I have just completed mentoring the Pune Innovation Jam 2015. This was a global event held simultaneously across 100 cities in the world. Details of this format can be seen here. Deep involvement with this made me think – is this the best way? Is this the only way? Can we get the best out of …
Of late, I’ve seen a lot of emphasis on the role of culture on nourishing creativity and innovation. Sure, what is there to disagree. My point is simply that while this is essential, it is still not the core. The core is the ‘How to’ of it. Just as the core of a glass of …
Many people are very sceptical of the TRIZ philosophy that the solution to a problem of any industry is very unlikely to be found within the industry. Let me offer an explanation through a case study. Take the case of helicopter designers battling with the problem of sand-laden winds in deserts that cause unacceptable damage …
Just read the excellent post on ‘Wanted: More Idiots to tackle grassroots innovation challenges’ by Nalaka Gunawardene. Congratulations, Nalaka. The point made by Nalaka is worthy of serious debate. Should you work at solutions which are in line with your innate strength, or should you find an area crying for a solution and then …
Learning to write good business English works on the same principles as leadership. Leadership is not measured through the leader – how tall, dark and handsome he/she is? Or, how erudite, how experienced, how successful, how full of guts etc. The only measure is – how well it got the followers to deliver better. The …
I have spent days, nay months, fighting with people on what innovation is and what it is not. Only then did I realize that the discussions and dilemma was unnecessary. This is because it did not matter one bit to the guys I was trying to convince and/or impress i.e. my clients At the conceptual …
It’s not about idea generation, stupid! It’s about solution recognition. In most cases, you already have the solution. Only, you are not looking at the right places. At some time, P&G wanted a solution of providing teeth whitening ability to people, in the comfort of their homes. They had the right bleaching gel …
In this post, we move ahead of the Part 1 , which argued that seeking ‘solutions’ is not the best way of capturing customer requirements. Even if the requirement is initially captured in terms of a solution, it can be improved upon in order to provide an innovative solution. If the solution for a …
If you are blocked at one level, look for other ways. They exist, and sometimes offer an even better solution. While trying to invent a new type of air-conditioner, we find ourselves blocked to use the ‘heat exchange effect’ for some reason (patent restriction, cost etc). Does that mean that I cannot proceed with …
Any situation which can be expressed in a ‘If—, then —–, but—–‘ format, can be solved. It is more of a design contradiction than a problem If I do something, then some good can occur, but some bad occurs too. Some typical examples are given below. 1. While designing a car, I have the technical capability to increase …
