The regulator and the innovator are two very different people. The regulator enforces standards. The innovator questions standards. The regulator protects the status quo. The innovator challenges the status quo. The regulator erects barriers to innovation and progress. The innovator is the source of innovation and progress.
Regulation is about seeking permission. It is about crossing the t’s, dotting the i’s, and submitting all of the forms in triplicate. The regulator’s job is to ensure that individuals do not undertake activities that have not been approved.
Innovation is about moving into unchartered waters. It is about venturing forth where others have not gone. The innovator’s job is to dream and then make that dream a reality.
The regulator is stuck in the past. The innovator looks to the future. The regulator thinks about what is safe. The innovator thinks about what is possible. The regulator seeks to control other men. The innovator seeks to control nature.
The regulator produces paper and rules. The innovator produces products and services that make our lives better (or we wouldn’t purchase them). The regulator utilizes force to impose collective standards. The innovator seeks the voluntary consent of those he deals with.
The regulator and the innovator are two very different people. Unfortunately, the innovator usually requires the permission of the regulator to act.