New objects can be created only from the combinations of objects existing at a point in time.
— Theory of the Adjacent Possible1
The importance of combinations has been found in the evolution of inventions2, business3, culture4, and biology5. Albert Einstein wrote, “Combinatory play seems to be the essential feature in productive thought.”6
To put this theory into practice when creating great products, what can we do? Individually, together, or with AI copilots?
1. Get relevant current information on “existing objects”.
Be truly curious and excited about the field so that we can build knowledge and skills with perseverance, and be more comfortable with uncertainty. “Your thoughts follow your mood.”7
Reframe the topic or problem by being mindful of several perspectives8. Charles Kettering’s saying, “A problem well-stated is a problem half-solved,” is plausible because the problem statement is the prompt to the collective memory of the people working on it9.
Connect with others and their ideas in person or via the media. This connection can create new ideas at the intersection of functions, organizations, markets, and fields—the Medici effect4. Bill Gates said Microsoft Think Week “expanded…to include the top 50 engineering thinkers. It has definitely led to an exciting exchange of ideas and inspirations that would not otherwise have occurred.”10
2. Make combinations, lots of them.
Start quickly and generate a lot of ideas, while not critiquing at first. “You need a lot of bad ideas in order to get a few good ones.”11 “It’ll be pretty when we get there, but it won’t be pretty along the way, and that’s as it should be.”16
Use ideation tools such as SCAMPER14, questioning of habits and small things, stating the obvious, and observation. And think of ideation blockages as part of the process—“where the fork returns empty to your plate is just part of the eating process.…Play until your unconscious is ready to cough up some stuff. Getting discouraged is a total waste of your time.”7
Create some distance after dwelling on the topic or problem. Walk away from the desk. Sleep over it.12 Keep it at the back of mind. “A lot of important ideas have very long incubation periods…the slow hunch”13. Research suggests that our brain’s default mode network12, or unconscious mind, continues to work on it, just like “when you’ve eaten, your body will digest the meal for you,”7 without you being conscious of it.
3. Critique and iterate
Accept constraints. Kill your darlings.15 “Imposing limits can encourage a creative response.…Engaging with exceptionally hard problems forces us to think differently,” wrote Pixar’s cofounder and president.16
Experiment. Explore anomalies.17 “The real measure of success is the number of experiments that can be crowded into 24 hours,” said Thomas Edison. Anomalies can “improve the crispness of definitions, the salience of the categorization scheme, and the methods for measuring…”3. And consider treating the “seemingly irrelevant as potentially relevant”.18
Seek and welcome peer review. Because “creative products should not be developed in a vacuum,” but remember that “you are not your idea.”16 “Listen carefully. But at the end of the day, you and only you must decide which criticisms and suggestions you accept. Don’t ask yourself who is right; ask which idea is better.”7
A creative idea has been defined as one that is novel and useful in a particular setting18. Much has been discovered on creativity (and innovation and originality) because it is believed to be deeply human. Much more is yet to be discovered.
PS: Typically I write about building products. I write to pay it forward and to sharpen my thinking.
- Stuart Kauffman paper, talk
- Hyejin Youn paper
- Clay Christensen article, article
- Frans Johansson book
- Origins of life article, video, article
- Albert Einstein book
- John Cleese book
- Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg article
- Art Markman article
- Bill Gates article
- Adam Grant book, talk
- Rex Jung et al paper, Michael Greicius et al paper, Ben Shofty et al paper, Ullrich Wagner et al paper, Roger Beaty et al paper, Michael Shadlen paper
- Steven Johnson book, talk
- Bob Eberle book
- Arthur Quiller-Couch book, article
- Ed Catmull book
- Gary Klein book, article
- Scott Barry Kaufman article
Niran Kundapur 