exciting—and incredibly powerful. But speed can create a dangerous illusion.

The first answer isn't always the best answer. I've learned that lesson firsthand.

🍦 Years ago, I was preparing an ice cream contest and asked one of our graphic designers to purchase the rights to a stock photo of a dog happily licking an ice cream cone. 🐶

A few minutes later, he sent me the licensed image along with one extra sentence: "By the way... this is bad for your dog."

I'll admit it. For a split second, I was annoyed. That wasn't what I asked him to do. Then I stopped and thought about it. If my graphic designer noticed it immediately, how many people on social media were going to notice?

Five? Fifty? Five hundred? Instead of talking about the contest, they'd be debating whether dogs should eat ice cream.

I thanked him, asked for a different image, and probably saved our team from spending the rest of the day responding to comments.

He wasn't hired to write marketing copy.

He wasn't managing the campaign.

He was simply the first member of our audience.

That experience changed how I think about feedback. The best teams aren't filled with people who simply execute instructions. They're filled with people who feel comfortable saying, "I think we're missing something."

The same is true when working with AI. The best results rarely come from asking one prompt and publishing the first response.

They come from asking better questions. Challenging assumptions.

• Iterating

• Refining

• Listening

Innovation isn't about replacing human judgment. It's about creating better conversations between people, technology, and the perspectives we might otherwise overlook.

Maybe every marketing team—and every AI workflow—needs its own Ian Malcolm.

Someone whose job isn't just to generate ideas, but to ask the question everyone else forgot.

So What?

Innovation isn't measured by how impressive a technology is—it's measured by the problem it solves. Every breakthrough should answer a simple question: Why does this matter? When organizations become captivated by what they can build instead of what customers need, they risk creating attention without lasting value. The best innovations don't just impress people—they improve their lives.

Everyone needs an Ian Malcolm on their team.