Reclaiming Innovation: Why Tech Needs to Fall Back in Love with Problem-Solving

The tech industry was built on solving problems — not just building products. Yet as companies scale, many lose that original spark. Quarterly targets, feature checklists, and market pressures often replace the curiosity and purpose that once drove meaningful innovation.

In a recent Forbes interview, Brittany Greenfield, founder and CEO of Wabbi, shared how organizations can break out of this cycle and rediscover what true innovation looks like.

“Innovation cannot be a once-a-year exercise. As companies scale, they often lose sight of the fundamentals that sparked their founding — the desire to solve a real problem. When teams stay anchored in problem-solving, they’re empowered to think beyond the next quarter, resist short-term thinking and shiny-object distractions, and stay focused on solving for the future — even if it’s not always perfect.”

From Performance to Purpose

When innovation becomes just another KPI, creativity stalls. The most impactful tech companies are those that continuously reconnect to why they exist — not just what they sell. That focus on solving real, evolving problems fuels sustained progress, even through shifting markets or technology trends.

Teams that prioritize purpose over performance metrics naturally build resilience. They don’t chase trends; they set them.

Breaking the Quarterly Mindset

Short-term wins may please shareholders, but they rarely inspire teams. To foster real innovation, organizations must create space for experimentation — even when outcomes are uncertain. That means reframing success from hitting this quarter’s numbers to building long-term capability and insight.

This shift doesn’t happen through grand innovation labs or yearly strategy offsites — it happens through daily curiosity, iterative learning, and a willingness to improve, not just impress.

The Takeaway

Innovation isn’t an event; it’s a culture. The companies that thrive aren’t the ones chasing every new technology — they’re the ones continually solving meaningful problems, one iteration at a time.

When you stay rooted in solving for the future, you don’t need to predict what’s next — you’ll be building it.