See these comments on innovation: "A great part of the machines made use of in those manufactures in which labour is most subdivided, were originally the inventions of common workmen, who, being each of them employed in some very simple operation, naturally turned their thoughts towards finding out easier and readier methods of performing it. "
en.m.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Wealth_of_Nations/Book_I/Chapter_1 There's a long, long tradition of this sort of thing.