---
title: Creating Breakthroughs at 3M
description: Creating Breakthroughs at 3M
---

[Effectuation Stories ](https://effectuation.org/stories)

# [Creating Breakthroughs at 3M](https://effectuation.org/stories/x-portfoliocreating-breakthroughs-at-3m)

 Written by [Effectuation Team](https://effectuation.org/stories/author/admin) | May 10, 2016 7:33:54 PM

"Companies say they want breakthrough products but most are far more adept at making incremental improvements to existing lines. A pioneering division at 3M successfully navigated a process that leads to breakthrough thinking."

[download the full article](https://web.mit.edu/people/evhippel/papers/HBR%2099%20LU%20pub%20version%203M.pdf) posted on Eric von Hippel's academic homepage.

Publication:  
Harvard Business Review  
Author(s):  
Eric von Hippel  
Stefan Thompke  
Mary Sonnack  
Relevant Principles:  
Pilot-in-the-Plane (Control vs. Predict)  
External Link:

[3M Article by Eric von Hippel](https://web.mit.edu/people/evhippel/papers/HBR%2099%20LU%20pub%20version%203M.pdf) (download)

[View full post](https://effectuation.org/stories/x-portfoliocreating-breakthroughs-at-3m)

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