Extant literature lacks the microfoundations of innovation as process. To fill this lacuna, we introduce and extend Usher’s cumulative synthesis model comprising of four steps: the perception of an unsatisfactory pattern, the setting of the stage, the primary act of insight, and critical revision and development. We then probe the assumptions underlying the model, explore how it has influenced contemporary scholars, and how it can be applied to enhance scholarship on and the practice of innovation. We conclude with observations on how innovation can be a part of organizing rather than remain apart from it, and suggest future research possibilities.