Sometimes I see people who claim they can't come up with any idea on a business to run. For me that seems bizarre- Ideas are constant (though not constantly good) and the wise old advice of "Find a problem and solve it." nicely wraps up what you need to do, right? If you're still stuck, this right here (a short read, promise) will give you the rest of the direction you need, right?
Well, I would think so. But that's because I'm already hardwired to find problems. I play games where problems exist and want to be solved, like armored core. (You spend hours on designing an efficient killing machine for your play style and dare say it's not a problem solving exercise.) I'm 'blessed' with a negative personality that allows me to quickly notice when something doesn't work as well as it otherwise could. I pick up on when other people have issues and make quick mental notes of it. In fact! That's the exact reason I made this post here.
But that's just me. I can take that advice and grok it because I already work in a way that's controversially very synergistic with it. Controversial because every source I've ever seen on being successful tells you to stay the hell away from me. :coolgleamA:
At any rate, I recognize other people just don't work like that. They don't make mental footnotes of problems, because they don't care about them in the same way I do. This means they won't likely either actively think of a solution (unless it was immediately available to them when they came across a problem they wouldn't otherwise note), and they certainly won't accidentally find a solution like I did here. Accidental solutions come because a problem sticks just close enough to the surface of your mind to come back to you.
So as I said, I accidentally came across a solution. Someone wrote a book about idea generation and innovation. In chapter two, which is posted on his site, there is an action-oriented solution that easily fits this problem that the author swiped from someone else. It's a more structured and step-by-step version of the "Look at something and write a list." advice I would have given.
So here's your link. http://www.innovatorssourcebook.com/chapter-2.html
If you find you like the tool, it won't take much creativity to apply it to other things. For example, writing a fictional book. Hmm... On that note, writing fiction is the strange sort of abstract cross-training some people love. After all, fiction is just about fabricating problems. Inevitibly, you reference real problems to make up fake ones. This makes you a problem seeker. Then your characters have to either solve or fail at solving problems. Now you're a problem solver.
Well, I would think so. But that's because I'm already hardwired to find problems. I play games where problems exist and want to be solved, like armored core. (You spend hours on designing an efficient killing machine for your play style and dare say it's not a problem solving exercise.) I'm 'blessed' with a negative personality that allows me to quickly notice when something doesn't work as well as it otherwise could. I pick up on when other people have issues and make quick mental notes of it. In fact! That's the exact reason I made this post here.
But that's just me. I can take that advice and grok it because I already work in a way that's controversially very synergistic with it. Controversial because every source I've ever seen on being successful tells you to stay the hell away from me. :coolgleamA:
At any rate, I recognize other people just don't work like that. They don't make mental footnotes of problems, because they don't care about them in the same way I do. This means they won't likely either actively think of a solution (unless it was immediately available to them when they came across a problem they wouldn't otherwise note), and they certainly won't accidentally find a solution like I did here. Accidental solutions come because a problem sticks just close enough to the surface of your mind to come back to you.
So as I said, I accidentally came across a solution. Someone wrote a book about idea generation and innovation. In chapter two, which is posted on his site, there is an action-oriented solution that easily fits this problem that the author swiped from someone else. It's a more structured and step-by-step version of the "Look at something and write a list." advice I would have given.
So here's your link. http://www.innovatorssourcebook.com/chapter-2.html
If you find you like the tool, it won't take much creativity to apply it to other things. For example, writing a fictional book. Hmm... On that note, writing fiction is the strange sort of abstract cross-training some people love. After all, fiction is just about fabricating problems. Inevitibly, you reference real problems to make up fake ones. This makes you a problem seeker. Then your characters have to either solve or fail at solving problems. Now you're a problem solver.
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