What Steven Johnson thinks about innovation

@steven-johnson · 16 positions · On ppll ↗

Non-fiction writer, podcaster and occasional TV host. Author of thirteen books including The Ghost Map, Where Good Ideas Come From and Extra Life, host of the PBS series How We Got To Now, and author of the Adjacent Possible newsletter on innovation.

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We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.

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Only Steven Johnson on innovation. See everyone on innovation

2 dated positions, 2026, in their own words. Our reading of what Steven Johnson has said — not written or endorsed by them.

2 positions so far — this page is not yet offered to search engines.

3 Apr 2026

Our readingWriting originated from flattening physical accounting tokens into two-dimensional signs pressed into clay.

Their wordsBy transforming a physical, three-dimensional counter into a two-dimensional sign, these early accountants made a momentous step towards history's inaugural information technology: writing.

↗The Legible Societyadjacentpossible.substack.com 2nd of 2 in this piece
8 weeks earlier
3 Feb 2026

Our readingThe purpose of a creative work environment is to produce ideas that would not otherwise have occurred to you.

creativity

Their wordsAt the most elemental level, that is the goal of a creative work environment: it should help you have ideas that would have never occurred to you.

↗The Architecture Of Ideasadjacentpossible.substack.com 2nd of 2 in this piece