Innovation begins with a question: “What If.” What if lumber became stronger when arranged in triangles and joined with steel plates? What if geometry could live inside a computer instead of on paper? What if building trusses offsite proved better than framing rafters onsite? Every innovation begins with the imagination to ask “what if,” and then the courage to follow through on that idea.
Over the past year, many have questioned whether independent component software can thrive apart from hardware. It’s a fair question, but perhaps it’s worth reframing. What if we focused more on improvements than on protecting the status quo? Can we look at the pain points facing component manufacturers and ask how to make their work and businesses better? What breakthroughs could we build once independent software removes the old constraints on imagination?
At Paragon, imagination isn’t wishful thinking. We think of it as disciplined curiosity. It is the willingness to question limitations while recognizing which ones are self-imposed. As manufacturers, it’s easy to focus on physical constraints, but what if the lack of collective imagination is the quiet force that hampers innovation?
Imagination Over Imitation
We owe a debt to the early innovators who paved the way for the tools we rely on today. Some are no longer in business, and others were acquired, but each played an essential role in the progress that brought us here.
Independent endeavors of the past look very different from the technology companies of today. Independence now lives in a connected world powered by cloud computing, open APIs, and LLMs. Twenty years ago, it would have been hard to imagine a fully remote company whose biggest asset is digital in the form of millions of lines of code. Yet that is how Paragon provides value to its customers today.
Compounding Hard Work
Imagination alone cannot build components or software companies; both require craftsmanship and hard work. After the housing crash of 2008, my father, Dan Holland, imagined a world of independence, not out of defiance but out of disciplined curiosity. He knew the work ahead would be difficult, but that’s where true innovation happens: deep in the details and hidden from the spotlight.
Every improvement in the component industry has required a blend of patience and persistence. Imagination without discipline will give up on what’s hard, and discipline without imagination will give in to the status quo. The deep work done each day compounds into something great over time.
Not All Innovation is Technological
We often equate innovation with technology, but what if we reimagined how value itself is created? Netflix pivoted from DVDs to streaming. The founder of Salesforce left Oracle to create a standalone cloud-based CRM. In the same way, our industry can rethink the standard business model, especially in a digital age.
No one company will do everything well. The tight pairing of hardware and software may have made sense for decades, but today we believe digital products can be powerful enough to stand on their own. What if integrating replaced bundling, and collaboration replaced silos? What if companies had the freedom to chart their own path to success?
Over the past several years, we’ve spoken with many component manufacturers. Some are content with the traditional model, but many others are eager for change.
Curiosity, Craftsmanship, and the Dignity of Work
The future of component manufacturing should be built on openness, collaboration, and connection. We can get there by moving past silos and working together on the challenges that affect us all.
Paragon’s core value is dignity. We strive to show it by crafting tools that make each user’s work more fulfilling. We innovate not to disrupt but to give craftsmen more control, efficiency, and pride in what they build.
From the first manufactured component to today’s AI tools, every breakthrough began with someone asking “what if.” The future of the component industry probably will not be built by one company or individual, but rather by the collective imagination of those willing to ask how it could be better, and then build it.