Final answer:
The four-step innovation process begins with an idea. This idea serves as the starting point for the subsequent stages of invention, development, and implementation in the innovation sequence.
Step-by-step explanation:
The four-step innovation process typically begins with An idea. This idea is the seed that sparks the entire innovation sequence, guiding the subsequent steps of invention, development, and implementation. Through brainstorming and synthesis, innovators bring together various concepts and solutions to form a new product, system, or process.
It's a journey from the imaginary to the concrete, moving from initial thought to the final innovative output. In this context, while inspiration, invention, and imagination are components within the broader innovation framework, it is the idea that ignites the process of innovation.