Surfing the Waves of Innovation

“You can’t stop the waves… but you can learn to surf!” This quote by Jon Kabat-Zinn is more than just a piece of coastal wisdom—it is a perfect metaphor for how organizations should approach data and innovation.

The Power of Transferable Skills

When I studied philosophy, I wasn’t training for a specific technical role. Instead, I was developing a toolkit of “transferable skills”: the ability to spot hidden assumptions, to structure complex arguments, and to see the broader context. Today, I apply those same skills to data and analytics.

But innovation requires more than just logic; it requires a specific mindset. This is where the metaphor of surfing comes in.

From the Ocean to the Boardroom

Learning to surf is a lesson in humility. You quickly realize that a cubic meter of water weighs 1,000kg; you cannot fight the ocean. You can only learn to read it and move with it. In business, several skills transfer directly from the surf to the innovation process:

1. Know Yourself & Practice

Surfing is physically demanding and technically difficult. You spend 90% of your time paddling or waiting, and only 10% actually on the board. Innovation is similar. You must work on your foundational strengths—your data engineering, your architecture—so that when the “right wave” (the right business opportunity) comes, you are ready to stand up.

2. Learn to Read the Waves

In the water, you have to learn which waves to go for and which to let pass. In data projects, this means developing a vision. You need to distinguish between a “distraction” (a shiny new tool with no ROI) and a “strategic wave” (a project that aligns with your business goals).

3. Commit Fully

Once you decide to drop into a wave, any hesitation will cause you to wipe out. Innovation requires the same bold commitment. Once the requirements are clear and the strategy is set, you must commit to the “deep work” to get things moving.

4. Stay Loose When You Fail

In surfing, you fail by design. You will fall. The key is to stay calm, find out which way is up, and paddle back out. Data projects are complex; you will hit roadblocks. A growth mindset allows you to identify what went wrong, take a step back, and go for it again.

Closing the Loop

Whether it’s using philosophy to bridge the gap between business strategy and deep engineering, or using the surfer’s mindset to navigate the “edge of chaos,” the goal is the same: operational control.

Innovation isn’t about stopping the waves of new technology; it’s about building the skills and the culture to surf them to success.