Four Questions that Triggers Innovative Ideas

Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, and Richard Branson, are brilliant individuals who never runs out of brilliant ideas, business model ot new product designs that draw public’s attention.

Many people see them as alien or people who were born special. However, Rowan Gibson, the author of “The Four Lenses of Innovation: A Power Tool for Creative Thinking”, sees differently. He believes that innovation is a matter of perspective, and anyone, yes, anyone, can improve his capability of rising innovations.

The sercret would be to see something from one of four creative thinking “lenses”. If you want to innovate, ask these four questions, and, who knows, brilliant ideas will go along:

1. How can I challenge conventional wisdom and intervene the status quo?

The first lens of innovation is to challenge the general knowledge, and Elon Musk is an example to this. “Look at what he did with Tesla,” Gibson said. “Experts in Detroit said he would never produce a high quality electric car, makes people want to buy, or build proper electric charging stations. And that he would never directly sell it online.”

Musk challenged all those premises and did the same surprise in the rocket industry. Thus, if you want to innovate, try to question things that “everyone” knows. You might end up rocking the industry.

2. How can I make use of the incoming trend?

Jeff Bezos was in Wall Street prior working on Amazon. He read about the explosion of internet industry and what sector will benefit the most. The report was publicly available. Everyone could read it.

So, try to predict the future politic, lifestyle, technology, and other domains. Think about the business or product that triggers the trend. Gibson stated, “Innovators can read the signal. They know that tsunami will come after seeing a small wave in the sea.”

3. How can I profit from existing trend and create a new opportunity out of it?

So try doing the same. Try to see the world from customers’ point of view, what they need, challenges they face, or little problems present on their way. Richard Branson is the best example to this. He started off with a small cassette shop in London, and ends up owing 400 companies in different industries. Every sole company and individual has skills and asset. It’s up to us to manage our skills and asset, to later build a business empire.

4. Have the customers’ needs been met?

Research on customers helps, but entrepreneurs must think more than that. They can meet people’s needs, even the unawared ones. Take a look at iPod, Airbnb, Uber, or Nest. How many people needed them before they were released?

Steve Jobs was an expert of this. Thus, try doing the same thing.