Include domain experts and novices when solving a problem (existing knowledge and ignorance are useful in creativity)

Spend time really understanding the problem and identify existing attempts at solving it

Don’t ignore tangential information. A good way to leave your subconsious working on a problem is to do the ff to see if the answer comes to you while you sleep or after taking a mental break

  • Leave sentences unfininshed
  • Write down a question

For example, write down a problem statement/question before going to bed (one entence). Think about it for a few mins then sleep. When you wake up write down what ideas come immediately to mind. Sample question: “Why is checking into a hotel not as simple as renting a car as far as self service goes?”

Domain knowledge and expertise are key to novel ideas when combined with irrelevant information

Sleep helps you consolidate information to long term memory

Creativitiy requires

  • Building domain knowldge in an area
  • Curiosity in unrelated areas (be deliberate about exploring the edges such as seeking out experiences you ordinarily wouldn’t)

On innovation and Breaking rules: You can’t intentionally break the rules if you don’t know the rules. It’s also not about being naive to the rules but rather ignoring the rules and convention. You need to be able to identify and challenge beliefs

The Creativity Framework or Ingredients

  • Curiosity
  • Constraints
  • Connections
  • Conventions
  • Code

On Curiosity

Mood related influences for creativity

  • Positivity
  • Mood/Emotional state changes

“The future belongs not to those who create ideas but to those who make viable”

“History not reality crowns the first movers”

We need to nuture Curiosity through Observation and Experimentaion

The question “What if …?” is the birthplace of creativity

On Constraints

Focus on constraints. Observe - “What can’t they do?” not “What do they need?” Understand “What are they unable to do?” Being first is not as important as being relevant Innovation goes beyond having access to resources, displaying resourcesfulness is more important. That your team does not have enough budget may not be a viable excuse

Behavioral and resource constrainrs spur creativity

It is essential to develop the skill to be able to identify and define problems

Varying Definitions of the word ‘Problem’

  • Source of difficulty
  • State of difficulty
  • Question raised for consideration
  • Being in a state that is different from where you want to be

Typical reactions to Problems

  • Discomfort
  • Frustration
  • Curiosity

Rethinking problems not as a source of difficulty but rather as a series of questions can spark creativity

On Connections

Getting Eureka moments and exposing ambiguity: Identifying prevailing biases and then challenge the truths with “What If?” Wy are doors rectangular? Why do cars have 4 wheels?

There are two ways to deal with constraints:

  • change how you solve the problem
  • change how you preceive the problem

Regardless of what business you’re in, the only way to get a non customer to be a customer is to start a new conversation

To help make unrelated connections, keep unsolved problems top of your mind through unconscious processing

To help with unexplored connections between existing information (previous knowledge), write down unsolved problems

Increased specialization is great for efficeincy but not creativity and innovation

Innovation is the business of cross boundary thinking

  • Make time to think and reflect
  • Think broadly
  • Communicate effectively

To learn to think outside of the box think broadly, read broadly and live broadly

Essentially, be a T or F shaped individual

Memory, attention and perception are a big deal in learning

On Conventions

To break out of functional fixedness think about conventions that exist in a domain and explore each piece trying to figure out what would happen if th e opposite of each piece is instead the norm

To innovate in a new domain

  • Write down the success factors of existing players
  • Note down customer wants, needs and constraints which they are not able to articulate
    • Determine why they buy and choose not to buy, as much as you try to understand what they want
  • Explore the micro factors
  • form unrelated connections
  • What analogies exist for similar problems in a different domain
  • Make list of constraints and conventions

“Don’t focus on innovation, focus on solving real problems”

Become a problem solver not innovator

Failure is a great wat to eliminate wrong solutions

Failure reduces the number of possible solutions

Success could be dangerous because it might hold back search for a better solution hindering continuous improivements

On Code

This is the general idea that you could have creative codes,or approaches/broad framework on how to solve problems. If you find a creative code that helps you continue to innovate make use of it (at least until it is no longer true)